In partnership with Qatar National Library, we would like to invite you to attend "We Talk Sports," a panel discussion to celebrate International Women’s Day 2019.
Come hear UK and Qatari sports ambassadors share their success stories. Find out how both women and men can make an impact in sports!
#BalanceforBetter #IWD2019 #SportisGreat
MEET THE SPEAKERS
JADE FAULKNER
Growing up in Swindon, Jade quickly joined the local gymnastics club. By the age of 11, she was representing Great Britain at international competitions, Junior European Championships, European Championships, World Championships and various World Cups to name a few. In 2011, Jade moved back home and took a year out of education to begin full-time training with the Great Britain rhythmic gymnastics group. Together, they made history as the country’s first rhythmic gymnastics group to reach the Olympics.
Shortly after, due to ill-health, Jade left gymnastics and decided to attend Plymouth University to study Psychology. Her second year involved studying abroad in The Gold Coast, Australia, attending Griffith University. The education greatly benefitted Jade as her knowledge of sport could be married with psychology. After University, she returned to competitive gymnastics and participated in the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
Jade is now retired from the sport and taking advantage of her coaching role at Olympic Stars to empower young girls where she prioritises the girl’s health and general well-being while building great gymnasts who will turn into confident young women.
YASMIAN AL SHARSHANI
Yasmiann was born into a large family who supported her dreams of becoming a professional golfer since she first showed interest in the sport when she was only 11. Looking back, Yasmiann feels proud and responsible for setting a good example in Qatar and the region, as the first ever Qatari female golfer on the Qatar National Team. She hopes to inspire young women in the country and the region to establish themselves in sports and to seek its education.
As a graduate from the Sports Science Programme at Qatar University, she is also grateful to have had a strong education in sports, which further elevated her passion and patience towards sports and inspired her to compete in professional golf alongside some of the best athletes in the world.
“Being the first Qatari woman to play this sport professionally is an honour, and I am delighted to pave the way for other females in the nation to follow their dreams - whatever that may be. Golf is a less conventional sport for women in the Arab world and there is a lack of knowledge about the sport in this part of the region. We are a very blessed nation to have our state-of-the art facilities and equipment that offer the opportunity to explore the ideal environment to practice any hobby or profession. I encourage everyone to get out there and try new sports and hobbies, and to be open to taking risks.”
RASHID R. AL-HAJRI
During his time at the University of Leeds studying BEng Chemical Engineering, Rashid was encouraged to take on volunteer work when he realised the importance of sports in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Rashid became the president of Qatar Students’ Society during his time at Leeds, where he influenced hundreds of Qatari students in the UK.
The dream Rashid created in the UK of promoting sports as a lifestyle through community came true upon his return to Qatar when he became one of the founding members of Qatar Triathlon club, which now attracts more than 500 active Qatari members.
Rashid is also an Ambassador for Qatar Cancer Society and had recently run the London Marathon where he succeeded in raising funds to support cancer groundbreaking research and clinical trials.
SHAUN MARSDEN–HEATHCOTE
A county-level Athlete in his youth, Shaun has worked in leisure management, sports development and education for over 25 years; he joined the Youth Sport Trust in 2007 as a Development Manager responsible back then for developing High-Quality PE in the national network of Sport Colleges that were part of the Specialist Schools programme before moving into his current role.
Shaun has been the strategic lead for the Changing LIVES Athlete initiative since 2010, directly leading the recruitment, training and deployment of a team of over 70 world class athletes who deliver on YST’s Athlete Mentor programmes. He also has direct responsibility for managing a number of the largest Athlete programmes, overseeing the growth and development of this work which currently delivers over 1,000 Athlete Visits in schools every academic year across the UK and Ireland.
Prior to his time at YST, Shaun worked as a Senior Officer in Community Sport and Leisure for a number of organisations across England. Before moving into sports development, Shaun started out in leisure facility management, where his final role was to head up the design, build and management of a multi-million-pound Sports Facility.