Ready, Set, Go! Launching our 2020 ‘Digital Camp’

Last month we had to make the decision to postpone our fifth annual camp and race due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. This month -- as we all embrace distance learning worldwide -- we hope to reconnect with our campers, volunteers and supporters with two weeks of digital programming starting April 5.

Helping the world conquer this virus requires all of us to practice social distancing, but it doesn’t mean we need to be disconnected. We are launching a “digital” version of the Nina Brekelmans Running Camp for Girls with the goals of sharing stories about successful women in sports, reminiscing on past camp highlights, and creating a fun platform to share exercises and activities for our campers and community to try at home.

With that said, we’d love to hear from our broader community! Be it a story about Nina and the camp, an activity to share, or a photo of you wearing a shirt or patch while doing an activity you love, we would be thrilled to share your stories! Reach out to us by email (ninabrekelmansmemorial@gmail.com) or through social media to send a submission. 

We hope you’ll follow along on our Facebook and Instagram (@ninab_camp) pages over the next few weeks as we will be posting content multiple times during the week! And, as always, stay in touch through our website and blog for other highlights. 

We look forward to seeing you virtually over the next couple weeks!

Update: 2020 Nina Brekelmans Running Camp for Girls Postponed

As we near the launch of our fifth annual camp and race, our foundation has been monitoring appropriate precautions for the COVID-19 virus, or coronavirus. We are grateful for the expertise provided to us by health experts and our Jordanian partners. Yet global collaboration, drawing on the participation of volunteers and visitors from other counties, is core to our mission. And as we continue to monitor the news, the unpredictable nature of the disease and our desire not to reduce the scope of our programming in any way has driven us to postpone the camp and race to a later date in 2020.     

We are sad to share this news with you, but we are also hopeful about the future. Our inspiration, Nina, would have celebrated her 30th birthday this past week, and we know Nina would surely agree that our highest priority is ensuring the health and safety of our campers and volunteers. Yet we also know her first thoughts would have been, ‘What new approaches can we take to keep the spirit of the camp alive and stay connected with our supporters?’ Throughout the spring during our originally planned timeframe for the camp and race, the Nina Brekelmans Running Camp for Girls will expand our digital programming, featuring insights from guest speakers and more. Follow along on our website, blog, and social media channels - including Facebook and our Instagram account (@ninab_camp) - to hear more details soon.

We want to thank our coaches and volunteers who have worked tirelessly to prepare for our March 14 launch. We are thankful to our campers and Jordanian partners for their enthusiasm and dedication and look forward to putting on an exceptional fifth year of camp at a later date. We also want to thank our supporters for putting us in such a strong position heading into our fifth season. Our camp and race have grown a lot over this half decade, but there is plenty more still to come! 

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مع اقتراب موعد إنطلاق مُخيمنا السنوي الخامس وسباقنا ،مؤسستنا تراقب الاحتياطات المناسبة لڤايرو، أو الكورونا ڤايروس. نشكر نصائح و إرشادات خبراء الصحة وشركاؤنا الأردنيون. ومع ذلك، فإن التعاون العالمي، بالاعتماد على مشاركة المتطوعين والزوار من بلدان أُخرى، هو جوهر مهمتنا. وبينما نواصل مراقبة الأخبار، فإن طبيعة المرض غير المتوقعة ورغبتنا في عدم تقليص نطاق برامجنا بأي شكل من الأشكال دفعتنا إلى تأجيل المخيم والسباق إلى موعد لاحق في عام 2020.

يُحزننا مشاركة هذه الأخبار معكم ، لكننا آملين في المستقبل. مصدر إلهامنا، نينا، كانت ستحتفل بعيد ميلادها الثلاثين هذا الأسبوع الماضي ، ونعلم أن نينا كانت ستوافق بالتأكيد على أن أولويتنا القصوى هي ضمان صحة وسلامة المخيم والمتطوعين لدينا. ومع ذلك ، نعلم أيضًا أن أفكارها الأولى كانت ستكون ، "ما هي الأساليب الجديدة التي يمكننا اتباعها للحفاظ و إبقاء روح المخيم حية والبقاء على اتصال مع مؤيدينا؟" طوال فصل الربيع خلال الإطار الزمني المخطط له أصلاً للمخيم والسباق، مخيم نينا بريكيلمانز للركض للفتيات سوف يوسع برنامجه الالكتروني، ويضم رؤى من المتحدثين الضيوف والمزيد. تابعنا على موقعنا الإلكتروني  website ،blog وقنوات التواصل الاجتماعي - بما في ذلك Facebook  وحسابنا على الانستاكرام (@nina_camp) -  لسماع المزيد من التفاصيل قريبًا.

نريد أن نشكر مدربينا ومتطوعينا الذين عملوا بلا كلل للتحضير لإنطلاقة المخيم يوم 14 مارس. نشكر مُشارِكات المخيم وشُركائنا الأردنيين على حماسهم وتفانيهم ونتطلع إلى إقامة عام خامس استثنائي من المخيم في وقت لاحق. كما نود أن نشكر الداعمين للمخيم على وضعنا في مثل هذا المركز القوي في موسمنا الخامس. لقد نما مخيمنا وسباقنا كثيرًا خلال نصف العقد الحالي ، ولكن لا يزال هناك الكثير في المستقبل

Gearing up for Year 5: Announcing the Nina Brekelmans Running Camp and Race 2020 Dates

We are less than a month away from kicking off our fifth annual Nina Brekelmans Running Camp for Girls and Nina Brekelmans Race for Girls in Amman, Jordan! We are proud to see the growth and impact of our programming and invite you to join along as we celebrate our campers and Nina’s legacy. The camp will be held four consecutive Saturdays - March 14, March 21, March 28 and April 4 - at Al Hussein Public Parks. The culminating race event will be held the following weekend, April 11, at the same location.

