Ms Nawal El Moutawakel Inspires Local School Athletes
An IOC Member since 1998, Ms Nawal El Moutawakel spoke to 120 participants including national athletes, school athletes, coaches and sports administrators as well as about 30 students from CHIJ St Theresa’s Convent on her career as an Olympic Champion and her role as an advocate of women and sports over the weekend (Sat, 9 Jul 2005) at the National Stadium.
She traced back her victory in the 400m hurdles event, where it was first introduced for women in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. She led from start to finish and not only improved her personal best by 0.76 seconds, she became the first woman from an Islamic nation to win an Olympic medal and the first athlete from Morocco to win a gold medal.
Reflecting on the important role played by her late father and her coach, she also emphasized on the importance of having PMA or “Positive Mental Attitude” to achieve one’s dreams. She personified this never-say-die spirit in her triumph in the 400m hurdles despite being the smallest-sized participants in the final. She also related her experience studying in the United States just 8 months before the Los Angeles Olympics, in a foreign land where she had to adjust to a new environment – food, weather, people etc. She stressed that it was her PMA that enabled her to strike a balance of her studies and training.
The talk was part of the Moments of Inspiration series organised by the Singapore Organising Committee to tie in with the 117th IOC Session in Singapore. It attracted about 120 participants.
Note to Editor:
The principal of CHIJ St Theresa’s Convent, representing the group of students that were present at the talk, is available to be interviewed for additional soundbytes on the session. She can be reached through Ms Celine Quek of the PE Dept at 9844 8414.
Sports Career
Moroccan Champion 100m-200m-400m hurdles (1977-1987), Arab Champion 100m-200m-400m hurdles; African Champion 400m hurdles (1983), USA Champion 400m hurdles (1984); Olympic Champion 400m hurdles at the Games of the XXIII Olympiad in Los Angeles in 1984; gold medallist 400m hurdles at the Mediterranean Games in Casablanca (Morocco, 1983) and in Damascus (Syria, 1987); bronze medallist 400m hurdles at the world University Games in Kobe (Japan, 1985) then gold medallist in Zagreb (then Yugoslavia, 1987)
Sports Administration
Inspector to the Minister of Youth and Sport in Rabat (October 1989); National sprint and hurdles trainer (October 1990); Member of the NOC, Elite Commission (November 1992); Deputy National Technical Director of the Royal Moroccan Athletics Federation (November 1993) then Vice-President (May 1997); Member of the African Amateur Athletics Confederation (1995-); Member then vice-president of the IAAF Athletes’ Commission (1989-); Member of the IAAF Executive Bureau (August 1995); Member of the International Committee of the French-Speaking Games; Member of the International Committee of the Mediterranean Games; Member of the Jury and technical delegate at various national, continental and international competitions; Vice-President of the Moroccan Association for the Football World Cup 2006 (2000); Member of the World Sport Academy (2000)
IOC Involvement
Member of the following Commissions: Women and Sport (1995-), doping (working group, 1998), "IOC 2000" (1999), Marketing (2000-), Nominations (2000-), IOC 2000 Reform Follow-up (2002), Chairwoman Evaluatîon for the Games of the XXX Olympiad in 2012 (2004-)
About Ms Nawal El Moutawakel
An IOC Member since 1998, Ms Nawal El Moutawakel spoke to national athletes, school athletes as well as coaches and sports administrators on her career as an Olympic Champion and her role as an advocate of women and sports.
She traced back her victory in the 400m hurdles event, where it was first introduced for women in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. She led from start to finish and not only improved her personal best by 0.76 seconds, she became the first woman from an Islamic nation to win an Olympic medal and the first athlete from Morocco to win a gold medal.
Reflecting on the important role played by her late father and her coach, she also emphasized on the importance of having PMA or “Positive Mental Attitude” to achieve one’s dreams. She personified this never-say-die spirit in her triumph in the 400m hurdles despite being the smallest-sized participants in the final. She also related her experience studying in the United States just 8 months before the Los Angeles Olympics, in a foreign land where she had to adjust to a new environment – food, weather, people etc. She stressed that it was her PMA that enabled her to strike a balance of her studies and training.
The session held at the National Stadium Theatrette on Saturday 9 July 2005 was part of the Moments of Inspiration series and attracted about 120 participants.