In this post, we shed the light on 3 Lebanese Athletes who have been training hard and are aspiring to achieve new results.
We asked Lea Iskandar, Nesrine Njeim and Zeinab Bazzi about their path, their motivation, and their message to women. Check out what they had to say!
Lea Iskandar:
My path leads to women empowerment as professional athletes, career holders, strong heads of families, and-most importantly-as independent figures.
Motivation is limitless and, luckily, it what you can control the most while running. Strength and speed cannot guarantee winning if there is no motivation. What motivates me the most is the sense of accomplishment. I take every training as a challenge, and I am always proud to have achieved it. We should constantly set new goals that tap into both our physical and mental aspects, so we can better ourselves as we achieve them.
My message to women is that sports should be an essential part of everyone’s life. It gives confidence in yourself, ambition, goal, as well as an irreplaceable sense of pride. You shouldn’t miss an opportunity to engage in sports activities. It is neither about competing and winning nor about recognition, it is about challenging ourselves and achieving our full potential – the feeling of crossing the finish line itself is its own glory. I recently read an article that surprised me by stating that, globally, more women are crossing the finish line than men. The pain women go through when they are growing up and during childbirth and the stress they face when pulling a double-shift between work life and home life is merely an attestation to their strength, all there is left now is to start.
Nesrine Njeim:
My path is about running. For me, running is a lifestyle and my “me time” .I don’t need to find time for it, it is part of my life. It leads me to discover new places around the world. It makes me happy and bring lots of positive energy into my life. I absolutely love running new races in different places and meeting new people.
Have you ever heard of the runner’s high?
Nothing can beat that feeling when you set a personal goal and conquer it. It is an addictive feeling which makes me strive for more. The confidence and happiness that i get every time I cross the finish line carries with me in my daily life. A main reason behind having running a part of my life is definitely the feeling of having the strength to not let anything get me down.
My message to the women reading this is: Running is one of the few exercises that don’t require any equipment or gym membership. You can run anywhere, for free. Start with a walk or small run. You don’t need to be healthy and fit to start, but running will lead you to a healthy lifestyle, boost your energy, and clear your mind.
Zeinab Bazzi:
My path is the one that led me and that will always lead me to fulfill my dreams and the projects that are close to my heart. It is long and full of obstacles, but you have to have the courage to overcome these obstacles and persevere to make your dreams and ambitions a reality.
My main motivation is self-satisfaction and the pleasure that comes from beating my personal best. It’s still not easy. You have to train hard and on regular basis to be ready for race day. Each race holds a beautiful lesson, it allows me to second-guess myself, to learn from my mistakes, to trust in my abilities, and to push past my limits.
Sports in general, and running in particular, allow us above all to stay in good shape and in good health. Running removes the stress of everyday life, shapes the mind, and builds self-confidence. Beyond its physical and mental benefits, running is a beautiful lesson in life, humility, and solidarity. To any woman who wants to start, I advise you to set a goal and persevere to reach it: the hardest but most rewarding phase is taking the first step, have the courage to chase your dream till the end.