Welcoming Coach Khadiga to the Trisutto Coaching Team. This blog is an important one - a middle eastern woman's success story. Family meet Khadiga.
Growing up in Cairo, sport was an integral part of my life. I started karate at a young age, a great sport where I learnt the values of discipline, respect and trust. I believe discipline and commitment are important, not just for sports, but for life in general. I learnt that both respecting and trusting the coach are the most important thing for a successful relationship.
Horseback riding was another sport which brought me much enjoyment in my childhood.
It wasn’t until 2011 that I started cycling which soon led me to starting in my first Triathlon, Tristar Madrid 33.3! I am very grateful to my dear friend James Engle who taught me everything I needed to get started in triathlon.
Over the next 3 years I worked my way up to completing my first full Ironman in Mallorca. Without any direct coaching, I turned to the internet and books for training resources. Reading Chrissie Wellingtons book, A Life Without Limits, had a profound impact on me and is where I first became familiar with Coach Brett; it was my dream to meet him and be coached by him!
The opportunity arose in Cyprus in 2016 when I attended a Trisutto Camp - with Cyprus being so close to Egypt it was just perfect for me!
I came away from the camp with alot of new knowledge and also started working with Coach Perry, my first triathlon coach, who based his training squad in Cyprus for the next 2 years.
I really trusted and believed in the Trisutto philosophy and way of training and also worked with Coach Vassilis. Both Perry and Vassilis were wonderful coaches for me and it was through this time my interest to become a triathlon coach was sparked.
I signed up for the Trisutto Coaching Course and completed the Certification in 2019 and have since joined Trisutto’s coach-the-coach program. Having Coaches Brett and Susie as my coaches and mentors and being able to communicate with them every day regarding my training as an athlete and learning from them as a coach is the best it can be. I have improved so much since I joined them in September 2020 and my athletes as well have improved a lot. I couldn’t be happier and looking forward to the future for myself as a coach and an athlete.
Triathlon has been great to me, and I have met the most generous and giving people through the sport. Someone very special to me is Hassan Afifi, the team principal of the Alameda Tri Team I was a member of for a couple of years. Through this team I also had the opportunity to meet and be surrounded by world class athletes such as Leanda Cave and Eimear Mullan. I have also been to Kona with some of the team members as a spectator which was an unforgettable experience.
As a woman living in Egypt, I have also been very appreciative that I have not had any difficulties; I have been able to ride and run outside and alone and I've never had any major issues. Now as a coach, my goal is to give back as much as I can, to help people achieve their goals, and to also become a coach with the knowledge, and skills to develop world class athletes.
Khadiga's journey is a great story, not of just her own personal improvement, but also triathlon has allowed her to help many other females and males introduce triathlon to their lives. Great work Khadiga!
Thank you Neena Hwaidak for the Cover photo.
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