XM: You started your BMX career in 2006, how did you get involved in the sport?
MAS: I was 15 years old and had nothing else to do. I would ride my BMX every day after school – it was my ultimate joy. I tried participating in a local championship, but I lost. I made up my mind on winning the next championship, I intensified my practice and participated in the upcoming one, I ranked third. This encouraged me to improve myself more and achieve more. I did not intend to win in the next championship; I merely wanted to show them what I could do, and this is when I ranked first. I remember this was in 2008.
XM: Before BMX, you were heavily involved in Kayaking and even made it onto the Kuwait National Team. What made you decide to follow BMX?
MAS: It was the opposite – I started with BMX and became involved in Kayaking later. My knee was terribly injured while practicing on my BMX and I could not rely on my leg for long. I did not want to sit down and do nothing. Since Kayaking involved least leg work and more upper body work, I tried Kayaking with an aim to recover my knee and go back to BMX later, but I liked it. In order to be a good BMX athlete one needs to be fit, and Kayaking was my choice when I had to follow a routine to maintain my fitness. Later, I wanted to become part of Kayaking championships, so I practiced every day for 2 years and I achieved the 1st rank in Kuwait Kayaking Championship for 3 consecutive years.
XM: Is there anybody that inspires you, that you look up to?
MAS: Mohammed Al Balooshi, the Emirati Motocross Champion and also a Red Bull athlete.
XM: Is there a big BMX scene in Kuwait?
MAS: There is a big scene. They are all my friends and I consider them to be my younger brothers. I always try to support them and help them master this sport, I help them avoid the mistakes that I had to go through during my early years.
XM: You helped establish the Trampo BMX Academy. Do you see a big rise in the number of younger athletes getting involved in the sport? What more do you think needs to be done to grow the sport in the Middle East?
MAS: There is a rise and now young athletes are more excited to try out new sports that have not been highlighted before. This sport requires a platform for athletes to practice and grow their talent such as skate parks and governmental support.
XM: We see you over here in Dubai very often, is there a bigger scene over here for BMX?
MAS: Kuwait’ s BMX scene is bigger than Dubai’ s. I go to Dubai for shows and sometimes participate or serve as a judge in national championships held in UAE. I also go to Dubai with my friends for a getaway or a vacation.
XM: More recently, you did a huge paddle over 3 months from Kuwait to Oman and back, in order to raise awareness for the environment with the team from Kayak4Kuwait. How did you get involved in such an extraordinary project?
MAS: the idea started 3 years back, Bashar Al Huneidi, a member of Kayak4Kuwait team and myself did a paddle within Kuwait’ s islands for 5 days. Our aim was to deliver a message that sheds light on the importance of sea life.
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