| Issue 4
Nasser Al Attiyah
Winning for his team , his people and his country
Olympic medallist pays tribute to the support of his people and the opportunities offered to his country ’ s athletes
Nasser Al Attiyah is not your average athlete . While some know him as the man who won a bronze medal for Skeet shooting in the London 2012 Olympics , others know him as a world champion rally driver .
How does one succeed internationally at two sports ? Although some refer to him to as ‘ superman ’, Al Attiyah admits it is not always easy : “ Juggling between two professional sports and feeling the pressure to be the best in both is very challenging .”
But , according to Al Attiyah , rally driving and shooting complement each other and allow him to excel in both . He has found that he can learn valuable crossover skills by training in both sports rather than one . He explains : “ Shooting has helped me excel in rally driving because of the immense concentration needed . It helped me stay mentally strong .”
It was Al Attiyah ’ s dream to win the Dakar Rally – one of the toughest races in the world . When he won the race for the first time in 2011 , he recalls that winning meant a lot , not only to him but also to his people , his country , and his team : “ It felt like a great victory because it demonstrated that I was part of the strongest team in the world .”
This ambition and pride did not stop at the Dakar Rally . It followed him straight to winning bronze at the London 2012 Olympics .
While he has represented his people in countless competitions in the past , “ being able to achieve an Olympic medal was a very different level of pride ”. Coming home following the Olympics , thousands of people were waiting at the airport upon his arrival . At that moment , Al Attiyah felt something he never had before : “ I felt that the whole country was behind me showing their love and support .
| Nasser Al Attiyah
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