Meet Sarah Eldeen, the hijabi taekwondo instructor, who trained all nine months of pregnancy and went viral on social media

For every strong woman who challenges patriarchy, there is a system in place to oppose her. Globally, while many women have resed outmoded beliefs — fighting for their place in the world — there still ex structures designed to slow them down.
But there is no slowing down Sarah Eldeen. The 28-year-old taekwondo instructor from California, US, went viral on social media recently, when she shared a video of herself pulling lethal stunts involving kicks.

What was special about the video, you ask? It documented how she trained every month of her pregnancy, all three trimesters, until about the ninth month when she went into labour.
Not only that, but Sarah — who is originally from Damascus, Syria — also had to tackle religious prejudices being a hijabi and choosing to train in what is predominantly seen as a male sport. Her powerful kicks and a zest to prove to herself and to her first-born, a daughter, answered all kinds of questions and silenced her critics, who also wondered how she could possibly risk her health practising a martial art form in pregnancy.

Now roughly four months into her postpartum period, Sarah is back at it, training gently to lose weight. She interacted with recently, and opened up more about her life, what she wants to prove to the world, her biggest support at home, and why she thinks taekwondo is a great fitness activity for beginners. Read on.

What got you interested in taekwondo? Tell us about your early initiation into the sport.
I fled the war in Syria in 2013. I was refusing to adapt to my new life, because I wanted to return home. The stress associated with that exhausted me. A couple of years later, I found a taekwondo studio near where I live so I thought I should give it a try to get stronger, both mentally and physically, and to socialise. I made new friends that helped me move forward in life, and my self-confidence grew. Taekwondo saved me and it became an integrated part of my life.

Recently, one of your videos went viral in which you displayed your martial art skills all nine months of the pregnancy. What got you going?
My daughter gave me my strength. I wanted her to be proud of her mommy and look up to her. I wanted to show her she can do whatever she wants in life. My husband was also my biggest supporter in my journey. He used to go with me and record videos of me. He saw how training made me happy and he wanted to make sure I was enjoying my pregnancy.
Sarah said she made new friends that helped her move forward in life. (Picture courtesy: Sarah Eldeen)
What kind of comments did you receive from people, both negative and positive?
I definitely received a lot of positivity regarding how strong and inspirational I am. A lot of people told me I was a role model for their daughters who started taekwondo recently.
[But] I [also] received comments like, ‘She’ll have a miscarriage.’ ‘She is risking her ba’s life.’ ‘She’s lucky she doesn’t have morning sickness like normal women.’
I actually had the worst pregnancy symptoms. I had an ‘all-day sickness’. I would throw up whatever I ate. I got an unbearable heartburn and very low energy levels. I couldn’t sleep at night and during the day, I used to be exhausted. I somewhat got depressed from all these symptoms. Despite that, I went to train because it helped me stay strong and get my mind off pregnancy.
Sarah said she received comments from people saying she will end up having a miscarriage. (Picture courtesy: Sarah Eldeen)
In pregnancy, women receive a lot of advice, many of which are unsolicited. What has been your experience?
My experience has been to only len to your body and your doctor. Never len to anyone else! I don’t know how to explain it, but whenever I overdid it, I used to feel a unique pain that told me to take it easy and slow down. No one else could feel that besides me. So I always lened to my body. I also consently went to my doctor’s appointments and made sure the ba was growing well and I was healthy.
Was this your first pregnancy? What did your doctor have to say?
It was my first pregnancy. I was lost on what to do or what I was allowed to do. My doctor definitely was concerned about me continuing taekwondo. She said after the first trimester, I shouldn’t do sudden movements or any activity that puts strain on my body. I assured her I will be careful with each move.
She said she had the worst pregnancy symptoms, an ‘all-day sickness’. (Picture courtesy: Sarah Eldeen)
What kind of support system do you have at home and how encouraging is your family?
I have my family and friends all around me. My biggest supporter is definitely my husband. When he used to see me feeling low, he would take me to training or to the gym. My dad also used to go to class with me just to encourage me and to watch me. My taekwondo masters were amazing at taking care of me and modifying exercises to my ability. I was really lucky to have all this support.

Was doing taekwondo in the months leading up to your delivery a way to smash patriarchy and make a statement, or did it feel natural to you to be doing it? Or both?
It was absolutely both! Taekwondo was part of my life so skipping training felt like skipping showers to me. I could never stop it. I was training, going to school, cleaning my house, cooking every day while carrying a ba! It definitely felt so empowering.
Growing up, or even now, did you have to face some roadblocks with regard to wanting to pursue this sport?
I face roadblocks, unfortunately, all the time for being a hijabi doing taekwondo. Before I started taekwondo, I had to convince my dad that nothing I did there was opposing my religion. Nowadays, I unfortunately receive a lot of hate from Muslim men. They say I am not a Muslim and this isn’t hijab. We live in a world where people love to play God when it comes to others, and when it comes to themselves, they disregard their own behaviours. It’s so sad.
“My biggest supporter is my husband.” (Picture courtesy: Sarah Eldeen)
Your take on taekwondo as a fitness activity, and what should beginners keep in mind?
Taekwondo is a social sport. It will boost your physical skills as well as social ones. It will definitely boost your self-confidence and make you feel strong. It helps kids in general and specifically those with ADHD. Beginners should not give up no matter what. Getting their black belt is only the beginning of a lifetime journey.

Finally, how have you been taking care of your health postpartum?
I went back to training less than a month postpartum. I am still struggling to lose some weight and it seems to be the reason why I get a lot of negative comments nowadays. I am struggling to stay positive sometimes especially with all the changes my body is going through. Being a mom is exhausting on its own. What do you think a woman would be feeling after giving birth and not feeling herself yet? Postpartum is a journey just like pregnancy. I will definitely make a video about that in a few months.
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