In a world where sports demand determination and resilience, Dr. Souad Al Fughan stands out as a Kuwaiti champion in rowing, seamlessly blending passion and perseverance to navigate through waves and challenges.

In an exclusive interview with 3oud.com, Dr. Souad takes us on an inspiring journey, sharing her early beginnings, the obstacles she faced, and how she transformed her passion into remarkable achievements that elevated Kuwait’s name on the international stage. She recounts her extraordinary path—one that started with simple curiosity about a sport she had never encountered before, only to evolve into a profound passion that became an integral part of her identity and a driving force for personal growth and challenge. Beyond the realm of sports, her exceptional journey serves as an inspiration for a new generation of young men and women across the Arab world.

Can you tell us about your early experiences with the sport and how did you get started? 

I started rowing in early 2020 after a student of mine brought to my attention that there is a rowing club here in Kuwait. I hadn’t heard of the sport of rowing before and wanted to try something new.  AT the time I had just recently moved to Kuwait and was feeling lost and out of place. Rowing was a missing piece of me that I didn’t know was missing until I started. It has become part of my identity and has allowed me to grow as a person.

How do you maintain your career and rowing?

It isn’t an easy task however I love both careers and make sacrifices on a daily basis to commit to both full time. This requires a lot of diligence and time management in order to perform well in both. Also, I am very forgiving with myself on days where I fall short in either area because I won’t be perfect every day. I try my best to adapt which requires a degree of flexibility.

How do you handle pressure during important competitions? 

I don’t feel pressured during competitions. I approach each competition with the mindset that I have been preparing for months and I am ready. Even If I am not as prepared as my competitors, I know that I put my full effort into preparing and will perform to my best ability during the competition. I believe in staying positive and enjoying the competitions so that you don’t allow space for pressure.

What motivated you to choose rowing?

Rowing is incredibly challenging and is not for the faint of heart. It requires so many demanding attributes that it truly pushes me to develop myself physically and mentally. I am a competitive person and rowing is one of the sports that no matter how good you get there is always room to progress. The challenge of continuing to get physically and mentally stronger motivates me to keep rowing.  

Describe your feeling when you raise Kuwait flag in Paris?

It is an overwhelming feeling of honor and pride. I wasn’t just representing my country but also representing every Kuwaiti, the Kuwaiti woman and every Arab female.

Have you pursued any professional or academic goals outside of rowing?

I am always looking to advance myself in all aspects of my life. Currently I am in the starting stages of my research on obesity and hope to establish a thriving lab. I definitely see myself dedicating myself to research in the next couple of years.  Aside from that I am also an avid baker and opened a bakery a few years back which unfortunately I had to make the difficult decision to close due to my dedication to rowing. I foresee myself getting back into baking and even opening up my bakery again.

How did your academic background correlated to athletic skills? 

I have been studying biological science since 2009 and a lot of what I have learned correlates to what I do in rowing. As someone who specializes in Physiology, I can understand why certain trainings are designed the way they are or how the way I fuel my body translates into my trainings.  

How would you describe your personal style, both on and off the field?

I would say edgy chic when I am not training and during work hours I am definitely more put together and professional. So, lots of suits but with a pop of color. Usually after training you’ll see me in sweatpants and a t-shirt and cap.

What are some of your favorite activewear brands, and why do you choose them?   

I always train in full black as is makes me feel like a ninja barbie. Black simply makes more sense as its very forgiving to my sweaty workouts. I am almost always in Lululemon leggings, and I absolutely love the SPF long sleeve shirts for outdoor training as they protect my skin from damage.  During indoor workouts I wear Nike or reebok T-shirts and ALWAYS my Asics shoes.

What are the biggest differences between the academic systems in the two countries where you studied? 

I have student in Greece, Sweden, USA, UK, and Japan under the US system, the international system, and the British system. While all are wonderful, I definitely prefer the US system as I feel it is more well rounded and has a higher level of creativity and freedom.

What are your goals for the future, both short-term and long-term?

My goal forever and always is to be happy in everything I do and to be fulfilled. My short term goals include continuing rowing and being a role model to young boys and girls. In the long-term I hope to establish my research career and continue to contribute to society in a more academic way.