Eat. Train. Sleep. Repeat. This is the typical lifestyle of a professional athlete who has to adapt a specific routine and make a lot of sacrifices to reach his or her ultimate targets.
In Lebanon, only a few athletes managed to adopt this lifestyle despite the issues that the country was facing – from economic crisis and currency depreciation, Covid-19 and lockdowns, to the traumatic events of the Beirut explosion. On top of that, the International competitions which were supposed to be held in 2020 were all postponed, which killed the motivation of most athletes.
Despite all that, athletics competitions were still underway. The Lebanese Athletics Federation organized their annual cross-country championships and managed to hold a couple of competitions before going to a 3-months lockdown.
Track stadiums and gyms were closed. Some private tracks were kept open which was a privilege to some athletes while the majority had only two choices, either train on the road or in their homes.
What kept them going was the hope that they might have a chance to compete during this unusual season. Indeed, a couple of competitions were organized at the end of July. Three days later, Aziza Sbaity, the 100m national record holder, tested positive for COVID-19 which rushed the federation to ask everyone who was in contact with her to do a PCR and quarantine for two weeks.
“I have found that the strongest medicine during difficult situations is practicing gratitude. And I say ‘practicing’ because at our lowest lows it is hard to focus on our blessings. We are in a world that focuses so much on ‘what’s next’ that we forget to slow down and appreciate ‘the now’,” reflected Sbaity following her COVID-19 experience.
Sbaity put her life on hold to focus on her dream of qualifying to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games which were postponed to 2021. She was planning on pursuing a master degree in the US, but with the postponement of the Games, she had to also push her educational goals a year ahead.
Aziza Sbaity during practice. (Photo by Christel Saneh)
“I can’t lie, sometimes, I find myself in auto-pilot mode; just doing my routine: training, setting the stepping stones of my future and so on but it gets hard and boring especially during this time of unrest, unease, and loss that not only the whole world but Lebanon in particular is going through,” she added.
As though this wasn’t enough, a tragedy hit the country. A devastating explosion in the port of Beirut unleashed a white mushroom into the sky and demolished the surrounding area in the capital. Some athletes were running towards the port when this happened but luckily all runners were safe.
The blast was a tough coup to the morale. Athletes who had some motivation left, lost everything. The entire country was mourning the victims. To get back on track after the explosion was hard for some but easier for others who used it to cope with the trauma.
Aftermath of the Port of Beirut. (Photo by Christel Saneh)
After all these events, and especially the current economic situation, athletes are taking a step back to reflect on their future. Being an athlete is not an easy game. People only look at what takes place on the D-Day, but the sweat, tears and sacrifices that happen behind the scenes are often kept in the dark.
Most of the Lebanese athletes don’t live from sports. Nour Hadid is the best athlete in the country. He was 0.01 second short of winning a bronze medal at the Asian Championship in Doha 2019. In this same year, he broke the all sprints records from the 100 meters to the 400 meters.
Hadid, who joined the Lebanese Army sports team, had the chance to be paid to do what he loves. But recently, he cannot afford to support his family with a monthly wage that has no value following the depreciation of the Lebanese pound.
Therefore, Hadid, with the support of the Antonines University, decided to continue his studies. He never meant to stop studying but he took this decision as he had to work in order to help his family especially that he is the eldest among his siblings. He sacrificed his own education to help his brother get the education he deserves.
Hadid not only passed the school official exam, he ranked 5th in the country and entered University to do what he loves; physical education. Today, he is balancing education with his sports career.
Nour Hadid, on the start of the 300m on December 12. (Photo by Christel Saneh)
“I know that this year was tough on all of us, but I took it as an opportunity to pursue my studies, something I’ve been dreaming for since the day I decided to enroll in the Army,” said Hadid.
He is currently the fastest Lebanese in history and the closest to compete at the Olympic Games in Tokyo 2020 which will take place next year. As the level of international competition was getting higher, the qualification system over the years was getting tougher especially for small countries like Lebanon.
One of our main qualification systems in athletics is by “universality place”. It consists of an invitation for one athlete to represent the country at the Games, unless they are able to achieve the entry standards according to World Athletics or be selected according to the top ranking list. Hadid welcomed the postponement of the Games with an unmatched positivity.
“I saw it as an opportunity to train and better prepare for this event. I am aware that the qualification standards are tough, and that it was inhuman for me to drop from 20.84 to 20.40 in one year, but I will work as hard as I can to get closer to it for Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games”, he added.
According to Samia Khatib, a Lebanese Sports Psychologist, “athletes in Lebanon are facing stressors that everyone in Lebanon is facing in addition to being subjected to sport specific stressors”.
Some athletes, such as Hadid, found ways to cope with the situation, but there is a section of the athletes who did not cope well with everything that has been happening.
“Many faced boredom, loss of identity, loss of motivation, fear of the future, stress, anxiety, depressive symptoms, sleep disturbances… For the athletes that have been coping well and for those who are not, I would like to say that everyone goes through these times differently,” Khatib said.
Her advice to athletes in general is to “remember that you are a human being”. Athletes are perceived as resilient due to their journey which typically include working hard towards a goal, going through ups and downs – such as injuries – and doing it repetitively for years.
To answer how athletes can regain their motivation, Khatib said: “There is no magic formula for that, as each athlete’s needs and circumstances are different,” but there are some tips that the athletes can consider.
“Routines help athletes center themselves and calm their minds and bodies since they are experiencing extreme uncertainty. Athletes can restore some motivation by taking this ‘off-season’ as a time to really focus on process rather than results or by trying to work on skills that they never had the chance to work on, be it physical or mental. Process goals can also improve motivation while at the same time reconnect you with your athletic identity,” added Khatib.
Even if some athletes managed to stay positive and motivated, the key person in this game is the coach. He or she usually sets the training program according to the competition schedule. But this year was very blurry, therefore, they had to adapt their trainings to the uncertainty of the country and the world.
“Lockdown is a nightmare because coaches can’t always assess where every athlete stands thus starting again is not an easy task. A good communication between the athletes and the coach is key especially in such circumstances,” said Gaby Issa-El-Khoury, a track and field coach and a former Olympian who competed at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games.
The toughest decision an athlete can take is to give up on his or her dreams. But in a country where most athletes have to work to make a living, this phenomenon is very common. Manal El Tayar used to be the best U20 athlete in middle distance. But reaching university, she couldn’t find support for her athletic career.
“I feel like my dreams metamorphosed. I realized I couldn’t make it to the Olympics myself given the challenges I was facing, so I started thinking of the next generation: how will my brother and sister who are 10 years younger than me will be able to make it? How can I make sure that they don’t run against the same obstacles as I did?” said El Tayar.
After hanging her running shoes for a long period, El Tayar decided to get back on track as this sport gives her more benefits than just competing or running after her targets.
“After realizing that I have PTSD, and through therapy, I noticed that one of the main selfcare strategies that I had unconsciously developed as a teenager was running,” added El Tayar.
Regardless of what decisions athletes have to take during their career, one thing is certain: the fighting spirit will always drive them.
During their years of training for a moment of glory, athletes build skills which can be transferrable to their everyday life. Determination, commitment, punctuality, competitivity, perseverance and the list goes on.
Add to this list the fact that you are Lebanese, this makes you even more resilient and able to adapt to any situation while fighting for your goals no matter what obstacle might come your way.
By Christel Saneh
Dec. 14, 2020.
