Page 32 - September 2019

numbers had improved to a level that
was better than when she had stopped
altogether.
Yet, as often is the case with life, new
promise came hand in hand with adversity.
Hala began to struggle with injuries set in
motion by previous injuries in her career,
including a car accident, and as a result
in issues epicentered around technique.
Olympic lifting is highly technical, and bad
habits were amok as the result of inattentive
coaching early on and as Hala puts it
“mistakes on my part.”
In 2014, Hala discovered that because
of her Lebanese heritage, she could explore
pursuing lifting to represent Lebanon on
the international stage. Being a small
country, Lebanon does not have nearly
a comparably sized lifting program as
the United States does. However, in the
categories of national pride in the sport, it
Hala eventually earned a roster spot on may indeed rival that of the U.S. Lebanon close so disappointing.” She also says, “My
a youth Pan-American squad representing has one medal in its Olympic history. And spirit was broken before even arriving to
the United States and competing it belongs to the sport of weightlifting, compete.”
internationally, earning bronze amongst said accomplished in the 1970s. It was upon this Whereas many would be crippled
representation in Ecuador in clean & jerk. by defeat to others and oneself, Hala
This continued until Hala was nineteen, saw this as an opportunity to self-reflect,
when she encountered a frustrating time as confront hard truths in her training and
a competitor. She plateaued and saw very development, and ultimately make the
little improvement despite a hard training call that if she were to see her Olympic
ethic and deemed time away from the sport dreams come true, a change would need
the best salve for stagnant growth and to be made. She blamed her injury and
waning love for it. re-injury as a result of poor decisions that
She made a return to lifting in 2010, on needed something redemptive. Through
the cusp of marrying her husband Ryan doorways opened in the international
(a fellow distinguished lifter in the 56 kilo weightlifting community, Hala was given an
class). In the wake of the wedding, Ryan opportunity to go to Lebanon to train under
and his cousin assumed the mantle of the renowned tutelage of Souheil Kaissai,
becoming Hala’s coaches, in turn sacrificing an internationally well-respected man in the
every spare moment to be present for sport. Kaissai, for a month, helped navigate
each practice and competition. This was changes in foundation and technique
no insignificant transpiration of events, that Hala and her team “had never even
but equally matched by the remarkable considered.” One month to break eleven
revelation that in returning to lifting, Hala’s revelation, that Hala decided to turn down years of “bad habits.”
opportunities with team USA, represent
Lebanon, and chase making an Olympic
run.
At the 2016 Asian Championship,
the familiar faces of disappointment and
adversity returned as Hala failed to qualify
for the Rio Olympics. Three months prior,
Hala had been debilitated by a back injury
that was properly rehabbed, only to be
reinjured three weeks before the competition.
“I couldn’t bend over and reach my toes and
it felt as if my shot, at least at these Olympic
games, was done.” She states, “ I was in
a position that if I hit my best numbers, that
probably would have been enough. The
day before I re-aggravated the injury, I
hit those numbers, which made being so