1. You seem to be involved in a lot of active sports, what inspired you to start? 

 

It started 3 years ago when I moved here in the UAE. As a way to avoid homesickness before, I started to run during weekends. I started running on my own until I tried registering with local races until I met people who were a lot more active. The next thing I know, I was joining multi-sport groups and clubs. As my circle of friends grew bigger, so did my interest in sports. I found myself amazed by the stories of the people who were changed for the better by these activities and I guess curiosity is also one of the reasons why I started. I wanted to see if I could do what they can.

 

2. What has been your biggest achievement so far? 

 

My biggest achievement so far in sports is completing the marathon - a total of 42.2km run.

 

3. I'm sure that becoming an athlete came with its own difficulties, what challenges did you face and how did you overcome them? 

 

Yes, there are a lot. Especially when I was a beginner (though I am still a beginner and learner), I fell a couple of times when I was starting to ride clipless pedals on my bike and getting injured because of running. Aside from that, there is of course difficulty to balance work and training at times.

 

I overcame it by switching to a positive mentality and to just keep on going. If I fall, I stand up again and get back on my saddle; if I get injured, I take rest, reflect on what went wrong and start running again. I also tell myself not to stress out too much as I have to remember that this is not my career; I am not a pro athlete; I am doing this as a lifestyle, for fitness and to enjoy.

 

4. Has the recent pandemic impacted your life or your career; if so, how have you stayed motivated? 

 

The pandemic has affected me in a way that everything I was looking forward to last year got cancelled. I motivate myself by believing that everything will be alright eventually and there is light at the end of the tunnel. Just keep going.

 

5. What advice do you have for women who are in pursuit of their dreams? 

 

I myself am in pursuit of my own dreams, hence, the advice that I can give is to enjoy the process while we are at it. Get out of your comfort zones. Explore what makes you happy. Be a better version of yourself. Do things for yourself and not for others.

 

We, as women, should not stop doing what we can and want, aside from what society has depicted and expected us to be doing.

 

6. What life lessons have you learnt from Covid-19 that you would like to share with other aspiring women?

 

Never take advantage of your time and resources. Spend quality time with the people you love. Save money for your future.

 

7. What are your goals for the upcoming year?

 

To be a better version of myself than last year.

 

8. If you had a choice to have a superpower, what would it be?

 

How about the power of The Flash so I can run faster than all the pro athletes!