Name: Amna Al-Haddad
Age: 28 years old
Nationality: Emirati
Occupation: Former professional Olympic weightlifter, writer, and motivational speaker
Amna Al-Haddad is considered a sports pioneer from this region—she is known for breaking the glass ceiling as an Olympic weightlifting athlete from the UAE. In 2012, she decided to turn her passion into a career and became a full-time athlete. Within the same year, her hard work and dedication paid off when she made history for becoming the first Arab woman to compete in the Reebok CrossFit Asia Regionals in Seoul, South Korea. In 2013, Amna went on to represent Arab women by competing internationally and becoming the first competitive weightlifter from the Gulf to do so in Hijab and qualifying for the Olympics. Amna is also the designer of the NIKE hijab and is the only UAE national featured in the bestselling book “Stories for Rebel Girls”.
What do you think is the future for women in your sport and how did you get started?
Without a doubt, the future for women in sports is bright and here to stay. A lot of work has been done over the years for women to have an equal playing field in the sports industry. It is still growing and there are still some challenges, but everyday women are crushing barriers and no longer taking “no” for an answer.
My fitness journey started back in 2009 when I decided to go for a simple walk to change my state of mind from depression to action. That simple step led me to CrossFit, where I made history as the first GCC National to compete at the regional level in 2012. After that, I decided to focus my energy on the one activity I loved the most, Olympic weightlifting, and set my sights on the Rio Olympics.
Tell us about your injury. How did you use GuavaPass to help with your recovery?
Six months prior to the Olympic qualifiers, I sustained an L5/S1 injury and results showed that I had a herniated disc, which made basic activities like getting out of bed, cleaning and cooking very difficult to do, let alone lifting weights. Despite the injury and all the sacrifices I had made prior, I persevered to finish the journey as strong as I could and joined the UAE national team to compete at the Asian Championship – Olympic qualifier, where we earned one spot to send a female athlete.
I discovered GuavaPass in August 2017 after having a hard time finding the right gym and committing to one activity as I needed a drastic change to my fitness approach. Doing one thing and mastering it is great, but getting out of my comfort zone beyond weights has been a great experience for my mind, body and soul.
With GuavaPass, I have been able to rekindle my love for dancing, as well as pick yoga and pilates classes that are rehab-based and are similar to physiotherapy offered at such centres for people with injuries like mine. To have access to this has lifted my spirits up, and it has been a great app to make new friends as well!
What are your ultimate fitness goals?
Longevity is my goal. I aim to remain physically fit and healthy for the rest of my life, which to me is more important than lifting a certain amount of weight or achieving a particular skill.
What’s your go-to excuse to avoid working out?
I don’t have one—I either want to work out or I don’t. I listen to my body and how it feels on daily basis. I choose activities that my body can handle at whatever state it is in.
This or that:
Yoga or HIIT? Yoga!
Shorts or leggings? Leggings
Morning or evening workout? Morning
Cheat meals or cheat days? Cheat day, for days!
Hear her story at Ladies for Zest on the 9th of April.
Work out with inspiring people just like Amna with GuavaPass—access an exclusive discount here!
