KUWAIT: After becoming the first Kuwaiti woman to qualify for the 800m event at the Paris 2024 Olympics, track and field athlete Amal Al-Roumi described the experience alone as a goal she had checked off her list. “It didn’t fully hit me until I was at the Olympics village that I was on the same start line next to world-class athletes. That’s when I realized I had made it,” said Al-Roumi.

She believes that for Kuwaiti athletes to achieve their goals, support from all relevant parties, including both government and private sectors, is much needed. “Reaching the semifinals isn’t as easy as people think,” said Al-Roumi, who fell short of making it to the semifinals. “An athlete’s journey should be a national project, not just an individual effort.”

Her thoughts were shared during a side interview with Kuwait Times at an event hosted by “Qesati”, where she shared her athletic story themed “Perseverance,” on Saturday at Volvo Studios. With all its ups and downs, Al-Roumi explained how resilience and strength have been central to her journey in a sport she describes as both emotionally and physically demanding. “Working with the human body is different from working with a machine; it doesn’t always perform as expected,” she said. Even if she puts her all into training, sometimes the results don’t align with her efforts. That’s when she reminds herself that success may take time, and that the rewards of her hard work will come eventually.

Amal Al-Roumi

Wide picture of the audience seated during the session.

“I’ve come a long way since 2016, and I’m committed to continuing this journey and not giving up easily,” said Al-Roumi. However, she noted that this requires strict adherence to a disciplined lifestyle, including a calculated diet, rigorous training schedule, and adequate recovery time. “It feels like your life is not your own; you give up everything for the sport.”

As female’s sports have been recently introduced in Kuwait, she feels her potential is often underestimated simply because of her gender. “There is a stereotype about Kuwaiti women that they are incapable or too spoiled,” she said, noting that this perception sometimes leads men to refuse to train with her. “The sport can feel very lonely, especially since I train alone without other girls at my level.”

She aims that with her achievement, she could push the women’s sports forward in Kuwait. “I hope that if they see that I made it to the Olympics, they might believe they can too.” Al-Roumi’s Olympic experience followed a remarkable career where she set national records in the 1500m, 3000m, and 5000m, and won multiple medals at the GCC, West Asian, and Arab championships. Ranked among the top 4 in Asia, her next ambitions are to set a new Kuwaiti national record in the 800 meters and secure a medal at the Asian Championships.

Qesati, founded by Fatemah Al-Habib, is a Kuwait-based community that provides a platform for people to connect through various forms of storytelling. It features guest speakers from diverse backgrounds and fields, including athletes, doctors, and artists, who share their inspiring experiences. Each story is crafted to highlight a key message, reflecting the speaker’s personal journey and insights.