We are delighted to welcome back head coach Ru’a Al-Abweh from our dynamic coach duo for a third year and are proud to welcome Haneen Khateeb as a first year head coach! Haneen has an extensive background representing Jordan on the women’s national team for soccer, and she brings a great perspective on sports and leadership. Though we miss our past head coach Rawda Hamadneh, we are thrilled to cheer her on during her studies in the United States as she pursues a career in sports for development. Additionally, we are excited to welcome our new Director of Operations Addie Leak to the team. Addie is a former Fulbright student and former volunteer at the camp for several years. She has flawlessly taken upon the role created last year by Sophie Zinser. We’re also grateful for our partnerships with local organizations - particularly Reclaim Childhood and Sawiyan, which are working hand-in-hand with us for the fourth and second year, respectively. 

Head Coach Haneen

Head Coach Ru’a

Thank you, as well, to our community for helping the camp grow and thrive as we work together to create a space that promotes self-confidence, leadership, and well-being among young women in Jordan through running. Last year the camp experienced record participation and benefitted from dedicated female coaches, tremendous volunteers and expanded partnerships with local organizations in the refugee community. The camp welcomed as many as 70 girls each week with lessons on running, role models, sportsmanship, strength training and nutrition. Approximately 80 girls ages 8 to 14 participated in the race. 

With your support, and with our Jordanian friends and partners, we’re ready to make the 2020 camp and race the best yet. Follow along on our website, blog, and social media channels - including Facebook and our Instagram account (@ninab_camp) - to learn more about this year’s camp (and the people behind it) in the weeks and days leading up to our camp kickoff. We’ll be sure to post blog recaps of each camp day as well, and you can also sign up here for our mailing list. 

Interested in volunteering with the camp? Register here and help us spread the word about this year’s camp and race!  

And if you’d like to contribute to our success in 2020 and beyond, please consider donating. We really appreciate the support we get. Small donations make a big difference! The Nina Brekelmans Memorial Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit based in Washington, DC, and all donations are tax-deductible.

Announcing the 2019 Nina Brekelmans Memorial Endowed Scholarship Recipient: Hannah Markey

The 2019-20 recipient of the Nina Brekelmans Memorial Endowed Scholarship is Hannah Markey. Congratulations Hannah! 

Photo courtesy of St. Lawrence University

About Hannah

Ms. Hannah Markey, a first-year candidate in Georgetown’s Masters of Arts in Arab Studies Program, is the 2019-2020 recipient of the Brekelmans Scholarship. Hannah graduated summa cum laude in 2019 from St. Lawrence University with a Bachelor of Arts in Global Studies and Rhetoric & Communication. During her time at St. Lawrence, Hannah studied in Nairobi, Kenya and Amman, Jordan where she examined gendered development programs in conflict-affected zones. While studying in Amman, Hannah worked as an English language instructor at the Jesuit Refugee Service. In her undergraduate thesis, she explored definitions of women’s empowerment generated by young women in urban Kenya and the political-economic, social-cultural, and historical context in which these definitions formed. Her thesis was shaped in part by her time interning at The BOMA Project and Flying Kites, two non-profit organizations working with vulnerable women and children in northern Kenya. In addition to her experiences related to women’s issues, Hannah is interested in international education and served as a peer advisor in the Center for International and Intercultural Studies for the Kenya and Jordan semester programs. After graduating, she interned at The Brookings Institution in Washington, DC in the Foreign Policy Program on the Security and Strategy team. After completing the MAAS program, Hannah intends to focus on addressing the displacement of women and girls at an international nongovernmental organization in the Arab world.

Mabrook Hannah! As always, thank you to everyone who donated and made the scholarship possible!

-Biography courtesy of Georgetown University

Hannah (second from left) and past recipient Grace Makhoul (far left) enjoy dinner with Gail and Nico Brekelmans and members of the CCAS community.

A look back on our inaugural fundraiser at Pacers Running

Within the running gear-lined walls of Pacers Running store, a unique group of athletes and advocates for women’s empowerment joined board members and Nina’s family and friends to discuss the success of the running camp and race in Amman, Jordan founded in her honor.

As we looked ahead to Year 5, our inaugural fundraiser on June 22 in Washington, D.C. provided a platform for representatives from all parts of the Nina Foundation community to come together. U.S. Fulbright students who had volunteered in the camp, former classmates and professors, Nina’s running club teammates, and her family and friends were among those in attendance at the event. Held in partnership with Pacers and RunWashington, the friendly atmosphere -- combined with delicious Middle Eastern finger foods from the Mediterranean Bakery and Cafe -- provided the perfect setting for a relaxed exchange aimed at uniting the breadth of the Nina Foundation community and reflecting on its mission and future goals.

The evening began with drinks, appetizers and the intermingling of old friends and new acquaintances brought together by the cause. Attendees had the opportunity to bid on items offered for silent auction. As these were generously donated by local businesses, D.C. organizations and friends to the foundation, our thanks go out to the Washington Nationals, the Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Run, YogaWorks, Wisdom, Elevate Interval Fitness, and especially to Nina’s uncle, Major League Baseball Analyst Tim Kirkjian. One of our guests won the opportunity to have a meal with Tim to discuss baseball!

