Mohammed Rahma is set to make history as the first Emirati to take part in an international surfing competition when he participates in the International Surfing Association (ISA) 50th Anniversary World Games next month.
Mohammed, known as ‘Mo’ learnt how to surf in 2010 following an injury in rugby which forced him into rehabilitation exercises in the water. It was while he was in the sea that he saw people surfing and decided he wanted to try it himself.
Mohammed spent the next few years immersing himself in the sport, surfing at every opportunity he had at various beaches in Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman and Fujairah as well as other international hotspot’s in Sri Lanka, Maldives, the USA and Australia.
His passion for the sport has driven him to compete internationally and he has spent the last year training with a professional coach in Los Angeles (where he is currently based on a project for Etihad Airlines) to perfect his skills and raise his ability to compete on the global stage.
“Surfing has changed my life and as a young Emirati growing up in Dubai, I wish that I could have been introduced to this sport at a younger age. I get so much enjoyment out of it, which drives me to develop the sport in the UAE.”
Mohammed will be making history on October 24 when he joins hundreds of other surfers from around the world, representing their countries in the International ISA 50th Anniversary World Games.
“This is the first time that an Emirati is being represented in surfing, on the international surfing stage,” says Manager Carl de Villiers, owner of Surf Shop Arabia and long time supporter and sponsor of Mohammed.
“I’ve watched him progress in his surfing and the fact that he is now representing his country in such an elite competition is really something to be proud of.”
Mohammed has funded most of this journey himself.
“For me, my intention is not to win but to raise awareness in the UAE for the sport of Surfing, provide a platform for other young Emiratis to get involved, learn the sport and also represent their country in international competitions.
"I would love to see Surfing being integrated into the UAE Schools Curriculum and develop this sport amongst the local Emiratis.
"This is why I’m competing in the ISA Games. I want to show the UAE that we do have great waves to learn the sport, we do have facilities here to develop Surfing and its just a matter of someone actually breaking that barrier and showing the world what we as a nation can offer.”
Mohammed and his manager Carl de Villiers depart Los Angeles in the middle of October to start their journey to Peru.
They will be carrying the National UAE flag in the Athletes Procession and Mohammed will compete for the first time against 192 other surfers from 32 countries from around the world. While they don’t expect to win, they do expect to put the UAE on the wold surfing map.
For more information on Mohammed, visit his new athletes page on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pages/MoRahma
