By Karima Ragab

If you were ever an athlete who played in a sports team you would know that being part of a team is one of the best things that’s ever happened to you. Whenever you had practice, you would look forward to play the sport you love and also rejoice with the fact that you are practicing with the people who really understand you know what you’re going through, but most importantly, those who support you the most. Because you know, if it weren’t for them, you wouldn’t be who you are now. For those of you who don’t know, this is what being part of a team feels like. But you see, Maadi Athletes is not just any team.

Normally, any sports team would be characterized with a certain age range. In basketball, for example, you would have the under 16 team with the players being either 15 or 16 years old. In volleyball it’s the same but the age group is an odd number. Then you have the first team, during which the competition becomes real and you are selected among many other players to be part of the team. That’s where Maadi Athletes differ. There is no such thing as selecting and no such thing as age groups. Maadi Athletes was created by a group of Maadians who love sports more than anything. They mainly train for triathlons, seizing any opportunity they get to compete. If you live in Maadi, I’m sure you have seen them running in the streets. They train everyday and sometimes twice a day.

If you’re part of the Maadi Athletes, there is no such thing as too young, too old, or too weak. You might bump into someone who has been an athlete all their life and you might find yourself cycling with someone who learned how to ride a bike yesterday. And trust me, they challenge themselves beyond your imagination. They might decide to run half a marathon (21 km), swim 5 km, or even cycle to Ein El Sokhna (100 km). But believe me when I tell you that they care about each other more than anything, whether you’re the oldest member of the team or the newest. There aren’t such things as labels with the Maadi Athletes and anyone is welcome to join.