100 of the Most Influential Women in Sport >> Arabs

Manal Rostom, Egypt

Running

Manal Rostom’s passion for empowering women is magnetic. Whether it be through her inspirational social media channels or just in general conversation, she is the type of person who needs to be heard because you know that what is being said is significant. The force of her words are backed up by the weight of what she has achieved. The Egyptian has climbed three of the world’s highest mountains (Kilimanjaro, Kenya, Elbrus) and completed three gruelling athletic endeavours having raced at the Dubai Marathon, China Wall Marathon and New York City Marathon. She has raised funds for Syrian refugees and refugees across the Gulf in addition to supporting Autism charities while also helping to build the first ever Pediatric Oncology Unit in Palestine. There is genuinely too many initiatives to list but you can appreciate just how influential Rostom is to women – covered or uncovered. She has used her notoriety to break down barriers and defy stringent societal rules that prevent women from fulfilling their aspirations and taking part in an active lifestyle. These and many more reasons are why Nike saw Rostom befitting of becoming the global face of the Nike Pro Hijab.

– Rostom founded the Facebook group Surviving Hijab, a community of almost half a million members that aims to empower hijabi girls.

– In March, Rostom has set her sights on Everest as she will lead a group of 12 women ascending to base camp.

– To a gain a measure of her impact, Facebook’s COO Sheryl Sandberg met with and praised Rostom for her incredible work through the Surviving Hijab page.

Did you know…

The Nike trainer actually left behind a lucrative career in clinical pharmacy to fulfill her true passion.

“Women’s bigger mission in life should be achieving their dreams and making change to the world, women need to seek and follow their passions.” – Manal Rostom

Twitter: @ManiRostom

Instagram: ManiRostom