First of all, I would like to point out that what I am going to write in this series does not really matter to anyone more than it matters to me. I am not writing it to claim success, uniqueness, or to portray myself as a hero. Rather, I believe that what I have been through may serve as a guide to someone, or at least encourage a person to think: Were my experiences right or wrong? Were my decisions correct or not?

Each of us has a personal journey that has contributed, in one way or another, to shaping our character and making us who we are today. What makes my journey unique, however, is its diversity. It combined academic life with practical field experience, and the common factor across many of its stages was failure, disappointment, frustration, setbacks, and uncertainty.

On the other hand, it was also a real example of perseverance, determination, and what we call in Arabic “ma’afara” – the relentless struggle to keep moving forward despite difficulties.

Everyone who knows me knows that with every fall, I always look for the bright side of the story and become even more determined to continue striving.

My journey began with disappointment and the inability to achieve a childhood dream when that dream was shattered at the gates of high school graduation. I had never imagined myself studying at the Faculty of Physical Education, but destiny had other plans.

I still remember that on my first day before joining the faculty, my father and I were visiting one of his friends. When he learned that I was leaving my village to join the Faculty of Physical Education at Alexandria University, he told me: “You must be among the top students and become a teaching assistant at the faculty.”

Those words became a dream that I carried with me throughout my university years.

But that dream also came to an end at the doors of the faculty. Because of my ranking in the class, I missed it by only 0.5%, a small percentage that was enough to completely change the course of my professional life and the dreams attached to it.

In pursuit of that dream, I continued my postgraduate studies, earning my master’s and doctoral degrees in the shortest possible time. I continued my journey of seeking academic opportunities across Egyptian universities, but most of those attempts ended in disappointment.

Even when I entered academic life through another door as a lecturer in the Department of Sports Sciences at the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport, the journey did not reach the destination I had hoped for.

Throughout this journey, I authored 11 books, participated in more than 15 scientific conferences, published over 12 research papers, and received several international awards.

Alongside my academic journey, government work appeared in my life through youth and sports organizations and later through university student affairs. I cannot claim that it was ever my passion, but it taught me a great deal.

In the private sector, I launched my own business in the health club industry, and that venture did not succeed either.

As for sports administration and work with clubs and federations, it has always been one of my greatest passions. Yet for many reasons, perhaps including my adherence to certain principles, that path did not develop as I had hoped. Nevertheless, I still hold on to that dream.

Eventually, I carried my dreams with me to the United Arab Emirates, where I began a new journey in scouting. Through this experience, I discovered aspects of my personality that I had never known before.

This journey remains full of challenges, determination, and learning, especially within an environment that was completely new to me. As for its final judgment, I will leave that to those who have shared the journey with me or followed it from afar.

In the coming posts, I will shed light on different stages of my life, the stories behind them, and the lessons they carried—whether they were moments of failure, perseverance, determination, or achievement.

To be continued…