Meet Shadia Bseiso, first Arab female WWE star
Young athlete hopes to become a role model for women across the region
LONDON: Shadia Bseiso, a Jordanian versed in jiu-jitsu, dreams of encouraging more Arab women to take up sports — and of one day maybe even crashing a metal chair over WWE mega-star John Cena.
The story of her journey to the global sport-cum-entertainment show watched by millions across the world is pure Hollywood.
“I never imagined an opportunity like this would materialize, it’s just incredible and a great opportunity,” Bseiso told Arab News.
“I trained seriously in jiu-jitsu and competed internationally so to be able to combine entertainment and sport is the dream.”
While that story is indeed the stuff of dreams and tells you a lot, her overall journey to that point tells you a whole lot more.
“I got into sport quite late but my perspective on life is that it’s either all or nothing,” she said.
“I started training just four years ago and I quickly fell in love with the sport. It’s a long journey in jiu-jitsu: It takes a minimum of eight years to get a black belt, so you really earn your stripes and that’s something that I really like. Nothing is given to you.”
Within three months of taking up jiu-jitsu she competed in a tournament in Dubai, where she is based, and ended up winning the bronze medal. Since then she has competed internationally, including bouts at the World Championships in Los Angeles two years in a row.
“Sport has changed my life; jiujitsu has changed my life,” Bseiso said. “I feel like on a daily basis when I was presenting I would do a CrossFit session and it was literally the hardest thing I would do every day. Once I conquer that hour in the gym I feel like I can dominate the day.”