As conversations reached a steady rhythm, Foundation Vice President Dickson Mercer welcomed guests and introduced Daniel Hincapie, founder of the Wendy Martinez Legacy Project, to say a few words. The Project’s namesake, Wendy Martinez, was a strong advocate for women’s empowerment like Nina was. We were honored to have Daniel attend our event and discuss the similarities in our respective missions.

Foundation President Mary Grace Pellegrini then invited guests to gather around a TV to view highlights from our fourth season. They saw camp participants discussing their greatest challenges and their goals, and how the camp and race was a source of joy and self confidence. Former camp volunteers beamed nostalgically but knowingly at the footage, familiar with the impact that programs have on the ground. It also was a powerful moment for Nina’s family and friends who were able to see the camp’s growth and Nina’s vision becoming a reality.

Board members and former camp volunteers formed a four-woman panel comprised of volunteers from every year of the camp since its founding. They shared anecdotes highlighting the camp’s impact on girls in refugee and underserved communities in Jordan. From the joy and excitement the camp inspires, to the tenacity running teaches them, the stories centered on the girls and what the Foundation aims to offer them, but also what they can offer us: lessons of spirit, positivity and teamwork.

Nina’s professor at Georgetown University’s Center for Contemporary Arab Studies, Fida Adely, spoke of the scholarship founded in her honor. And Nina’s uncle, Matt Kurkjian, shared that the success of Nina’s camp and race has provided a source of joy for those who loved her and still miss her every day.

The end of the program was met by the announcement of raffle prizes, and it was fun to see winners leave the event sporting Nina camp hats, t-shirts and jackets. The ticket purchases and generous donations we received generated more than $5,000 that will directly impact our programs and largely fund next year’s camp and race!

It was inspiring for the members of our board to see our guests as inspired by the potential of Nina’s vision -- and our success to date -- as we are. We are grateful to be backed by a strong community, look forward to doing this again next year, and thank everyone who supported our inaugural fundraising campaign. Like the camp and race, this was proof that Nina continues to bring people together and help people recognize the potential of running to positively impact society and change the world.

You're Invited: A Foundation Celebration and Fundraiser in Washington, DC (6/22)

Friends,

We recently completed our fourth annual race and camp for girls in Amman Jordan! Your support helped make this year our best yet — with record participation, dedicated female coaches, tremendous volunteers, and expanded partnerships with local organizations in the refugee community.

Now we want to invite you to a special event: a fundraiser where we’ll celebrate another successful camp and race, gear up for Year Five, and rally support as we look to further Nina’s vision. We look forward to bringing together friends and our Washington, DC community for a night of fun featuring cocktails and appetizers, silent auction items, raffles, and a photo booth in partnership with Pacers Running and RunWashington.

We hope you’ll join us! All proceeds will benefit the Nina Brekelmans Memorial Foundation and our programs in Jordan.

Here are the details:

• What: A Fundraiser for Camp Nina!

• Where: Pacers 14th Street Store, 1821 14th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009

• Tickets: $35 donation (includes two drink tickets and complementary appetizers)

We kindly ask you to purchase tickets through our event page (link below) indicating that you plan to attend. At the event we’ll also be accepting cash, checks, and credit card payments for the donations, the silent auction, and other purchases.

2019 DC Camp Celebration and Fundraiser

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Thank you again for the support and please feel free to extend the invitation to others! We hope to see you soon and will follow up with additional information as the event draws closer.

Race Recap: 2019 Nina Brekelmans Race for Girls

BY Mary Grace Pellegrini, Foundation President, and Sophie Zinser, Jordan Director of Operations

Under sunny skies and with endless high-fives, a large crew of coaches and volunteers welcomed 80 participants to the fourth annual Nina Brekelmans Race for Girls at Al Hussein Public Parks. As in past years, the race invited runners from across Jordan to participate in a day of racing and sportsmanship in this girls-focused event. Girls ages 8 to 14 competed in two divisions, with trophies awarded to the top three finishers in each category in addition to recognition for top finishers who competed in both the race and camp.

The day started early for organizers and volunteers who arrived at the park before 7am to begin setup, clear the course, and facilitate logistics for equipment and supplies. Volunteers arrived around 8:30 and enjoyed some pastries while going over assignments prior to the arrival of our competitors. We’re grateful to our contingent of volunteers from the Amman running community, Boren, and Fulbright for their enthusiastic participation.

Promptly at 9 our sunny yellow busses arrived with runners for the race. In addition to runners from our nonprofit partners Reclaim Childhood and Sawiyan, girls joined from Al Hoffaz International Academy, the Amman Baccalaureate School, and other local connections. After the girls registered, each was given a race T-shirt and received assistance pinning on their race bibs. Many girls then chose to join in group warmups and games, chat with friends in the shade, or get pumped by singing some of their favorite K Pop songs. At 10, Head Coach Rawda called the girls together with some final finish line instructions. She gave the girls a small pep talk reminding them of the importance of chasing their goals. Through any combination of running and walking, she motivated them to overcome all obstacles and finish the course.

While younger runners (ages 8 to 10) competed in a 1K route similar to last year’s course, older runners (ages 11 to 14) tested themselves in a new 2K course. Despite best laid plans, park construction near the finish line led to some quick rerouting on the part of organizers and volunteers. Instead, the runners started and finished in the same area, which created a fun opportunity for the younger and older girls to cheer for each other in alternating turns. The finish line rang with cheers of “Yalla Nina, yalla banat” or “Let’s go Nina, let’s go girls” as runners streamed through the finish line to receive medals awarded by Nina’s parents, Gail and Nico Brekelmans.

