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July 22, 2016
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Runner inspires people to chase their dreams
by Lura Jackson

 

     In a world where stories of conflict and strife permeate the media, people are occasionally gifted with a refreshing reminder of the common threads that unite them as human beings. No matter where they live or where they are from, they can relate to having dreams and aspirations that lift them up from the quagmire of the daily struggles around them. For Mo'ath Alkhawaldeh, an elite Jordanian marathon runner who trained recently in Pembroke for the Olympics, participating in sports is a globally unifying experience.
     "When you go to a marathon, you see people of all different colors, races, genders. They're all running together," Alkhawaldeh says, sitting in the grass by the shore at Reversing Falls in Pembroke just after a 15.5‑mile training run. "At a marathon, everyone speaks the same language: running."
     Alkhawaldeh describes himself as someone profoundly affected by the experience of becoming a competitive runner. When he was growing up in Jordan, Alkhawaldeh had difficulties focusing in school, occasionally getting into disagreements with teachers and being moved from school to school. "Finally, I reached a point in high school where I needed direction in my life," he recalls. Though he had been an avid soccer player for 10 years, it was when he found running that he felt he connected with his true purpose. "Running is something I can do by myself," he says, describing the benefit of adopting a disciplined mindset.
      "Running has organized my life," Alkhawaldeh says. "I have passion, I have goals, I have structure."
Alkhawaldeh worked diligently to improve his speed because he knew that shorter times would strengthen his scholarship applications for universities in New York. "It was a struggle to get those times. I worked day in and day out," he recalls. After a year of training, he met his goals and became a student at the New York Institute of Technology.
     In 2012 Alkhawaldeh graduated with a master's degree in human resources and labor relations. He worked for six months with the United Nations in New York before seeking employment in the Middle East to provide a positive role model to children there. He now operates 10 youth‑empowerment programs based in Tunisia and Lebanon with Generations for Peace.
     Throughout his academic and work career Alkhawaldeh has remained a dedicated runner. He has run in races all over the world, including Austria, Berlin, Germany, Philadelphia, Vancouver, Canada and Dubai, Unites Arab Emirates. For him, being a runner ties directly into his work, as it enables him to provide a positive, active example of embracing your dreams. "I want to show people how to follow the path of having a dream. When you have a dream, you feel fresh every day," he says.
     Alkhawaldeh was named one of the 50 most inspirational runners in the world by Runner's World Magazine for his talent and advocacy.
     Part of Alkhawaldeh's dream is to run in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, a goal he is now training for by running around 95 miles a week. He is getting closer and closer to the targeted time of 26.2 miles in 2:18:59, estimating that he is about six minutes away from where he'd like to be. To meet the goal, he is training diligently with Lee Troop, an Australian runner who has participated in three Olympics.
     While most of his training is done in Jordan, Alkhawaldeh has the opportunity to train in various areas of the world as he visits friends and family and conducts motivational speeches. This is the second time he has visited Pembroke to train, and he describes the experience as ideal.
     "Pembroke is amazing in the summer," Alkhawaldeh says. "It's not too hot, not too cold. Seeing the sea and the ocean -- wow! Back in Jordan we don't have much water." Unlike the deserts of Jordan with its populated cities and crowded streets, Pembroke offers a peaceful location to reconnect with the flow of nature.
     Recognizing that all communities face their particular struggles, economic and otherwise, Alkhawaldeh likens the situation to the differences that can be seen between African countries and Jordan. While Jordan has more material resources, African countries produce more Olympians. "It goes back to the mindset of the individual," he says. Embracing a sport is a personally empowering choice that can be used to challenge poverty, violence and strife. "Sport is a peaceful tool that anybody can do, and they can fight back with it," he says. "It tells people who have bad intentions that whatever happens, we will stay united."
To learn more about Alkhawaldeh and his vision, visit <www.runforpeace.info>.

July 22, 2016   (Home)     

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