Meet the octogenarian Egyptian swimmer competing to make her country proud

Nagwa Ghorab gave up swimming aged 16, but returned to the sport in her 60s

For Nagwa Ghorab, age is just a number.

Aged 81, she is competing at the World Aquatics Masters Championship, which is under way in Qatar. It marks her return to a sport she had given up as a teenager.

At 14, Ghorab was a champion swimmer for Egypt, but retired as the country’s swimming foundation at the time didn’t extend the high level of competing for adults.

“Of course, it was a hard time for me,” Ghorab tells The National. “During this period, I used to swim as a regular sport, but I am not a regular swimmer. I am a fighter swimmer in the water. I only feel happy when there is a strong competitor next to me so I can beat them.”

Ghorab eventually returned to the water when she was in her sixties. Not that the gap between her swimming matters, she says.

“In my opinion, age is just a number,” she adds. “I challenged my age. I challenged the difficulties to know that nothing is impossible. Anyone who wants to achieve anything can make it happen.”

Her competitive drive led her to join the World Aquatics Masters Championships, an event open to athletes aged 25 or older. She has since taken part in seven competitions and won 11 medals.

“The happiest time in my life was when the Egyptian flag was raised because of me,” she says. “I thank God for achieving my dream of representing my country abroad. It was a very special moment after a long time waiting. I looked up to the sky and said: ‘Thank you, God, for fulfilling my dream.’”

She hopes to inspire other Arab women to continue chasing their dreams – no matter their age.

She adds: “I hope to achieve greatness for Arab women.”