In the younger category, the top prizes were claimed by Nishwan Abkar (first), Hana Abdulrazeq (second), and Malak Mohammad Mahmoud (third) who took home trophies for the top three spots. In the older division, first through third place trophies were awarded to Abeer Kaafy (first), Fatimah Kaafy (second), and Ayat Aawamer (third).

Notably, Abeer Kaafy—now 14 years old—competed in the first year of the Nina Brekelmans race and joined for the camp’s second and fourth years. It was fun to have her as a return camper this year and likewise to see her hard work pay off in a victory in her final year of eligibility for prizes.

All racers ran their hearts out and were cheered along by volunteers, coaches, parents, friends, and community supporters. After the running events, girls enjoyed water and snacks in the shade before convening in the park amphitheater for awards. To help cool off in the heat, girls also had the option to enjoy a light water mist from volunteers.

At the ceremony, Coach Rawda kicked off events by asking the girls to share stories of their accomplishments at the camp and race. Many of the girls shared how at the start of the program they were not confident that they would be able to run the full length of the race, but by the end, they were surprised by what they could accomplish. One girl even began by saying: “When I first started camp, the hardest part of the running was….the running.” The girls laughed and clapped as each story was told, reflecting the collective spirit instilled in all campers throughout the five-week period.

Gail and Nico followed with words of amazement for the girls’ accomplishments and encouragement to keep training and racing. Sophie Zinser, the camp’s Director of Operations, then spoke to congratulate runners, thank our partners, volunteers, coaches, and the work of Mary Grace Pellegrini, the President of the Nina Brekelmans Foundation, and the rest of the board working hard from behind the scenes in the states. Following a presentation of trophies to top finishers, the Nina Brekelmans Memorial Foundation also took time to thank our Head Coaches Rawda and Ru’a, Sophie, Reclaim Childhood partners and assistant coaches Hanan Kadra and Umena Haroub, and institutional partner Sawiyan. The team also thanked volunteers from the camp and race with jackets, hats, and t-shirts to show appreciation for everyone’s time and efforts.

The 2019 Nina Brekelmans Race for Girls had a true community spirit to it. It has been a joy to see the runners develop in their passions and confidence through sports over the past weeks, and we look forward to continuing to expand this opportunity for more girls in the coming years. As a final thought, one of the truly beautiful things about the program is the way that Head Coaches Rawda and Ru’a use Nina’s story and positive attitude as a role model for the girls. As a result, Nina’s parents Gail and Nico are highly regarded by many of the girls from the camp. In a final anecdote, one week after the race as Gail and Nico were walking around Jebal Amman, they were approached by a young girl. “Nina Camp?” the girl asked them excitedly. Both Gail and Nico were surprised and flattered that they had been recognized for the camp’s efforts, and were excited by how the camp’s presence is beginning to grow in Amman’s youth community. It’s been a lovely year full of fun, friendship, and running. Thank you for your support, and we look forward to sharing our fifth year of the camp and race with you in 2020.

Announcing the 2019 Nina Brekelmans Race for Girls

The the fourth annual Nina Brekelmans Race for Girls on Saturday, April 27, has arrived! The event is open to all girls ages 8 to 14, and participation is free of charge. The 2019 competition will be held at Al Hussein Public Parks at the same location as our 2018 race.

الأعلان عن السنة الرابعة لسباق نينا للبنات و الذي سوف يجري يوم السبت المصادف يوم ٢٧ من شهر أبريل. السباق مفتوح لكل الفتيات ما بين العمر ٨ و ١٤ سنة، و المشاركة في السباق مجاناً. سباق سنة ال ٢٠١٩ سوف يجري في حدائق الحسين العامة في نفس موقع سباق السنة الماضية، ٢٠١٨. 

Registration opens at 9:00am, with the race starting at 10am. Girls will compete in either the 8 to 10 or 11 to 14 category, and awards will be given to the top three finishers in each division. The awards ceremony will follow the conclusion of both races.

التسجيل يبدأ عند الساعة التاسعة صباحاً، و السباق سوف يبدأ عند الساعة العاشرة صباحاً. الفتيات سيتنافسن في أما فئة الأعمار ال ٨ الى ١٠ أو ال ١١ الى ١٤ سنة، و الجوائز ستعطى الى المراكز الثلاثة الأولى في كل فئة. حفل التكريم سوف يجري بعد إنتهاء السباقين. 

Note, for girls who attended our camp, this location differs slightly from camp practice field. Please reference the map and coordinates for the race details.

ملاحظة: للفتيات اللواتي حضرنَ معسكر التدريب، موقع السباق يختلف قليلاً عن موقع التدريب. الرجاء مراجعة الخريطة و الأحداثيات لتفاصيل السباق.

2019 Week 4 Camp Highlights: Speech from Coach Rawda, Summer Forrester Visits, Completion Certificates

By Sophie Zinser, Jordan Director of Operations

Grey clouds greeted the girls on the last day of camp, but dreary weather was no match for their energy and enthusiasm. Girls ran out of the busses chanting and screaming for Nina Camp, high-fiving me on the run in and greeting each other excitedly before tossing frisbees and playing clapping games with their favorite volunteers before activities started.

When everyone had arrived, Head Coach Rawda got the girls in a circle for a team warm-up, chant, and review of the rules of camp. She then split the girls into four groups, one with her, one with Coach Ru’a, one with RC Coach Hanan and one with RC Coach Umana. The girls had the experience of rotating coaches, meaning that each group of girls got to work with all volunteers and coaches throughout the day. The games involved sprints, frisbee tosses, and even a bear crawl (from Coach Ru’a)!. The girls concluded the activity warm up with a twenty-minute staggered run, ensuring that the girls were going faster and getting increasingly prepared for the race.

