Amna Al Haddad was born on November 21, 1989, in Dubai. Dubai is a city in the United Arab Emirates, or UAE. When Amna was growing up, life for women in her country was changing. More girls and women were going to school and joining sports.
When Amna was a teenager, she had a hard time. She struggled with depression and did not feel good about how she looked. Later, she talked openly about these feelings to help other people who feel the same way. Before she became an athlete, Amna worked as a journalist. She wrote and reported news in the UAE.
Everything changed when Amna found CrossFit. CrossFit is a type of workout that mixes many kinds of exercise. It helped her feel stronger in her body and her mind. Through CrossFit, she learned about weightlifting. Weightlifting is a sport where people lift very heavy bars called barbells over their heads.
Amna loved weightlifting so much that she decided to compete in it seriously. This was a big deal. At the time, almost no women from the UAE competed in weightlifting. Amna also wore a hijab, a head covering worn by some Muslim women, while she trained and competed. There was no special sports clothing made for hijabs back then. So Amna had to find or make her own gear that would work for hard workouts and heavy lifts.
Amna competed for the UAE in weightlifting contests across the Arab world and Asia. She even tried to qualify for the Olympic Games. She did not make it, but her effort was still very important. It showed how hard it was for women in her region to get the training and support they needed in sports.
Because her story was so unique, many news groups wanted to share it. Amna was featured in famous news outlets like The National, Gulf News, and CNN Arabic.
In 2017, something exciting happened. The sports company Nike was making a new product called the Nike Pro Hijab. This is a hijab made just for athletes, using light and stretchy fabric. Amna helped Nike understand what athletes needed. Her story helped shape this new invention. The Design Museum in London later showed the Nike Pro Hijab in a special exhibit about great designs.
Amna also became known for talking about mental health. She shared her own struggles with depression to help other people feel less alone. She spoke at events and was named to a special list called the Muslim Women in Sport Network's Power List. This list honors Muslim women who are making a big difference in sports.
After her time as a competitor, Amna began coaching other people and giving speeches. She worked with fitness groups in the UAE, including one called 999 Fitness. She wanted to help other young Muslim and Emirati women feel strong and confident in sports.
Amna Al Haddad's story matters because of the doors she opened. She was one of the first Emirati women to try Olympic weightlifting seriously. She helped people around the world see that women who wear hijabs can be strong athletes too. Her work with Nike also helped other companies start making sports gear for women who dress modestly.
Today, Amna is remembered as a brave pioneer. She keeps speaking up for mental health and for women in sports across the Middle East.
