Marwa Hassan: From nowhere to winning marathon Gold medal

CAIRO – 12 February 2018: Marwa Hassan did not know when she woke up on Friday February 2 that everything in her life would change forever by the end of the day.

Marwa, a young girl from Khor el-Mahmoudia, Aswan who helps her family by selling tissues on the city streets, put her name on the map after she achieved the Gold medal at Magdi Yacoub charity marathon.

“I woke up early on Friday to go to my work and I was wearing my Isdal and flip-flops. I witnessed many people in the street and I did not know why and when I asked them, then they informed me about the marathon,” Marwa recounted to Egypt Today.
Followed by her dreams and passion, Marwa asked the organizers to allow her to participate in the marathon, they told her that she was not wearing the uniform but she insisted so they allowed her to participate.

Marwa described her feelings ahead of the marathon, saying: “I stood at the starting line and I had a strange feeling as everyone beside me was wearing the marathon uniform with numbers on their shirts except me.”

Once Marwa started running, everyone was surprised by her performance. The 11-year-old kid who had never trained professionally like the other competitors was ahead of all of them.




“I took off my flipflops and started running. I was so tired as I did not have my breakfast, but I had a great desire to win,” Marwa added to Egypt Today.

The marathon sponsors awarded her the gold medal.

For her achievement, the Egyptian Olympic committee granted her running shoes and the national team jersey.

The military sports association announced that they will sponsor Marwa and registered her at the Egyptian Athletic Federation.

Marwa challenged poverty and lack of facilities to win the marathon. She dreams of winning many gold medals in the name of her nation.