Today’s batch of excited volunteers were joined by a special guest, who arrived to bring extra sports equipment for the day, some additional bottles of water, and the printed camp completion certificates: Summer Forester. Summer volunteered at the first and second Nina Brekelmans Running Camp for Girls back in 2016 and 2017, first as a Fulbright Scholar and then as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Purdue University. After completing her PhD at Purdue in Political Science, Summer stopped by Jordan before beginning her teaching appointment at Carleton College in Minnesota this fall. She reflected throughout the day on how smoothly the camp activities were going, and how the girls seemed to be really enjoying their time at the camp.

After a tasty lunch of shawarma sandwiches, apples, and bananas, the girls all gathered and were greeted by a surprise: Coach Rawda had changed her outfit! In an inspirational lecture to the girls, Coach Rawda shared she is also an assistant principal as well as a coach. She explained that women, regardless of background or outfit, can be whatever they want to be and contribute in numerous ways to society.

Coach Rawda then introduced Summer to the camp, and Summer thanked the girls for their enthusiasm and work throughout each camp day. Sophie then stepped in and shared Nina’s story with the girls. She reminded them of Nina’s core values that they had reviewed throughout the camp, and assured them that Nina’s family and friends all across the world are thinking of the girls and the incredible work that they accomplished over the past month in Nina’s honor. The certificates, she said, represented a tangible memory of the camp that the girls can carry with them forever to remember the incredible times they had with each other. Each girl had her name written on the certificate above the words stating in English: for her participation in the Nina Brekelmans camp and for her commitment to Nina's values: kindness, honesty, intelligence, and respect for others. Reminding the girls of Nina’s memory will continue to inspire them for years beyond this year’s camp!

The girls then each got a photo with Summer, Sophie, and Coach Rawda, Coach Ru’a, RC Coach Hanan, and RC Coach Umena. The photo resulted in some great poses, and the girls were excited to receive a special gift to honor their hard work.

With not enough time left for journaling, and with one week left until the race on April 27, Rawda instructed the girls to take their notebooks home, imagine Race Day, and draw themselves succeeding. Calls of “See you at the race” could be heard as the girls all ran off to their busses home, talking and laughing in excited anticipation.

2019 Week 3 Camp Highlights: Perfect weather and self-defense training with Lamis AlZaim of SheFighter

By Carol Fadalla, 2019 Fulbright Leader

It was a beautiful, sunny day in Amman at Al Hussein Public Park for our third session of camp. Volunteers arrived at 9:30 am to set up in anticipation of welcoming large a contingent of girls from Reclaim Childhood and Sawiyan as well as a growing group of individual campers from across town. As a succession of yellow buses arrived at 10 am, a wave of eager and excited girls ran onto the field. The bonds formed between the girls was evident as they hugged and greeted the friends they have made over the past weeks!

Coach Rawda assembled the girls along the white line of the soccer field, welcoming them back and reminding them of the running camp’s goals. After Coach Rawda kicked off camp, volunteers Abdullah and Abdelqayom Albasha let the girls in a series of stretches and speed drills. While Abdullah and Abdelqayom had hoped to compete in the Boston Marathon this upcoming Monday, unfortunately their visa is still under review. Instead, they donated their time today supporting camp.

Practicing timing for the Nina cheer

The first activity was a running warmup where girls had to run from one cone to the other along the soccer field. The older girls were assigned as leaders,  and they each led their younger peers and encouraged their team members to do their best.

After two rounds, the girls started to run farther as volunteers offered high fives to them after each successful lap along the way. Then the girls cooled down with a set of stretches and a water break.

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Before lunch, Coach Rwanda gathered all the girls in a circle, told them to place their right hand in and chant: Nina, Nina, Nina! On their lunch break, the girls sat under the shade eating their delicious Shawarma and choice of fruit. The volunteers began to lay out the journals and, after eating, each camper was invited to take their book back to the soccer field.

Today's main journal question was: what makes a good team player? Before writing their own answers the girls shared their thoughts in a group, mentioning respect, helping those who fall behind, and caring for each other as important aspects of teamwork. After discussing as a group, each student was given five minutes to reflect on their own and record their answers. After each student provided three important aspects of teamwork, volunteers collected the journals and prepared them to meet our amazing guest speaker for the day: Lamis AlZaim, a trainer at SheFighter Amman, the leading self-defense school for women in the Middle East.

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Started by Lina Khalifeh, SheFighter is a renowned organization that has been featured on AJ+ for its mission to advocate for women’s rights through martial arts. It is the first self-defense training center in Jordan. We were honored to have Lamis lead a workshop with the girls to share this mission and encourage them to be powerful. First, Lamis gathered the girls in a semi-circle and discussed the importance of self-defense as a tool for empowerment. The girls sat in awe as they listened to and watched Lamis demonstrate the core moves of self-defense. For each demonstration, the girls raised their hands to volunteer and participate in the demonstration, with sincere anticipation to practice themselves. Finally, the girls partnered up and practiced the moves they had just learned. After a long day filled with activities, the girls gathered their bags to leave and get on the buses. The volunteers cleaned up and debriefed their thoughts on how the camp went. Overall, another great day in Amman!

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Volunteer Spotlight: Meet the Albasha Brothers

By Dickson Mercer, Foundation Vice President

Abdullah and Abdelqayom Albasha competing in Jordan.

Abdullah Albasha at the Boston Marathon in 2018

If this were last year, Abdullah Albasha would be in Boston right now, ready to be the only resident of Jordan racing the world’s oldest marathon. He would have received his travel visa a mere four days before the Boston Marathon and then spent two months of pay to make the 13-plus-hour flight in the middle of the night.

