Emirati woman battles injuries to stay fit
Falling off horses fails to stop Dr Mehnaz from pursuing horse riding, cycling and squash
Falling off a horse numerous times and getting injured over and over again did not stop Dr Mehnaz Kamali’s family from pursuing the sports she loved. The Emirati consultant periodontist and implantologist at Dubai Health Authority (DHA) has become one of DHA’s fittest women, having won many sports competitions.
As the second Dubai Fitness Challenge (DFC) comes to an end this weekend, Gulf News looks at Dr Mehnaz’s inspiring story. Her introduction to sports started with swimming when she was 12. She pursued cycling, squash and horse riding.
“My parents were very protective. It was more concern than cultural. They didn’t want me to injure myself,” Dr Mehnaz said. “I fell off horses numerous times.”
Then one day, owing to the injuries, she was told to stop.
“They said you might not be able to go back to horse riding,” Dr Mehnaz said. “If you tell me that I won’t be able to do something ■ anymore, I will not accept it right away. I don’t take no for an answer unless I’m convinced otherwise. Eventually, I was back to riding horses. I felt that every injury I suffered made me stronger.”
Now pursuing cycling, Dr Mehnaz has had to overcome stereotypical social constructs about women engaged in sports.
Even with a ruptured ligament that required surgery in September, Dr Mehnaz is now focused on strengthening and conditioning so that she can be back on the cycling track next year.
“If the government is doing it, so should the whole of society. It will not only benefit them physically and mentally, it will also sculpt their personality and make them much more independent,” she said. ■