Born in one of the most conservative parts of Pakistan, Maria Toorpakai Wazir rejected the traditional role reserved for women in her country.

At a very young age, she burned her girl's clothes -- instead dressing and living as a boy.

With her family's support, she competed in sports -- first weightlifting, then squash, quickly becoming the best in Pakistan.

But when Maria stopped hiding her gender -- she became the target of death threats from the Taliban.

Maria was forced to leave her country -- with help she moved to Canada and kept competing. Now she's become one of the top female squash players in the world.

She's also an author, telling her life story in a new book -- in the hopes of inspiring others.