PHOENIX — Running and high-level competition take 27-year-old Hazem Miawad around the world but for the last five weeks, he's called Flagstaff home as he sharpens up for the Olympics.
“I don't know if I would have went to Flagstaff if it wasn't for this training, so it was awesome,” Miawad said. “It was my first time in Flagstaff. It's at about 7,000 feet of altitude so that helps your body develop more red blood cells and get you a little more fit.”
Miawad’s altitude training included two-a-days and running 55-60 miles a week. He still has some work to do to qualify for Paris, however, he is Egypt's defending national champion in the 800 meters. However, it took about three years for Miawad to obtain his Egyptian passport, as he needed a military exemption to compete for Egypt.
But once that was behind him, so were the other competitors.
“Before becoming a national champion, I would say one of the hardest things was trying to get my passport to represent Egypt,” Miawad said. “But it was super cool. It was my first time competing in front of my family in Egypt. Most of my family's from there so it was awesome to have them there and watch. That was a great experience, and I can't wait to do it again in a few weeks.”
This summer Olympics would mark Miawad’s first trip to Paris but the time spent training in Flagstaff would be a pivotal moment in his Olympic journey.
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