Meet Alya Alghamdi | Sports and Nutrition Activist & Founder of AFA – Athletics For All” Foundation”

We had the good fortune of connecting with Alya Alghamdi and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alya, what principle do you value most?
80% of how we feel, depends on what we consume. Our nutrition is the essence of our lives… Every time I’m around my friends I always preach the word about Sports and Nutrition. I give so much importance to keeping fit and eating the right foods, and the more I talk about it the more it grows in me. It has become the principle of my life, that I practice on a daily basis. This is my core! It is what I give priority to every single day.

Sports and nutrition have been in my life since I was a child without me even knowing. I have been physically active my entire life, especially since I decided to become a professional athlete.
I was born in Saudi Arabia and, considering the fact that my father had 7 boys and all our groceries came from our farm, I was always forced to eat meat because that would make us stronger. Somehow eating all fruit and vegetables and nuts always made me feel different. The most natural and less processed foods were the ones I would prefer.

That’s what I would love to spread and see in our World. Through my foundation, I bring my vision to reality by creating opportunities for those who need guidance and support – with good advice and resources that will create long-term results. I envision seeing more activists like myself pave the way for the next generations by giving more importance to their health and spending less and less time in front of a screen consuming poor content and creating bad habits. I aim to see kids one day eat meals full of nutrition on a consistent basis so they can play sports and explore the world as healthy individuals.
Then doctors will probably run out of jobs…

My main value in life is sports and nutrition. There are many areas of investment out there such as business, education, etc. But the main question is how many of us are investing in our health? Invest in yourself first, then go out from there.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My passion for sports led me to create the “Athletics for All” (AFA) Foundation which combines everything I love and my beliefs in one organization. Fun fact: I was going back and forth with the paperwork for months. It took a lot of time and energy to get the Foundation’s accreditation. The letter came in on the day of my birthday this year. It was one of those moments when you realize that you are doing exactly what you were born to do, a moment of purpose. And it led me to think: this is the actual best birthday gift ever in my entire life. AFA is a gift, to those who will receive the support, and also to myself.

A little bit about my background. I was born and raised in a wealthy family, and in Saudia Arabia where the established culture is that females don’t work, so I never had to work. However, I had access to a different world where women could do anything!
I saw an open world to me with the finances, the knowledge, the contacts we had… everything opened up for me and I could decide to be anything I wanted. Sports were always on fire inside me, so I took work to the next level when I decided to become an athlete. I worked OUT up to 6h a day. Between outdoor track (the weather was impossible from 11 to 3PM), then the weight room for hours right after. I worked in every aspect of the meaning of the word WORK: physically, mentally, emotionally… I was so passionate about the sport that I was willing to do anything to get there.
I hear the general term “you have to sacrifice to succeed”, and I truly believe that there are no sacrifices in this life. Everything we “sacrifice” we are getting some joy back from it.

The fact that I grew up in a country where females are banned to play sports, moving to America and training with others that have been in sports since childhood, had always put me at a disadvantage. Nevertheless, I made it work for me, by working harder and smarter, by recovering better and stretching more. I was hungry to do more and catch up on what I missed out on. I was and still am almost injury-free because my body was not under stress since childhood like others. But my hard work, dedication, and my story has been an advantage. It earned me a spot of respect and admiration throughout my journey in sports.

I have not overcome my challenges and I might never do it… Why would I? Would not life be boring without challenges? Isn’t that the fun part?
I have come far from where I started. That’s for sure, and I know I have a long/fun way to go and I hope to be filled with “challenges” that will only bring me more joy by getting closer to whatever sport unfolds for me.

To me? The word lesson is just a stage from one level of life to the other. Some call it lessons, I call it tools. Tools of life that change every day from one individual to the other. And it’s almost impossible to point out one in an interview. But all I can say is: the more tools you have on you, the more you master this piece of art called life.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If I had my way? My friends will be in a military program for a few days, I would introduce them to new habits, food and of course I am getting their butts to go work out. But since I have friends from literally all walks of life (ages, genders, beliefs .. even to my imaginary friends… lol). Since my body is always in routine, when friends come I sometimes allow my body to break away – so I go with whatever they desire. Whatever they are into? I will accommodate.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I was graced in this journey with mentors and friends that inspire me in different aspects of my life. Each and everyone of them have influenced me in such a way that mentioning names here would make me feel almost like discrediting others. Admiration and inspiration can come in many different shapes and forms and SPORT is my form and nutrition is my shape. So I would dedicate this to sports. It is very empowering to understand the power of sports. Whether for children or elderly ones, sports can bring a new way of living and completely change one’s life. I thought all I needed was to eat right and I would achieve my prime. It was easy for me because it ended up like this interesting slippery sloop (you want to be an athlete, you gotta eat right, sleep right, drink MORE than right and you just end up within a chain). Sports have given me a new perspective on health and wellness, on the human limitations (that are way less than what we think), and on society. Sports unite people! And that is beautiful.

Website: https://www.afabyladya.org/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/only_alya/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alya-alghamdi-9a19431a6

Twitter: https://twitter.com/only_you_alya

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