My name is Sami Qatami. My story with running isn\u2019t a long one\u2014I still consider myself a newcomer to the sport\u2014but it began in a strange way I hadn\u2019t expected, which is why I wanted to share it with others to encourage them to exercise.<\/p>\n
The story began within the walls of my workplace, where I would go out with some friends and coworkers to smoke during breaks. At that time, I didn\u2019t really care much about health or what I ate; all I cared about was enjoying my time with my friends.<\/p>\n
One day, I was standing outside with some friends during a break to smoke. A group of foreigners in athletic clothes and gear walked past us; they were heading to the gym that our workplace provides free of charge to all employees. I looked at them and noticed that they were all older than me, some were in their forties and others were over sixty. I admired their physiques, which showed their commitment to exercise, and it was clear to me that they possessed a level of fitness and flexibility that I wasn\u2019t used to seeing among my friends.<\/p>\n
I asked myself, \u201cAre you happy with what you\u2019ve achieved at the age of thirty-six? Does it make you happy to see a man approaching seventy who seems more agile and flexible than you?\u201d I felt a pang of jealousy, and I was overcome by an inner desire to make a change in my lifestyle\u2014a real, radical change, not just a temporary one like I\u2019d done in the past. Yes, I wanted exercise to be a way of life for me, just as it is for that man in his sixties\u2014or even seventies\u2014who just walked past me.<\/p>\n
I returned home that evening and told myself once again: Starting tomorrow morning, I\u2019ll be a new person\u2014someone completely different from who I am today. Those foreigners I saw this morning aren\u2019t in any way better than me or us as Arabs; Our current situation is of our own making, just as theirs is of theirs. By adopting an active lifestyle and a healthy diet, I\u2019ll become better than them, and I won\u2019t let this time be like the others. Starting tomorrow morning, I\u2019ll be a new person, and nothing will stop me. I set my phone alarm and went to bed.<\/p>\n
My alarm went off around 5:00 a.m. I opened my eyes and remembered what I had resolved to do the night before. I jumped out of bed, washed my face and brushed my teeth, put on my workout clothes, and left the house around 6:00 a.m., heading straight to the gym at my workplace. This went on for several days in a row until I began to feel that my physical fitness had actually improved, which motivated me to quit smoking at the end of 2018\u2014though I later resumed in mid-2020, but only on special occasions.<\/p>\n