“It changed my life.”
Growing up with four sisters and a brother, Hessa Al Shamsi struggled to stand out. It’s a dynamic that’s familiar to anyone from a big family: you can easily get lost in the noise.
“All my sisters are special in some way, they get such high grades, and [before jiu jitsu] I had nothing,” she says. “When I started getting medals it all changed. I’m so much more confident now.”
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When she discovered jiu jitsu, though, Al Shamsi came into herself. She started training at age 10, but had to stop after an injury. Once she healed, she then had to get her family on side.
“At the very beginning, my family was a bit closed – they said it was only for boys, but I was really into it,” the 17-year-old recalls.
When she saw the girls she’d trained with before winning competitions and training hard, Al Shamsi was frustrated.
“I thought, ‘Why am I not with them?'” she says.
Al Shamsi appealled to her parents again, and this time, they listened.
“Now everything is good. [My dad] supports me really well,” she says, adding that recently when she missed a training session because she was unwell, he was on her case.
Now, Al Shamsi trains either once or twice a day depending on what competitions are on the horizon. It’s a lot to fit in around her grade 11 studies at Janeli School in Al Ain, but the young Emirati has drive, and the support of her teammates and coaches, to keep her going.
“I really want to improve myself,” she says. “I’ve moved into the adult category, so it’s a bit tough.”
Right now, Al Shamsi is training for the Abu Dhabi leg of the Grand Slam Jiu Jitsu World Tour. It’s set to take place at the Mudabala Arena on January 12 and 13 and will be the first time she’s competed as an adult.
She says it’s a big ask, but we wouldn’t bet against her.
Images: Supplied
