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.