But this is 2019, and as I write this, Abdullah is once again a Boston Marathon qualifier, but this time is still waiting for his visa. Same goes for his brother Abdelqayom who, after hearing about Abdullah’s race experience, stepped up from his preferred half marathon distance to get his own “BQ” at the Dubai Marathon (he ran 2:40).

The journey to Boston started while on a run in Amman in 2015 with a group of Americans studying Arabic. It was as simple as one of the students saying to the brothers: You should run the Boston Marathon.

Abdullah and Abdelqayom were then still new to the sport of running. They had started running for fitness, then got hooked into races around Amman. After the run, they researched the race, learned more about its history, marveled at stories about massive crowds of loud, adoring spectators, and simply knew they had to do it. “We liked the story of the Boston Marathon,” Abdelqayom recalls.

Abdelqayom

So, as they pursue a 2020 Olympic dream and a goal to run all six world major marathons, the brothers have set their sights first on Boston. This has created a tough choice: train enough to get faster and race well, or – as they lack sponsorship – work enough to afford the trip.

When we talked, it was 2 a.m. Amman time. Abdullah and Abdelqayom, who visited the U.S. embassy to apply for their visa in November, had just finished a restaurant shift.

At an international school where they coach, a student’s parent had expressed interest in sponsoring their trip to Boston, they say. This could have enabled them to work a few less shifts and run a few more miles. Without a visa, though, the parent had nothing to sponsor.

Undeterred, Abdullah and Abdelqayom kept working, hopeful the visa would come through.

Nina’s Camp meetup in Boston - Abdullah with Board Member and former Fulbright student Matt Liston

“It hurts,” says Abdullah. “It really hurts. But friends around us support us all of the time. They encourage us to keep going.”

The Albashas surely will, just like Abdullah kept going in last year’s Boston Marathon as bitter cold, pouring rain and devastating winds slowed the 2:39 marathoner down to what runners sometimes call a personal worst. These were possibly the toughest conditions in the race’s then-122-year history, but Abdullah refused to drop out.

“I’m the kind of person, I don’t like to quit,” he says. “No matter what, I need to finish what I started.”

It’s not unlike the encouragement provided by Abdullah and Abdelqayom at the Nina Brekelmans Running Camp for Girls. The brothers have supported our camp for three years as steadfast male allies and key volunteers in our women-led organization.

“[The girls] always want to compete,” Abdelqayom says. “But we told them, like, just go for a run, compete with yourself… and that’s how you win.”

Last year, Abdullah shared with the girls the story of someone he met at the Boston Marathon expo: Katherine Switzer, the first woman to run the Boston Marathon. The way he sees it, the girls participating in our annual five-week camp and race could revolutionize running in Jordan like Switzer did in the United States.

Leading starting instructions at the 2018 Race

Since discovering the joy of running, Abdullah and Abdelqayom have been committed to helping others feel that joy too – and, like Nina, who they both met, using running as a platform to bring people together and make a difference.

They come from a humble family and came to Jordan as refugees from Iraq during the war. Now the running camp has helped bring things full circle by enabling them to inspire women and girls primarily of refugee backgrounds from their native Iraq, as well as Syria, Palestine and Sudan.

Many of these girls, like the Albasha brothers, have overcome enormous obstacles in their lives to make their way to a safer life in Jordan.

“The girls come to camp and they want to learn lots of things,” says Abdullah. “They’re so excited. … I don’t know, it just feels awesome.”

Our foundation is proud of Abdullah and Abdelqayom, and we’re grateful for their support. While they won’t be in Boston this year, we know they will be inspiring our campers in Jordan – both by what they say, and by what they do in races to come.

Awards ceremony at the 2018 Race

2019 Week 2 Camp Highlights: Record 70 participants, Elite Runners Shareefa Alsqqa and Ashwak ßåÐråñ Share Training Tips and Advice

by Sophie Zinser, Jordan Director of Operations

Over seventy girls from across Amman brought their enthusiasm and incredible energy to King Hussein Park this morning. While the weather was still a bit grey, spirits remained high from the outset, as a group of girls started an impromptu dance warmup on the bus ride over. With the weather a bit chilly, most girls and coaches wore sweaters over their T-Shirts, but the game play heated up throughout the three-hour event.

Now that the girls have been introduced to the camp structure, the pace of play and enthusiasm has only increased. Head Coach Ru’a started the morning with an introduction, review of the rules covered last week--namely respect, kindness, and commitment to peer sport--and a rapidfire jumping jacks spree that got the girls excited to participate in camp. Ru’a then tested the girl’s knowledge of the classic Nina Brekelmans camp chant to get everyone fired up for the day.

Afterwards, Ru’a split the team into three activity sections based on age. Coach Hanan ran some activities with the younger girls and coached a particularly cute hugging game, where the girls raced around each other until a shout from Hanan signaled that the girls must hug someone nearby. Many of the girls just piled up and hugged each other (this got some “awwww”s from volunteers).

Ru’a led a section of older girls, many of whom have a background in sports. Towards the end of the drill, Ru’a switch roles and invited some eager girls to lead their own activity sub-sections. They were excited to take on the responsibility and led their peers in dance circles and hype songs in addition to sports activities. This was a great chance for the younger girls to see examples of how they may one day lead camp activities on their own.

Our volunteers were an especially energetic bunch this week. One volunteer, Kendall, spent time cartwheeling around camp and teaching some of the more shy girls along the sidelines how to do headstands. One little girl insisted that our volunteer Rosalie roll around with her on the ground. Rosalie obliged. Yet another volunteer, Jodi, allowed the girls to test out different hairstyles and headbands on her during a long water break. We’re thankful for the steadfast commitment of our volunteers and coaches!

