Moving up swinging

Bashayer Faris Al Matrooshi is a celebrated jiu-jitsu athlete with many awards and accolades to her name

About me: I was nicknamed 'Bashayer Al Khair' after winning first place in Kazakhstan's Jiu-Jitsu Championship for women. I most recently captured the silver medal in the purple belt 56 kg division at the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-jitsu Championship. I am studying business innovation at Higher Colleges of Technology, Al Ain and will be graduating in about two years. Even my younger brother also trains in jiu-jitsu. My hobbies include sports in general, jiu-jitsu, and the gym.

Training in the pandemic was much harder for me as I worked on losing weight, to compete in the under 55 kg weight category. I used to go to the gym daily, to maintain my muscle mass while training for the championship, along with weekly PCR tests, following the public health and safety regulations.

What this season means to me: The holy month of Ramadan is a blessed month that I usually like to spend praying and doing good deeds. However, as athletes, Ramadan is a good time to either lose or gain weight, depending on each person's goals.

I always look forward to the religious side of Ramadan, which is doing more good deeds that give me inner peace, as well as family gatherings.

My favourite part about Ramadan is being able to stick to a healthy diet and a good meal plan that helps me achieve my weight goals easily.

Keeping fit while fasting: On a daily basis, I like to walk for an hour before Iftar, and after Iftar, I go to the gym and then do some Jiu-Jitsu training. I also try to stick to a healthy diet while fasting.

Favourite food: My favourite food to indulge in is pasta and açai which I usually eat on cheat days.