S P E C I A L F E AT U R E
IT’S YOUR TURN NOW Lubna Al Omair’s journey to stardom. By Lama Ghazzawi
With more female athletes making their debut at the last Olympics as the representatives of Saudi Arabia, we wanted to mark this important milestone by telling you a little story. Lubna Al Omair’s journey began at 16, when she was in the comfort of her home watching the Olympic fencing matches. She thought nothing of it at the time because it wasn’t an option, but the spark lit a fire that would burn, dormant, for years. Years later, her education took her from Dammam to Rhode Island in pursuit of a master’s degree. Wanting to seize every moment of her opportunity, she created a bucket list and set out to cross off as many experiences as she could, fencing included. She searched high and low and found a fencing academy that was more than welcoming. Her love for fencing grew and she brought her passion back with her to Sharqiya.
34 DESTINATION JEDDAH NOVEMBER 2016