How Far Are You Willing to Go? | Nelly Attar | TEDxAmman

The speaker, a psychotherapist, began her career in Saudi Arabia nearly 15 years ago, a time when the country was considered the least active in the world and sports access for women was limited. Feeling a strong urge to move, she decided to teach dance classes, despite the risks involved, such as music not being allowed in public and organized sports for women being unconventional. She gathered a group of psychologists and taught her first class at the hospital, which, despite being a "mess," left everyone feeling energized. These weekly classes grew in popularity, expanding to friends and parents of friends. After a few years, she signed with Nike as their first ambassador and trainer in the kingdom, launching the Nike Training Club. Due to the need for discretion, classes were held in a bare warehouse, a temporary solution suggested by her stepfather. Despite the challenging conditions, many women attended, often sneaking in after men had left the office building. This "temporary" solution became a popular movement, leading her to quit her full-time job and focus entirely on this community. Within five years, the underground community transformed into Saudi's first dance studio, "Move," which evolved into a national movement. This movement, in partnership with the Ministry of Sports, Nike, and Apple, enabled thousands to move across the kingdom during a period of significant change in Saudi Arabia. Simultaneously, the speaker immersed herself in sports, progressing from barely running 400 meters to completing marathons and triathlons worldwide, aiming to pave the way for women in outdoor sports. In 2019, she found herself at the summit of Everest. However, 2020 brought the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to the closure of her dance studio. Shortly after, her father passed away in November 2020, plunging her from the "top of the world" to "rock bottom." Inspired by her father's love for sports and his belief in taking risks, she launched "Sunday Sports" in his honor, a virtual training initiative. Nine days after his passing, she taught a dance program for Nike, showing up broken but taking the risk. One year later, she made history by becoming the first Arab to summit K2, the world's most dangerous mountain. Since then, she has climbed the third, fourth, and fifth highest peaks, becoming the first Lebanese to do so, and set a world record for finger pull-ups. She emphasizes that her greatest strength is her capacity to take risks, especially during difficult times, and hopes her story inspires others to take risks toward what they fear.