After the activity period, the girls had their first experience practicing full laps. Volunteers were strategically spaced around the large soccer field and offered the girls high fives as they ran excitedly by. This was a great step towards building endurance and preparing for race day. Girls were given 20 minutes to walk/run as many laps as they could as an early test in self-pacing. Many girls shared how many laps they ran. One told our Jordan Director of Operations that she ran “six laps today, but by race day, I will be able to run ten!”

Just as the girls finished running, our guest speakers for the day, Shareefa Alsqqa and Ashwak ßåÐråñ, arrived and led the girls in a cool-down stretch. Shareefa and Ashwak are both elite competitive distance runners and were close friends of Nina’s during her time in Amman. We were honored to welcome them to camp this week.

Shareef and Ashwak explained the importance of running form and how one must always stretch after completing a long run in order to gain strength. After inspiring the girls, everyone took a lunch break of shawarma, banana and apples while Shareefa and Ashwak shared more of Nina’s story. They described what an excellent and motivated runner Nina was, and how she was able to win nearly every race she entered in Jordan, due in large part to her work ethic but also because of her kindness to others and determination. Inspired by Nina’s story, the girls, volunteers and speakers all took a group photo in the first of many Nina Camp group photos this year to commemorate the day.

Following the lecture, the girls closed out the afternoon with some journaling time. It is evident that bonds are already forming between the campers and volunteers. During the journaling period, two girls shared that they had written about how much fun they had learning from one of our star volunteers, Sophia. Other girls drew themselves holding hands with their fellow campers, volunteers and coaches. As the girls high fived the volunteers on the way to their busses home at the end of the day, their enthusiasm for the next camp week--and for race day--left the cloudy afternoon feeling a little brighter.

(This week was wonderful, we couldn’t decide what pictures to choose! Check out even more pictures from Week 2 below!)

2019 Week 1 Camp Highlights: 56 participants, new partnership with Sawiyan, and visit from Lina El Kurd of Run Jordan

by Sophie Zinser, Jordan Director of Operations

While grey skies and a storm were predicted for the first day of camp, the campers and coaches relocated our kickoff day for the 2019 Nina Brekelmans Running Camp for Girls from our outdoor location at King Hussein Park to the beautiful, spacious gym of Tala’a al-Ali Girls High School. When the start time changed to 9am instead of 10am to accommodate the new space, 56 girls from around Amman were up early to hop on three busses and gather at the gym to learn, run, and be inspired by Nina’s story. Twelve fantastic volunteers supported the camp today as well!

One star volunteer Georgie was up earlier than the rest, facilitating the bus for our new partner organization, Sawiyan, riding the bus to pick up girls from Jebal al-Akdar, Jebal al-Jofah, and Jebal Amman in addition to our participants through Reclaim Childhood. When all girls arrived, each were given custom-made t-shirts that they will wear for each day of the camp throughout the next month.

Our head coach gave an inspiring speech about the values of camp to start the day. What are they? Honesty, kindness, determination, and, first and foremost, respect for one another. No one succeeds alone; every success that we achieve at the running camp is done as a team. Our head coach joined with Jordan Director, Sophie, to talk about how the Nina Brekelmans Memorial Foundation works in Washington, D.C. and Jordan and shared Nina’s story to inspire the girls.

Nina was always kind to her friends and family. She focused on her education, dedicated herself to running, and was a good friend to all. The girls promised to support each other in honor of her memory. The discussion ended with our favorite chant of Nina’s name and a promise to work together to succeed at the 2019 Nina Brekelmans Race for Girls.

After we reviewed the rules of the camp, the girls were split up into four groups of approximately 15 for three rounds of activities led by our two head coaches and two assistant coaches. There was a tag-and-chase game, a game of throwing and catching cones and balls, and a sprinting challenge game. The girls loved the games as the gym echoed with the excited sounds of their screaming, sneakers squeaking, and laughter.

Once the girls finished the activities (and a water break!), they all gathered for a seven-minute group run to practice for the race. Each learned about breathing techniques and establishing their own pace. They focused on pushing themselves and respecting each other’s space. When they were sufficiently tired out, they all headed into the classroom attached to the gym for some quiet time.

When seated, the girls were each given a new journal and pen. They wrote their names on the front and wrote about what words they associated with Nina and the 2019 race: winning, strength, kindness, friendship, prize, completion. They then each drew themselves crossing the finish line. Many also drew photos of Nina!

After quiet time, the girls enjoyed shwarma, cheese sandwiches, apples, bananas, and water while listening to the wise words of our honored guest, Lina El Kurd, the General Manager of Run Jordan, Jordan’s largest and most successful running association. Lina inspired the girls with stories of how she became Run Jordan’s general manager and discussed the organization’s programming and design. She encouraged the girls to take on leadership roles in their community and ended with a huge round of applause. We are so grateful for her time. Many of the girls expressed how excited they were to meet her!

After camp, the girls scattered off to their busses, high-fiving the coaches and volunteers on the way out! We can’t wait for next week.

The 2019 Nina Brekelmans Running Camp Kick-Off!

Friends and supporters,

We hope you are well, and wanted to let you know that we’ve been busy gearing up for our fourth year. We are excited to share with you the official dates for this year’s Nina Brekelmans Running Camp for Girls and Nina Brekelmans Race for Girls in Amman, Jordan!

The camp will be held four consecutive Saturdays - March 30, April 6, April 13 and April 20 - at Al Hussein Public Parks. The culminating event - a 1k race - will be held the following weekend, April 27, at the same location.

