With temperatures frequently higher than 100 degrees during the summer, it’s hot in the United Arab Emirates. 

Escaping the heat is a skill for many people in the hot arid land.

One of the quickest ways to cool off is to take a dip in one of hundreds of swimming pools, including the world’s highest infinity pool.

For freshman Zeina Elkhouli, the cold water of the community pool became more than just a relief from the heat.

It was the start of her journey to becoming part of the Redhawks varsity swim team. 

Zeina’s journey started when she was 5 years old, trying out many different sports until she found the one she loved: swimming. Starting in the UAE, the environment and coaching style gave her an experience that shaped her both as an athlete and a person. 

“I did a lot of sports, and I was asked to choose which one I really liked the most to continue to build on and grow from it,” Zeina said. “ And I genuinely liked gymnastics and swimming a lot, but then overall, I ended up choosing swimming. Overall, swim coaches are very different in several regions. So in the UAE, they [take] it a bit hard on you, but that hardness helped build me, whether it was my mindset or my athleticism.

After Zeina started swimming, she found her way to swimming the butterfly, and began to focus on this event.

“I like to swim butterfly. I chose it because that is my biggest strength and the thing that I am good at naturally. At first I hated doing it because it was hard and I was bad at it, [but] then I started to get good at swimming it more, which led me to work on speed more than technique. Later on as I grew older I started to get better at technique while also working on speed.”

But there’s one area that still seems to be a more pronounced obstacle, but it’s not an opponent; it’s herself. 

“My overall challenge was my mindset. My mindset always held me back from some things that I could’ve achieved a lot easier if it wasn’t the problem,” Zeina said. “I feel like strength is really easy to achieve; however, the mindset is the hardest part, and I feel like if I can get to improve my mindset further on, I can achieve a lot of great things. ”

Despite the challenges, swimming has made a lasting impact on Zeina.

“Genuinely, I think I’ve become a well-matured, balanced person,” Zeina said. “It helped keep me in shape overall [with] my body. I think it’s improved my mindset a bit more. My mindset has changed about perspectives, about people, about everything in general.”

All the hard work she put in led to one unforgettable moment, the moment she made the varsity swim team. 

“First thing I did was call my parents to tell them, ‘I made it to varsity! I can’t believe it!’ I was really scared, I practiced nonstop in that community pool, I was working on everything,” Zeina said. “[The] moment I heard ‘Varsity, you made it in,’ my face lit up; I was so happy about it.”

For Zeina’s parents, making the swim team was proof that years of effort had been worthwhile.

“My wife and I were truly super proud of her. It felt like all the years of effort, time, and investment paid off,” Zeina’s dad Adam Elkhouli said. “Seeing her hard work recognized at the varsity level was a special moment for our whole family.”

After Zeina made the varsity swim team, she is still seeking ways to improve and become even better. 

“I would describe Zeina’s growth since she has joined the team as inspirational,” Redhawk varsity swim coach Zachariah Gnoza said. “She has shown up and put the work in and achieved so many great things since the beginning of the season.  What makes Zeina stand out [that] she is always seeking feedback and wants to learn how she can perform better each time she steps up on the blocks. She handles feedback very well, and I can see when she implements the things I tell her to fix and work on each day.”

Throughout the time Zeina has been swimming, her parents have offered support, the right resources, and encouragement, always wanting to see her grow.

“As parents, we’ve always encouraged Zeina to stay consistent and disciplined in her training,” Adam said. “ We’ve supported her by driving her to practices, dedicating time to watch her swim, and motivating her to learn from world-class athletes by watching Olympic swimmers and analyzing their techniques. We also helped her join some of the best swim clubs in Dallas to ensure she had the right coaching and environment to grow.”

Zeina’s passion for swimming floated to the surface almost instantly, and it remains there more than a decade later. 

“Love for swimming? Genuinely, it’s very hard. It’s very hard to wake up at 6 in the morning and enjoy getting into a freezing pool with no heaters, but I genuinely had a very strong passion for swimming as a kid, it was just there. I loved just being in the pool,” Zeina said. “Although dry skin, messy hair, [and] I smell like chlorine all day, I like racing, I love making new friends every time, I love joining several clubs, meeting the new coaches, new peers, my new sets that I can evolve into, grow into, [and] improve.”