Alaa

#an_iron_man

“I didn’t care what anyone said. For me, it was fuel that drove me forward.”

Alaa’s passion for sports altered his character; he now doesn’t fear confrontation. He manages his time between studying Tourism and Hospitality, cooking –his hobby–, and practicing running, swimming, and bike riding; his absolute favorite sport. People didn’t expect much from him, they would exclaim “Alaa! Becoming a swimmer!?” Now, he’s a triathlon champion with 6 winning medals. Even fasting during Ramadan doesn’t stop him, he fills the month with daily practice and challenges.

“I’ve been obsessed with bicycles ever since I was a kid. I once got one as a gift, but they took it back. Because I was literally crazy about it.”

Alaa’s eyes shine when he talks about bike riding. Before being a sportive man, he suffered from several psychological issues. His getaway was sleep. Amo Hossam, a caregiver in Alaa’s care home, gave him advice, to change his lifestyle and work on his own development. Amo Hossam was so dear to Alaa, all his guidance came from the heart, which led Alaa to depression when he passed away. Three months later, he decided that it’s time for him to change. He went back to bike riding, his old childhood passion. Then Sanad showed up on his path, to teach him new things and support his dreams.

“I wasn’t much of a talker, some problems in the past made me a quiet introvert. I feared people’s judgments whenever I talked.” . . . That’s how Alaa describes himself before 2021, before joining Mobader (The Initiator); a community leadership program organized by Sanad. He learnt the concept of leadership and the traits of a true leader. He was also able to improve his skills as a speaker. Through the program, Alaa and his team designed an awareness campaign addressing psychological and mental health, which they considered to be a neglected element in alternative care institutions. Their campaign “A Break for the Mind” aimed to study the seven dimensions of mental health, and to empower their target audience through practical knowledge. That was applied through lectures, research, and open circles for discussion.

“When I started writing about the concept of “Respect”, I realized that there are several types of Respect, Self-respect for example. Then, I found out that there are different types of the “Self”. I’m working on simplifying these concepts to help us understand what we’ve been through.”

Alaa participated in Sanad’s Storytelling Program, where he developed his skills in expressing himself and listening, he even became aware of concepts that he realized were important to tackle and identify. . . “The most precious lesson I learnt was how to know if people really want to listen. I know it now from their body language. I learnt to tell my story without the intention of showing off. I learnt the elements of storytelling, and how to keep a flow.” Alaa describes that experience as amazing, as he got to form friendships and challenge his communication skills.

In 2022, he joined Sanad’s Youth Forum, Alaa describes the forum and says “It’s a great opportunity to share experiences and challenges, so we pave the road for each other. We also know more about our cause and what needs to be tackled.”

Sanad Supported Alaa on his path as a sportsman through connecting him to EGYMED’s, a company in the healthcare sector that launched Sehetna (Our health), an initiative providing health services. Sehetna’s team helped Alaa register into competitions and commit to his swimming training especially. He was then qualified to participate in the IRONMAN Marathon, Madenty Marathon, Al-Alameen competition, and Badya Super Cycle. Through these challenges, he won a total of three medals.

“I knew Sanad, then I realized that there is still so much to learn.”

Alaa’s future plan isn’t limited to himself, he wants to keep supporting his cause too. He talks about one of his ideas which is a small publication simplifying important principles and concepts, such as: Respect and Abuse. He says “It’s important to understand the meaning of Abuse, its forms, and how to avoid it, in order to understand ourselves and others, and for one to know when they’re being abused, most of us don’t even know it.”

Alaa wishes to be an IRONMAN champion, and to open a healthy food restaurant for athletes after graduation. He is also considering becoming independent, he knows that it’s a challenge and a step that needs preparation, but he’s feeling hopeful.