super woman of oman

7/28/2019 Super Woman of Oman

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vol 07 Issue 11 / june 14

FREE EVERY FRIDAneWs / vIeWs / leIsuRe / BusIness / sPoRTs

VRROOMMATE

Passionate about

swimming, hiking,

snorkeling, diving,

karate, boating and

fshing, Nashwa

Al Kindi, however,

enjoys a unique

romance with her

frst love Biking.

Meet Omans

Super Woman!

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he began her career as a reelancephotographer capturing corporateevents and marriage ceremonies.Then she moved on to wear the hato a driving instructor and a year

later she opted the job o a customer care agentwith a telecommunications company, but noth-ing seemed to satiate her adventurous nerves.

Her mind yearned or activities like diving,snorkeling, hiking, swimming, karate, bikeriding and shing. Thus Nashwa Al Kindi, thewoman with a steely resolve, began to trudgea path never travelled by her peers and com-menced to dismantle the traditional bounda-ries or women in Oman. Her rst memorableeat came in 2000, when she became the rstOmani woman to earn the licence to ride a bikeon the roads o the Sultanate!

Little Nashwa had allen in love with bikesrom her younger days and she had anciedowning a powerul two-wheeler when she be-came an adult. Her desire or the vehicle grewstronger thanks to her occasional visits toOman Automobile Association where she rodedud bikes. But her ather, Mansoor Al Kindi,

didnt buy her the vehicle, instead he asketo get a our-wheeler licence.

This didnt dampen her spirits. She kepdream in the back o her mind, and savmuch money as she could to realise her dr

A couple o years later, she owned the rso her lie a Honda 125 CC but she hovercome many more hurdles to take it troad.

She couldnt nd an instructor to teacthe tricks o the trade. For, no one was willigroom a woman bike rider. But You Tube, whas plenty o tutorial videos, came to her rewhere she perected the art o gear chanand leg positioning. Later, she put obstaclthe ground and successully mastered tho riding bikes beore approaching the ROman Police or a learners licence.

The policemen were surprised when Imy request. They didnt know whether wowere allowed to ride bikes. They tested meseveral questions to check my readiness. Aple o weeks later, I appeared or the touroad test. I couldnt make it in the rst attebut my determination paid o as I crack

SUPER WOMAN

Nashwa Al Kindi has to spend long hours in the

sea under the sizzling hot sun and work out

vigorously in the gym to keep hersel ft to bea successul sailing instructor. The strenuous

routine notwithstanding, the youngster maintainsher enthusiasm and high energy that helped her

become the frst Omani woman to ride a bike 12years ago. T. A. Amrhn meets Omans

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VOL 07 ISSUE 11 / JUNE 14, 2013

in the next try, Al Kindi recalled. It turned outto be the happiest moments in her lie. It wasa huge achievement as I showed my counter-parts that women in Oman could dream big andachieve bigger things in their lives, she added.

Having earned the licence, Al Kindi boughta new bike (Yamaha V Star) and hopped on itor long winding journeys. I rode the bike toDubai three times or the Dubai Bike Show.Once I went with a group rom Oman, while onthe other two occasions I went alone, disclosedNashwa, who plans to attend the next edition othe event soon.

And she has some bigger plans or uture,prominent among them being touring the Gulregion and travelling along Omans coastal re-gion, rom Sharqiya to Musandam. It will be adifcult trip. I have to plan properly beore em-barking on the journey. I should nd out ways totackle possible damages to the vehicle. So I amstill thinking about it, she said.

Nashwas road expeditions, however, werenot ree o accidents. She has allen rom thebike, skidded o the road, and suered minorinjuries en route to becoming a seasoned biker.And she vividly recollected her rst major ac-cident, saying When I entered the roundabout,the vehicle in ront o me applied the brakes.I didnt have a choice but to apply the brakeorceully, and the bike skidded o the road.

However, I was able to stand up on my ownand pull it up. Then I completed my ride beoreheading home.

Into Oman SaiLast year, Nashwa saw a posting on Facebookthat eventually changed her lie. It announcedrecruitment o women instructors in OmanSail. She didnt have to think twice to apply orthe position. For, she always had the sun, seaand sand on her mind.

A rigorous selection process ollowed, com-prising interviews, team activities, and Nashwawas picked or a six-month training at theOman Sail acility at Marina Bandar Al Row-dha. During training, instructors ound it di-cult to challenge me. I nished rst in all theactivities, as I had previous experience in boatexpeditions. I ell o the boats many a time, butit was all part o the activities. Ater six months

training, I was posted at Marina Bandhar AlRowdha and then at The Wave. Now I train sail-ors at Musannah, too, she said.

The thrust o the training was on sailing, asthe instructors need to get a eel o the wind.And when the training began, Nashwa was theundisputable champion in the group. As timepassed, others began to catch up with her. Butthe ghter in me was not ready to give away thechampion tag. So I took my place back soon, as I

wanted to be the winner always, she said.And Oman Sail honoured her ghting skills,

picking her or the best emale developmentcoach o the year award during its rst-everaward ceremony at Al Bustan Palace last month.It was a huge reward or the smart, knowledge-able and committed Nashwa who has been toil-ing rom morning till evening under the hot,sizzling sun to groom new instructors. Whenthe heat becomes unbearable, she wears a tur-

ban to protect hersel rom the Sun. Out osea, I have to pull the boats with my studeis a tough job in the sweltering sun. But I ambothered about my complexion. Sailors dcare about their looks. They just ocus ojob at hand, she said.

The tough job demands high level o phytness and that is why Nashwa doesnt wmiss her workouts even or a single day. Wthe clock strikes 7, Nashwa hits the multipose gymnasium at The Wave. A rigorous wout ollows or the next one-and-a-hal hin which she spends time to tone her mubesides doing cardio exercises. I am a reak and I enjoy working out. My day wibe complete without going there Napointed towards the gym and walked strinto it. - [email protected]

HecTIc dAIly ScHedule6.30 am: Gets up rom bed

7 am to 8.30 am: Drives to Oman

Sails Musannah Sailing School

8.30 am to 9 am: A brie preparation

or day

9 am: Bries the trainees about thedays activities

10 am: Students get their boats

ready

10.30 am to 12 noon: Accompany

the students or sailing training

12 noon to 1pm: Lunch break

1 pm to 2 pm: Teaching trainees

(theory classes)

2.30 pm to 4 pm : Sailing

4 pm: Monitor trainees while they

clean the boat, wash it and cover it.

4.30 pm: Brie the trainees

about the day, comment on their

perormance and suggest ways to

improve

4.30 pm to 5.30 pm: Meets the chie

instructor, who will advice me to

make things better

5.30 pm to 7 pm: Drives back to

The Wave7.30 pm to 9 pm: Hits the gym or

work out

9.30 pm: back home, spends time

with mother and ather

11 pm: Back to bed

Thats Nashwa1. Currently working as Senior

Instructor at Oman Sail.

2. Worked as a reelance

photographer, driving instructor

and customer service agent.

3. First Omani woman to get

licence to ride bike.

4. Owns a Yamaha V-Star 650

CC Bike.

5. First Omani woman to win the

best instructor award in Oman

Sails frst award ceremony.

6. Passionate about swimming,

hiking, snorkeling, diving, karate,

boating and fshing.
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]

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