University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHB) chaplain Rehanah Sadiq has been selected for the 2012 Olympic Games, which commence with the opening ceremony on Friday (27 July 2012).

Rehanah, who joined the Trust as a Muslim chaplain in 2000, was selected from thousands of candidates to provide chaplaincy support to the athletes taking part in the London Olympics.

The Pakistan-born chaplain, who moved to the UK when she was two years old, is also a Muslim chaplain at Birmingham Women’s NHS Foundation Trust.

She said: “I am not sure who nominated me, but I received a phone call from the London 2012 team asking me if I would like to be interviewed for the opportunity.

“I was a little taken aback and was worried about fitting the commitment into my workload, but then I thought this is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I shouldn’t give up a chance like this.”

Rehanah, who provided counselling for women and families in the Muslim community prior to joining UHB, added: “It is phenomenal and exciting to be part of something like this.

“I am excited about the sort of people I will meet. However, I am also anxious about the responsibility I will have in providing guidance or spiritual and emotional support to those people who need it. I will need to be prepared, but I am looking forward to the challenge.”

Around 160 chaplains from the five major world religions of Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Judaism and Hinduism will be deployed in the athletes’ village during the Olympics and Paralympics.