DOVER, England: Mariam Saleh Binladen became the first from Saudi Arabia to make a solo assisted crossing of the English Channel, the world’s most celebrated open water swim. Mariam took on the Channel swim as part of a series of ultimate endurance challenges to raise awareness of the plight of orphan children from Syria.
The story of Mariam’s epic swimming feats will be told in a film documentary ‘I am Mariam Binladen’ to be premiered in December.
Mariam’s Channel swim was ratified by the Channel Crossing Association (CCA) which permits swimmers to wear wetsuits and receive assistance to ensure a safe crossing. Mariam completed the swim in 11 hours and 41 minutes, setting off at 7 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 13, from Samphire Hoe in Dover on the south coast of England and landing at Cap Gris Nez in Calais France at 6:41 p.m. on Tuesday.
Mariam’s swim coincided with some unusually warm weather conditions in the south of England. Temperatures have reached record highs of over 30 degrees Celsius, last seen more than 100 years ago in 1911. In completing the Channel, Mariam successfully navigated one of the worlds’ busiest shipping lanes with up to 600 tankers and 200 ferries passing through each day.
Commenting on the swim Mariam said: “Completing the Channel swim is a dream come true and the fulfilment of a lifelong ambition. It has been an incredibly tough two years preparing for this, but I have learned that if you are determined enough to achieve your goals and dreams – they can and will happen. I hope that my achievements will inspire others whilst at the same time I hope to draw more awareness to the plight of millions of suffering Syrian orphan refugees.”
According to data from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) more than 4 million Syrians have fled their homeland with half being children under the age of 17.
Mariam continued: “As a young woman from the Middle East, I wanted to use my endurance swims to draw more awareness to the humanitarian disaster in Syria and hopefully make some kind of difference to the lives of those affected, particularly the orphaned children.”
Earlier in the summer, Mariam set a new world record as the first woman to officially swim 101 miles of the source of the River Thames in the United Kingdom. The June swim was completed over 10 days, during which Mariam navigated 32 locks and some of the South of England’s most iconic towns and villages. Known for its strong currents and eddies as well as high pollution levels, the Thames is well-known for being one of the most challenging and dangerous river swims.
Mariam prepared for the Channel swim for more than two years with a punishing physical training program supported by her coach and swim-mentor Fiona Southwell. Training included daily routines in the open water and the completion of several marathon swim events. In August 2015, Mariam swam the Hellespont open water swim in Turkey becoming the first Saudi female to complete the race from Europe to Asia.
Mariam was guided across the Channel by experienced pilot Andrew King, skipper of the escort boat and founder of the Channel Crossing Association. A film documentary ‘I am Mariam Binladen’ chronicling Mariam’s journey and achievements will be aired at the end of the year on Swiss TV.
Download a short interview with Mariam here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bUnBs1fAgk
For a cause: Mariam Saleh Binladen completes assisted English Channel swim
For a cause: Mariam Saleh Binladen completes assisted English Channel swim
NEOM concede at the death for the second week in a row as Al-Taawoun salvage late draw
- NEOM narrowly lost to Al-Nassr 1-0 last weekend after Mohamed Simakan scored an injury-time winner
- Al-Taawoun followed up with a late equalizer by Mohammed Al-Kuwaykibi to deny them three points
RIYADH: The Saudi Pro League returned for Matchday 26, with the table beginning to take its final shape as the season enters its final quarter. The title contenders kick off on Friday and Saturday, but Thursday’s action focused on a clash between upper mid-table sides NEOM and Al-Taawoun, alongside three relegation-battlers — Al-Najma, Damac and Al-Kholood — attempting to improve their standings.
In Tabuk, NEOM played out a 2-2 draw with Al-Taawoun, this season’s surprise package under the returning Pericles Chamusca. After a brilliant start to the campaign that saw them spend much of the season in the top four, a poor run of just one win in their last eight games has followed.
Al-Taawoun’s late equaliser was vital in their bid to maintain a spot in the top five. With Al-Ittihad lurking just three points behind and yet to play this weekend, every point matters for the Wolves of Qassim. Regardless, it has become a painful second half of the season for Chamusca’s side, as they now sit 12 points behind the top four.
After a heroic performance from Luis Maximiano against Al-Nassr last weekend, NEOM were unfortunate to leave Riyadh empty-handed after conceding at the death. There were still plenty of positives from the defeat, as Christophe Galtier’s squad appear to have finally hit second gear this season.
Calm and collected against Al-Nassr, they repeated the same approach against Al-Taawoun. Knowing their opponents thrive on space in the transition, NEOM prevented them from accessing wingers Marin Petkov and Biel, leaving star striker Roger Martinez isolated for most of the match.
Amadou Koné and Abdoulaye Doucouré did their part to disrupt the centre of Al-Taawoun’s block, with the former driving forward and the latter drifting in between the lines to create the opener. In the 23rd minute, Al-Taawoun’s defence were pulled apart as Luciano Rodríguez met Doucouré’s precise through ball to slot home.
NEOM maintained their composure throughout the match, but it took a wonder strike from Martinez to bring the visitors level in the 70th minute, the Colombian producing a superb strike from distance.
It only took six minutes for NEOM to respond. Saïd Benrahma broke down the Al-Taawoun defence once again, releasing Alexandre Lacazette for a powerful finish to restore the hosts’ lead.
Despite the strong performance from NEOM, they ultimately fell victim to another late setback. Substitute Mohammed Al-Kuwaykibi surged down the flank in stoppage time before cutting inside and curling a precise finesse shot beyond Maximiano to salvage a point.
Elsewhere, Damac continued their resurgence under Fabio Carrille with a 3-1 victory over Al-Najma, who remain rooted to the bottom of the table. The win moves Damac six points clear of Al-Riyadh in the relegation zone, while Al-Najma sit 14 points from safety with eight matches remaining.
Meanwhile, Al-Hazem secured a late victory after Abdulaziz Al-Dwehe netted an 86th-minute winner in a 2-1 triumph over Al-Kholood. It was a frustrating night for the Saudi Pro League’s all-time leading scorer Omar Al-Somah, who missed a penalty for the winners in the 60th minute.
Saudi Pro League action resumes on Friday, with Al-Fayha hosting Al-Ettifaq and Al-Riyadh welcoming Al-Ittihad at 10:00pm. The headline fixture of the evening — kicking off at the same time — sees second-placed Al-Ahli travel to face fourth-placed Al-Qadsiah. Victory for Al-Ahli against tough opposition would strengthen their title push, while defeat for Al-Qadsiah could effectively end their unlikely championship hopes.
