Key Concepts
- Showing up for yourself: Believing in yourself and taking on challenges regardless of the outcome.
- Persistence and Resilience: Continuing to strive towards a goal despite setbacks and obstacles.
- Personal Growth: Focusing on the journey and the person you are becoming, rather than solely on immediate rewards.
- Qualifying for the Olympics: The process of meeting specific criteria to participate in the Olympic Games.
- Cross-country Skiing: A winter sport involving skiing over snow-covered terrain.
- Administrative Errors: Mistakes or oversights in bureaucratic processes that can impact eligibility.
Early Life and Introduction to Sports
The speaker describes himself as an overweight child with asthma who didn't enjoy sports growing up. He contrasts this with the perception that people might have of him now, assuming he was a natural athlete. The only sport he excelled at was rugby, due to his size. He recounts an experience during a high school football game where he ran away from being a substitute goalie due to anxiety, a moment he initially regretted but later realized was a valuable lesson in not showing up for himself. He emphasizes that he gradually started taking on challenges, putting in effort, and improving over time.
The Life-Changing Call and the Winter Olympics Initiative
In April 2021, the speaker received a call from his cousin, asking if he wanted to be one of the first Saudis to qualify for the Winter Olympics. Saudi Arabia had recently started its own winter sports federation with the goal of qualifying athletes for the 2022 Winter Olympics. Despite the seemingly improbable combination of "Winter and Saudi," the speaker immediately accepted the challenge. He went through the Federation's filtration process and eventually found himself in Sweden, where he would train for the next four months.
Training and Challenges
The speaker's first day on cross-country skis was in August 2021, leaving him with only five months to learn the sport, train, compete, and qualify for the Olympics by the January 17th deadline. He and his teammates were compared to Eddie the Eagle and the Jamaican bobsled team ("Cool Runnings"). They faced skepticism from national coaches who doubted their ability to go "from desert to snow" in such a short time. The training was intense, involving two to three hours of skiing in the morning and evening, and living in isolation. Adapting to the cold weather and appropriate clothing was also a significant challenge.
The Qualification Race and Initial Success
The speaker participated in several races, improving with each one. Qualification came down to the last race in January. He describes the race as a blur, but he managed to achieve the points needed to qualify. He and his family celebrated at the airport after seeing the results, causing a scene.
Disqualification and Reflection
A few days later, the speaker received a call informing him that he would not be going to the Olympics due to administrative errors. Saudi Arabia, being new to cross-country skiing, had not earned their spot during the World Champs a year prior, a requirement separate from the athlete's individual qualification. He experienced a range of emotions, including sadness, anger, and doubt. However, after reflection, he realized that he would do it all again, even knowing the outcome.
Milano 2026 and the True Lesson
The speaker called the Federation and announced his intention to try for the Milano 2026 Winter Olympics. He emphasizes that the call informing him of his disqualification was the one that truly changed his life. It taught him that life is not about immediate rewards or guarantees, but about showing up for yourself, your journey, persistence, resilience, and believing in the person you are becoming. He concludes by stating that he has since qualified for Milano 2026 and encourages the audience to ask themselves if they are giving themselves the best chance they deserve and showing up for themselves.
Key Quotes
- "Bad decisions made for great stories." - Quote on the coach's shirt, representing the theme of the adventure.
- "Do you actually think you're going to go from desert to snow in 5 months and qualify?" - Question from national coaches, highlighting the skepticism they faced.
- "If you had to go through it all again, knowing the results, knowing everything you've been through, would you do it again? And 10 times out of 10, my answer was yes." - The speaker's reflection on his experience.
- "It taught me that life isn't about immediate rewards or guarantees. It's about showing up for yourself, your journey, about persistence, resilience, and believing in the person you're becoming." - The key takeaway from the experience.
Conclusion
The speaker's journey highlights the importance of self-belief, persistence, and resilience in the face of adversity. While the initial goal of qualifying for the 2022 Winter Olympics was not achieved due to administrative errors, the experience taught him valuable life lessons and ultimately led to his qualification for the Milano 2026 Winter Olympics. The story emphasizes that personal growth and the journey itself are more important than immediate rewards or guarantees.
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