Dina Al-Sabah
Dina Ali Fahad Al-Salim Al-Sabah (born February 28, 1974) is a professional figure competitor from Kuwait. She is the only female Arab athlete to achieve pro card status as of 2006, as well as the first female Arab athlete to ever stand on the Olympia stage. She is also the only IFBB athlete to have competed in both the Inaugural Figure Olympia in 2003 and the Inaugural Bikini Olympia in 2010.
| Dina Al-Sabah | |
|---|---|
| Bodybuilder | |
| Personal info | |
| Born | February 28, 1974 Beirut, Lebanon |
| Height | 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m) |
| Weight | 117-118 lb (contest) 123-125 lb (off-season) |
| Professional career | |
| Pro-debut |
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| Best win |
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| Predecessor | None |
| Successor | Felicia Romero |
| Active | Since 1999 |
Biography
Al-Sabah was born in Beirut, Lebanon; her mother is of Turkish and Syrian origin, while her father is Kuwaiti, Turkish and East African origin.[1][2] She was born as a member of the Al-Sabah family; she is close lineage because her grandfather was the son of Salim Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah, ruler of Kuwait from 1917 to 1921. The Al-Sabahs have ruled Kuwait for over more than two centuries.
Al-Sabah was raised in Egypt, Morocco, Italy and the United Kingdom, so she was exposed to many different cultures at a young age. A natural athlete, she started horseback riding at the age of five. She continued her active lifestyle throughout her high school years, competing in equestrian shows and participating in track, volleyball and basketball at the American School of Tangier in Morocco.
Al-Sabah is fluent in English, Spanish, French, and Arabic. She also holds several degrees: a B.S. in electrical engineering, M.S. in telecommunications and computers, and MBA, all from the George Washington University in Washington, DC.
Al-Sabah first started weight training when she moved to London in 1991. As a newcomer to the country, she did not have any friends and had plenty of free time, so she decided to join a gym as a hobby. When she moved to the United States in 1994 to continue her studies at the George Washington University, she took a more active interest in lifting weights and educating herself on weight training and nutrition.
Al-Sabah started competing in 1999; she decided to try for the NPC Figure Nationals after winning the Monica Brant Fitness Classic in 2001. When trying to register for the nationals she found out that she had to be a United States citizen in order to be allowed to compete at any of the NPC pro qualifiers. The only way she could compete in the Pro Division of the IFBB was to have recommendation from the Kuwaiti national federation associated with the IFBB. Due to traditional Arab beliefs, women are not allowed to compete in any bodybuilding competitions, and she was denied a recommendation. This did not discourage Al-Sabah, she decided to build her profile as a competitor in hopes that someone would notice her potential. She won several popular NPC competitions in 2002 and brought her case to NPC president Jim Manion and IFBB president Ben Weider. In November 2002, Al-Sabah was granted an IFBB Pro card.
Soon Al-Sabah made a name for herself in the world of figure competitions, winning the 2003 Jan Tana Figure Championships and placing fifth at the inaugural Figure Olympia. These accomplishments have come with their share of scrutiny. Her decision to compete and model has received criticism from conservative Arabs.
Currently Al-Sabah is continuing her career as a fitness model, appearing in many fitness publications including Oxygen, Ironman, American Curves, Muscle and Fitness, Muscle Mag International and Flex. She is the co-host of Living Beautiful Radio. She is a passionate promoter of issues dealing with female sexuality as well as a reviewer of adult products catering to women and couples.
Vital stats
- Full name: Dina Al-Sabah
- Birthday: February 28
- Place of birth: Beirut, Lebanon
- Current state of residence: Nevada
- Occupation: IFBB pro figure athlete, fitness model, information systems consultant, and radio host
- Marital status: married
- Height: 5'5"
- Weight: 117-118 lbs (contest); 123-125 lbs (off-season)
- Eye color: brown
- Hair color: brown
Bodybuilding philosophy
Al-Sabah's training consists of simple compound movements with mostly free weights and a small number of cable and machine exercises. She focuses on her legs, back, and shoulders as primary areas. She typically trains with weights five days a week in the off-season (usually one or two body parts per day off-season, as well as in the pre-contest season). She also performs cardio four times a week for thirty minutes with each session, and up to twice a day for the pre-contest season.
Contest history
- 1999 NGA Mount Rodgers Cup Novice, 2nd
- 2000 NPC EastCoast Tournament of Champions (MW), 4th
- 2000 NPC BodyRock, 2nd (LW), won the Best Poser Award
- 2001 NPC Monica Brant Fitness Classic, 1st (Tall) and Overall
- 2001 NPC Jan Tana Figure, 1st (Tall), and Overall
- 2001 NPC NorthEastern Figure Classic, 3rd (Tall)
- 2002 NPC Pittsburgh Figure Championship, 3rd (Tall)
- 2002 NPC Bev Francis Atlantic States Figure Championship, 1st (Tall) and Overall
- 2002 NPC Debbie Kruck Figure Classic, 1st (Tall) and Overall
- 2002 NPC NorthEast Figure Classic, 1st (Tall) and Overall
- 2003 IFBB Pittsburgh Pro Figure, 4th
- 2003 IFBB NOC Figure Championships 6th
- 2003 IFBB NY Pro Figure Championships 2nd
- 2003 IFBB Jan Tana Pro Figure, 1st
- 2003 IFBB Miss Figure Olympia, 5th
- 2003 IFBB GNC Show of Strength, 3rd
- 2004 IFBB Figure International, 7th
- 2004 IFBB GNC Show of Strength, 14th
- 2004 IFBB Miss Figure Olympia, 13th
- 2006 IFBB Tournament of Champions Pro Figure, 9th
- 2006 IFBB Palm Beach Pro Figure, 12th
- 2006 IFBB Sacrament Pro Figure, 8th
- 2010 IFBB PBW Tampa Pro Bikini, 6th
- 2010 IFBB Jacksonville Pro Championships, 5th
- 2010 IFBB Tournament of Champions, 5th
- 2010 IFBB Detroit Pro, 3rd
- 2010 IFBB Bikini Olympia, 10th
Personal life
Sabah is married to David Alden. The couple have one son and one daughter.[3]
See also
- List of female fitness & figure competitors
References
- Furci, Mike (2002). "Bullz-Eye Interview with Dina Al-Sabah, National Physique Committee Fitness and Figure athlete". Bullz Eye. Retrieved 2012-03-02.
- Body Building. "Sacrificing To Compete: An Interview With Dina Al-Sabah!". Retrieved 2012-03-02.
- Wilkins, Rob (July 2003). "Sacrificing To Compete: An Interview with Dina Al-sabah". Bodybuilding.com. Retrieved 2007-01-21.
- O'Connell, Jeff (August 2005). "Too hot to handle: Dina Al-Sabah's fat-torching cardio isn't the only thing causing a fitness firestorm". Muscle & Fitness. Retrieved 2007-01-22.