Egyptian woman racks up awards at int’l bodybuilding contests

Record ID: 1368876

  • Title: Egyptian woman racks up awards at int’l bodybuilding contests
  • Date: 19th December 2018
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) EGYPTIAN BODYBUILDER, DINA ABDEL MAKSOUD, SAYING: "Do not let anyone break you. Whether you are a woman or a man, if you work hard, you will achieve your dreams, if you train for bodybuilding you will achieve your dreams. If a woman trains hard, she can be stronger than the strongest of men. So, do not let anyone tell you what you can or cannot do, do not let anyone limit your ambition, dream big and you will definitely make it." VARIOUS OF ABDEL MAKSOUD USING LAT CABLE AND PULLDOWN MACHINE AT GYM ABDEL MAKSOUD DOING WEIGHTED SQUATS WITH BAR (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) EGYPTIAN BODYBUILDER, DINA ABDEL MAKSOUD, SAYING: "Hard work is what I did once I made the decision to move forward, hard work is what must be done to reach the outcomes I wanted. Hard work is what I needed once I decided to start fighting, fighting everyone who criticised (me) or don't understand what I do. It was then, and only then did I make it internationally and became Egypt's and the international champion for bodybuilding." VARIOUS OF ABDEL MAKSOUD USING LAT PULLDOWN MACHINE / COACH TRAINING ABDEL MAKSOUD
  • Embargoed: 2nd January 2019 12:22
  • Keywords: Egypt Women Bodybuilding
  • Location: PORT SAID, EGYPT
  • City: PORT SAID, EGYPT
  • Country: Egypt
  • Topics: Sport
  • Reuters ID: LVA0039BM289H
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Egyptian bodybuilder and world champion, Dina Abdel Maksoud's message to all women pursuing their dreams is: "don't let anyone break you".
    The 21-year-old has spent the past eight years defying social norms and has recently won the gold medal in an international bodybuilding championship in Ukraine.
    Abdel Maksoud was just eleven years old when she picked up her first barbell and began training.
    When her body started to change, unwanted comments quickly followed. Most people around her did not believe a woman could practise what is widely considered a man's sport.
    But she held on to her ambitions.
    "Whether you are a woman or a man, if you work hard, you will achieve your dreams, if you train for bodybuilding you will achieve your dreams. If a woman trains hard, she can be stronger than the strongest of men. So, do not let anyone tell you what you can or cannot do," she said.
    Abdel Maksoud's mother is the reason behind her passion, and the engineering student believes more families should encourage their daughters to spend time exercising.
    On average, she spends two hours at the gym daily, but when preparing for a competition, she spends almost twice as much time working out.
    In addition to the increase in gym time, Abdel Maksoud also follows a strict nutrition plan aimed at increasing muscle mass, a feat which is not easy, according to her coach.
    "In just one week she won two gold medals, and this is not something that is easy because she had to follow a very strict diet, which included cutting sugar, salt, carbohydrates. So, it really took a toll on her emotionally because of the lack of energy," coach Youssef Abdel Maguid said.
    Abdel Maksoud won first place in the last two international competitions which she took part in. She was the youngest competitor on stage and was judged on overall figure and athletic physique.
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