From the Hospital Bed to the Podium – Sameh Al-Zaghoul
This is the story of Sameh Al-Zaghouli and his journey in sports and on the podium. You can follow him on the following social media platforms:
Instagram Sameh Al-Zaghoul
The Beginning
A red light—I looked at it intently before crossing that street like any fifteen-year-old boy. I took a few steps to cross the street on my way home, but that car kept speeding along at a crazy pace. I didn’t see it, but I heard the sound of its brakes screeching as it got closer, Then I felt something hit me, sending me flying over the front of the car and crashing into the windshield before I fell to the ground, unconscious, behind it.
It was in 2003 when that pivotal incident in my life occurred in the Jordanian capital, Amman. As a result, I was taken to the hospital to undergo surgery to treat the fractures in my shoulder and leg, My treatment lasted a full six months in a hospital room, before I began a phase of physical therapy that lasted another six months, followed by many more months during which I was unable to leave my home. Metal rods were implanted in my shoulders and legs, and the slight difference in length between my right and left legs remains with me to this day; however, they have left a positive impact I could never have imagined.
The years following that incident passed slowly, weighed down by the difficulties and hardships it caused, but they drove me to strive to regain my normal life through exercise. So I joined a gym and started weightlifting to strengthen my muscles, which had become weak and flabby from lying in bed for so many months. Although I was personally motivated to go to the gym, I never really took a liking to weightlifting, despite the strength and resilience it gave me.
In 2010, I left Amman and moved to Abu Dhabi for work, A new chapter with its own merits and challenges—the hardship of living abroad and being far from relatives and friends—and a fresh start in a job that promised a brighter future. Days and years later, I wished I could erase those memories from my mind, but they were etched there to remain with me, reminding me of God’s grace upon His servant. I lived in a beautiful residential complex adorned with water features, green trees, and flowers in every color of the rainbow, as well as a sports club where I spent my free time, which strengthened my resolve and built my resilience.
On a beautiful October morning in 2019, I opened my eyes and got out of bed, ready for another workday. I pulled back my bedroom curtain and looked out my small window to catch a glimpse of a young man jogging around the residential complex. I felt the urge to join him; I sensed that he was having a wonderful time surrounded by that beautiful nature. I looked at my watch, and it told me firmly, “You’re late for work.” I got dressed and left my house to head to work, but the image of that young man stayed with me all day long.
I met him a few days later. I asked him about running, and he encouraged me to take it up and invited me to join him. We started running together several times a week, beginning at 5:00 a.m. and finishing before it was time to head to work.
Less than two months ago, an injury temporarily prevented me from running. Since I didn’t want to stop exercising, I asked people with experience in sports, and they advised me to take up cycling. So I started cycling, and even after I recovered from the injury, I resumed running alongside cycling.
I never imagined the profound impact this sport would have on every aspect of my life; My weight changed dramatically in just one month, dropping from 94 kilograms in late December 2019 to 83 kilograms in February 2020, and I continued to burn fat at an accelerated rate until my weight today is around 70 kilograms. Not only that, but I’ve become a more active and energetic person. I wake up at 5:00 a.m. every day to exercise, whereas just a few years ago I used to sleep until just before noon. I’ve also become calmer and more composed, whereas I used to have a short temper, and my diet has become balanced and healthy, which has had a significant impact on my athletic performance and daily life.
Podium Platforms
I then began competing in races in Dubai. The first races were encouraging, as I finished first Race Five kilometers in twenty minutes, and ten kilometers in forty-three minutes. Then I put in more effort to achieve better personal bests, so my time for the five-kilometer race became sixteen and a half minutes, and for the ten-kilometer race, thirty-five minutes. As for the half-marathon, my best time was one hour and seventeen minutes, while I completed the full marathon in three hours and one minute. Those times qualified me to stand on the podium fifteen times, earning me fifteen colored medals and five trophies, as well as more than thirty medals for my participation in various races.
I’ve also improved in cycling; I started out riding twenty kilometers, and now I ride about one hundred and fifty kilometers. I enjoy every single minute of it—a pleasure I’ve never felt while doing any other activity in my life.
In August 2020, I happened to come across a group on social media 530 Run...a group consisting of a large number of runners who go for a run at 5:30 a.m. on Saturdays, Mondays, and Wednesdays. They had a significant impact on me, motivating and encouraging me to increase my speed and achieve even more in this sport.
Today, a full year after I started practicing this sport, I’m involved with several teams in Dubai that participate in it—including the Nike and Adidas teams, the Run for a Purpose team, and the OCR Nation team—all of which are made up of outstanding runners. I’ve benefited from and learned a great deal from their experiences and expertise. I also set aside every Friday to run a new race and every Saturday to go cycling.
Finally, I say to everyone who is searching for themselves, to everyone who desires a clear mind, a healthy body, and a well-organized schedule and daily routine: exercising is the key to the door that stands between you and all your dreams and aspirations.
Read more on Run The story of Ola Asaad: A Long Journey in Sports
