To empower young female athletes in the UAE, Nike launched an inspirational film featuring professional and everyday athletes from the Middle East. The film, titled "What Will They Say about You?" was released on Sunday, February 19th. The film shows brave Arab female athletes answering the titular question when they endeavor to try something unexpected or to push boundaries beyond social norms. "This phrase, it's every little girl's nightmare growing up! We hear this every time we do something that might be met with criticism. There's a fear to stand out and do something that's not part of the norm. But I've learned that, if you genuinely want to do something amazing, you can't be afraid of hearing this phrase. Don't be afraid of your own greatness." explains Amal Murad, a parkour athlete from the UAE. Nike's "What will they say about you?" campaign launches with a new film highlighting five remarkable women who have achieved personal success through competitive and amateur sport. Despite concerns or criticism, these women hope that the world will say they're pioneers, role models and strong voices for their region. "Through Nike's work with athletes in the Middle East, we've been incredibly inspired by the pioneering spirit that exists here," said Hind Rasheed, Nike Spokesperson. "In the region, it's possible to be 'the first' or 'the only' to try a sport or to achieve global success. These stories are an inspiration to us at Nike, and we wanted to share them with others, hoping they'll inspire more women to overcome doubt and seek empowerment through sport." The film features both professional and everyday athletes from the Arab region, including Parkour Trainer, Amal Mourad; Figure Skater, Zahra Lari; Pop Singer; Balquees Fathi; Fencer, Inès Boubakri; and Boxer, Arifa Bseiso. Narration is done by Fatima Al-Banawi, a Saudi Arabian social researcher, artist, and actress. You can watch the full film below
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