Sara Al Awadhi - Bouldering in the Middle East: Using climbing to discover your country and culture, and empowering o...

Born and raised in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Sara is a passionate climber who spends her weekends and holidays exploring the mountains of her homeland mapping out new boulder fields and establishing first ascents. With the help of her husband, Sara has assisted in establishing almost 100 new boulder problems in the UAE and has outlined 200 more boulders ready for developing.  Sara is currently working with her husband on creating a UAE bouldering guidebook.
In an era when outdoor sports are diversifying and becoming more inclusive, Sara wants to provide inspiration for those, like herself, who have had little representation in the past, and to highlight to Arab women that they need to play an active role in how their country's outdoor sports scene develops. 
When she is not practicing law or exploring the mountains, Sara spends her time empowering young Arab women to pursue a career in law, and has recently been invited to speak on TEDx about this topic further.     
Show notes
Who is Sara
How the past 2 years have changed her life
What life was like growing up in Dubai
The emphasis on fitness specifically horse riding
What happens when you get older
Why outdoor sport aren’t encouraged
Why it all changed for her 4 years ago
Studying Law in the UK
The bad weather in the UK!
Loving the discovery of climbs
Wanting to create a bouldering guide book for the UAE
Why she decided to join the climbing club
What she found most challenging at the start
Dealing with her fear of flights
After graduating and moving back to Dubai and trying to pursue climbing again
The challenges of climbing 
Being a role model for other women
Why aren’t there more Arab women climbing ?
How do women get into the climbing scene in Dubai
The mountain project 
The best spots to climb in the UAE
Overcoming the impossible
Her role models in climbing
What’s next for Sara
Night climbing in Dubai
Building her website at the moment
Final words of advice 
Encourage other women especially in the climbing space