My favourite things: Amal Murad

Emirati parkour athlete Amal Murad, who was a speaker at last week's e7 Daughters of the Emirates summit in September, tells us about some of her favourite things

Parkour athlete Amal Murad. Satish Kumar / The National

My favourite city is Dubai. As unbelievable as it sounds, I'm Emirati but I have never been to Burj Khalifa. It's not about the skyscrapers for me, it's about the soul of the city and its people.

When it comes to food, my Kryptonite is French fries. Please don't judge me, it's the one thing I can't resist.

I have a weird relationship with shoes. I relate my shoes to specific events in my life. For example, I have a shoe that's worn out, but it reminds me of the day I did my first backflip.

The best part of my job [as a fitness coach] is seeing people grow and learn more about themselves. There's something very magical about coaching, and I simply can't get enough of that feeling.

The best piece of advice I've received is: let go and let God.

The woman I most look up to is my mother. She is the strongest and most driven woman I have met and a lot of what I've accomplished is thanks to her. I owe my family everything.

A cause that is particularly close to my heart is childhood obesity. A lot of what we face in adulthood stems from our experiences as children, and I feel like we should work together to create a happier and healthier society. We used to play in neighbourhoods, and now kids are too busy playing on computers and phones.

Luxury is not about wearing expensive clothes or buying expensive things. Luxury is being happy and is something everyone can afford.

The best part of my day is when I come back home to my family and tell them about my day.

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