ABU DHABI // The confusion is understandable.
Not many women from the Gulf compete in triathlons, with or without their heads covered. So Nada Al Jeraiwi, who competes with a scarf, often meets people who say to her things such as: “Hey, I remember you from last year.”
The thing is that “most of the time, I have not met them before” she laughs. The explanation is simple – Nada is one of three sisters who compete in triathlon.
The Al Jeraiwi sisters of Kuwait, who range in age from 20 to 28, are easy to spot in a race because of their distinct head coverings.
The sisters are forever being confused with one another by fans and race officials, who are, in fact, seeing triple.
Nada, 28, said: “The first time they see us, they ask, ‘How are you going to compete with a scarf on your head?’ But they recognise us and, when we cross the finish line, we are very popular now.”
Indeed, as the three have competed in events around the region, cheers have replaced astonished looks among spectators.
“Actually, when we run, they are very supportive,” said middle sister Najla, who teaches at the British School in Kuwait. “Especially the other competitors and marshals.”
Little sister Nuha, 20, a college student, completes the trio, who are breaking down stereotypes and assumptions, if not blazing a trail with every footfall.
The sisters fell in love with the sport after Najla, a former equestrian show jumper, began training in triathlon three years ago, mostly to improve her fitness.
Najla, who teaches physical education, is in the swimming pool by 6am daily then heads off to her school. She usually rides her bike after work.
Nada, married and with a young daughter, somehow balances her job at Kuwait’s ministry of public works with family and training.
“It’s really tough,” Nada said. “Sometimes, I do my training, but sometimes I am with my husband and daughter. I don’t have any spare time at all. I am not improving as much as I would like. I want to get better.”
Being around kids all day makes Najla even more committed. She is well aware of the alarming trends in the region relating to diabetes and obesity.
Nada said: “I tell everybody, ‘If you use excuses, you won’t get anywhere’. You can always find time to train. We try to teach this awareness among the girls, and the guys as well, to go out and get fit.”
Especially among women, the three are swimming against a cultural tide.
“You know the psyche here, you think that maybe that sports are not for girls and that we maybe do not have the support,” Najla said.
Nada, a civil engineer with a master’s degree, said that when she hears of friends lining up for gastric-bypass surgery, she cringes. Like in the West, it has become a popular procedure, she said.
“Here in Kuwait, if they want to lose weight, some exercise and diet, but many just go for the surgery,” she said.
“This is the point I don’t like. If you want something, you should work for it.”
There are no shortcuts in triathlon training. Nada’s first triathlon was in Abu Dhabi in 2012, and it was memorable, to say the least.
“At first, when you switch from cycling to running, you want to vomit, actually,” she said.
That urge might have related in some part to the fact that, at the time, she was four months pregnant with her daughter, Joan. A year later, Nada was competing in a triathlon in Austria.
In some way, perhaps the sisters’ message is being heard. This year, Abu Dhabi race officials cited a 291 per cent increase in female entrants since the first race was staged in 2010.
Yet the sisters are not targeting Arab women, or even females. They hope to reach anyone with a competitive bone in their body.
“I always tell everybody, once you cross the finish line, you become addicted to the sport,” Nada said. “Because the feeling of accomplishment is amazing.”
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