Thank you for helping the camp grow and thrive as we work together to advance Nina's vision to promote self-confidence, leadership, and well-being among young women in Jordan through running. Last year, the camp welcomed 30 to 40 girls each week with lessons on running, role models, sportsmanship, strength training and nutrition. Nearly 70 girls ages 8 to 14 participated in the race. And we welcomed two amazing new head coaches - Rawda Hamadneh and Ru’a Al-Abweh - who will join us again in 2019.

We’re lucky to continue having fantastic on-the-ground support from the U.S. Fulbright program. Sophie Zinser, who helped guide the camp last year, was appointed our first in-country Director of Operations and will lead our Fulbright volunteers this year to help to ensure we provide our campers with a phenomenal experience. Promoting leadership will continue to be an important theme for us in 2019, as we invite back past campers to serve in mentoring roles. We’ll also strive to strengthen partnerships with local organizations. Reclaim Childhood, a tremendous partner, is working hand-in-hand with us for the third year.

With your support, and with our Jordanian friends and partners, we’re really looking forward to making the 2019 camp and race the best yet. Follow along on our website, blog, and social media channels - including Facebook and our new Instagram account (@ninab_camp) - to learn more about this year’s camp (and the people behind it) in the weeks and days leading up to our camp kickoff. We’ll be sure to post blog recaps of each camp day as well, and you can also sign up here for our mailing list.

Camp participants can register here. If you would like to volunteer for the camp, you can register here.

And if you’d like to contribute to our success in 2019 and beyond, please consider donating. We really appreciate the support we get. Small donations make a big difference! The Nina Brekelmans Memorial Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit based in Washington, DC, and all donations are tax-deductible.

Support #GivingTuesday with the Nina Brekelmans Memorial Foundation

On this Giving Tuesday, we at the Nina Brekelmans Memorial Foundation want to take a moment to thank everyone who has supported the organization throughout the past three years. We’re proud to see the Nina Brekelmans Running Camp for Girls grow and thrive, and we’re looking forward to making the 2019 camp and race the best yet. As we reflect on the year, we wanted to highlight some of our milestones from the last camp and share plans for the future. We also hope that you’ll consider supporting the Foundation as we expand to meet these goals.

2018 Highlights

• The camp welcomed 30 to 40 girls each week with lessons on running, role models, sportsmanship, strength training and nutrition. The girls also participated in fun games, team building activities, journaling, and cheers. Just as last year, the majority of this year’s campers joined from refugee communities in Jordan, including girls from Syria, Iraq, Palestine, and Sudan.

• We again hosted the Nina Brekelmans Race for Girls and moved to a great new course at Al-Hussein Public Park. This year nearly 70 girls ages 8 to 14 joined for the race. We awarded trophies to the top finishers in both our younger and older divisions as well as a trophies for the top finishers in each age group from the camp.

• We were joined by two amazing new head coaches, Rawda Hamadneh and Ru’a Al-Abweh. With Rawda’s background in teaching and coaching in Jordan and Ru’a’s passion for running—including with the November Project during her time in Seattle on a Fulbright to the US—we’re amazed by the passion and energy of our leaders. Furthermore, the camp is excited to bring on one of last year’s Fulbright leaders, Sophie Zinser, to act as our Jordan Program Director to work alongside Rawda and Ru’a to manage on-the-ground operations and planning.

• The Foundation strengthened in-country partnerships with other nonprofits and government organizations. We continue to work hand-in-hand with Fulbright students and Reclaim Childhood. We love the passion of our Fulbright students and were lucky to have four excellent leaders last year: Amanda Swenson, Sophie Zinser, Nicole Khamis, and Hayden Bates. Further, Reclaim Childhood continues to be a fantastic thought partner over these past two years. We work directly with them to connect with campers in the refugee community, and they are always ready and willing to pitch a hand on all aspects of the camp and race. The Foundation was once again selected by the U.S. Department of State for grant funding, and we received support at the race from Run Jordan, the country’s largest organizer of road races—who provided in-kind donations of hats and water bottles. The camp and race were made possible by an core group of dedicated volunteers connected with the Fulbright and Jordan running communities. They helped to support our campers and are central to the heart and soul of the camp.

• Finally, the camp and race would not have been possible without you, our community. We are grateful that so many of you donated time, money, and energy to supporting the camp on behalf of Nina and the camp’s mission. Likewise, we’re thankful for our Board of Directors and Board of Advisers who volunteer their passions and ideas to make the programs possible and run behind the scenes. This year, our organization aims to share more frequent stories and content from the camp and race so that others may share in the fun stories of our campers, personalities of our volunteers, and work of our board. We recently launched an Instagram account (@ninab_camp) and plan to be more active with our social media presence and newsletter communications.

Since it is Giving Tuesday, we hope you’ll consider making a donation to help support the camp and race in 2019. This year we’re setting an ambitious goal of raising $5,000 to underwrite the camp and race. The camp’s expenses have grown to fund new practice space rentals, increased transportation costs for campers, and direct support materials like tshirts, snacks, and journals. We’re again planning to apply for federal grant funding, but we rely on individual contributions to cover the remaining camp and race costs. Between now and the end of December 15, any donations made of at least $50 will receive a “Nina patch” included with a thank you note. For donations of $100 or more, we’ll also send a tshirt from our camp or orange tshirt from our 2016 Georgetown race (sizes subject to availability).

On behalf of the Nina Brekelmans board, thank you all!

Sincerely,

Mary Grace Pellegrini

President, Nina Brekelmans Memorial Foundation

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