Manal Rostom and other Nike Athletes inspire women from all walks of life to 'Dream Crazier'

Hiba Khan - Writer 12:40 01/07/2019
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  • Over the years, Nike has earned plaudits for speaking out about social welfare issues and has actively worked to become the harbinger of inclusivity and diversity in sport.

    This is exactly what their campaign ‘Dream Crazy’ is all about, celebrating people with big dreams in sport who were often dismissed for being too crazy.

    With campaigns like these, Nike has been trying to break barriers and make sure no person is held back or looked down upon for pursuing the impossible.

    The sporting giant took a significant leap when they announced the release of a performance Hijab (headcover) as a way to allow more Muslim women to participate in sport and finally put an end to the debate about the safety of this religious item of clothing.

    The brand forever revolutionised sport for Muslim women and as the face of Nike hijab and Dream Crazier campaign, Manal Rostom says the brand has helped young Muslim girls become more comfortable with their identity.

    “Big brands did not give us the space to be represented and did not inspire me as a young Arab girl, who was growing up as a third culture kid in a western environment, to fully understand my culture,” said Rostom.

    “I think what they are doing now is normalizing various aspects of our culture and giving girls from different cultures role models to follow so they have someone to relate to and basically just dream crazy and I am so thankful to Nike for creating this platform.”

    Nike has sponsored numerous athletes from all cultures and backgrounds, and helped them into bringing their dreams to fruition. Two such athletes are twin sisters, Amira and Aisha Zailani, who currently play for Dubai-based amateur football team Leoni FC.

    “Nike has helped us in so many ways,” said 22-year-old Amira, “Not only do they provide us with equipment and tools to make it easier to train, but they also inspire us every day to continue to do what we love and follow our dreams.”

    The Zailani sisters are grateful to Nike who have provided them with a platform to use their voice to show that sport should not be restricted to just one gender, insisting the ‘future is female’.

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