44 October 2015 www.womanthismonth.com PEOPLE | interview At just 23 years of age, Amal has done more than many of us manage in a lifetime. Two years ago, she became the first Bahraini woman to visit the Antarctic, in 2014, she climbed Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain, and she has just returned from a journey to the top of the world to visit the Arctic Circle. So what inspires this intrepid adventurer? “It’s all about finding that passion that makes me feel connected and fulfilled. I don’t think I could stand being in one spot. “I always wanted to study abroad but that wasn’t possible but I did go on short exchanges and programmes for leadership and the environment. “A few weeks after I had come back from a programme in the States there was an interview on TV with the first Saudi woman who went to the Antarctic. She was a mother and she had to convince her husband. That was a challenge I didn’t face, and I thought ‘I want to be like that’. I had my laptop beside me and I straight away sent an email to the company she went with and Intrepid explorer Amal Al Saffar on polar bears, walruses and support for cancer warriors. Arctic Adventure I was delighted to be chosen to take part in my first expedition. “The Antarctic, for me, was all about learning about the environment and raising awareness in the talks and interviews I gave when I came back. Just the mental preparation was incredibly challenging but also an amazing experience.” Amal raised the BD10,000 needed to complete that first trip through sponsorship and, on her return, gave talks about her experience at companies around the island such as Coca-Cola, Amal showing her support and below, exploring by Zodiac.
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