Beyond running with
Hassan Abdiqadir Ali
Where we grow up plays a big role in shaping our lives. It will be a part of who we are, our history and the foundation for the rest of our lives. We can change who we will become but we can never change our history.
Our choices in life, at work, with family will affect the outcome. What direction you take will end up as a different story and be part of your history. We decided to look back at our roots. With one of our founders having grown up in a small town called Västerås, about an hour’s drive from Stockholm, last July we went back to those roots and it didn’t take long time until a face caught our attention.
Already as a young kid Hassan Abdiqadir Ali took a liking to everything that could stimulate his active approach to life and his surroundings. Running was more play than practice at this time and Hassan was just trying to keep up with his friends and his older brother and it wasn’t until in school, at the age of 6 that sports caught Hassan’s attention. Track and Field, soccer and Handball all became part of the menu at this point in his life.
Hassan and his family came to Sweden when he was 12 and early on he came to see Zlatan Ibrahimovic and the world of soccer as his calling. But during his time playing soccer Hassan got more and more into training by himself and for himself. A lot of the time after practise he would stay on the field just to run a couple laps around the track. This is when he caught the attention of his gym teacher in school who saw his athletic potential inspired him to start practicing Track and Field. Hassan considered this more as a joke and didn’t put much work into it.
In our discussions with Hassan he also comes back to a sort of student advisor at his school. An elderly man with a name typical of his generation of quiet minded Swedish men, Göte, who made a special point of mentioning the joy and beauty of running every time they met at school. This was the inspirational tipping point for Hassan to finally really pick up running. After his first week of training he was hooked.
What got Hassan so hyped on running was that it forces him to take an even greater responsibility for his actions on and off the field and that it constantly challenges him. Even when there is nobody else around. “It’s a reflection of who I am now and it’s only up to me how my results turns out”.
Looking back at Hassan’s results after only 5 years since he started with Track and Field in 2015, he has already spent a fair bit of time on the podium. (Add results). Nonetheless he keeps a humble attitude. “It takes a lot of training to get to where I want to be, and maybe in two more years I can practice in the way I want and start to get the results I‘m looking for. There aren’t any shortcuts out there. Only hard work to build the foundation to be able to practice on the highest level”.
“Life is full of obstacles and every situation has its lessons. Sometimes in life it’s just a big uphill struggle and it’s the same with running. If it doesn’t work this time I just learn and adapt to the situation and try to do better next time”.
With Hassan you sense immediately that there is far more layers to him behind his humble and friendly smile. Something glowing deep inside. A dream to stand side by side with the very best in the world. To take on the longer distance races. Right now school takes up a lot of his time and to compete with the very best is a full-time commitment. The dream to one day compete in the World Championships or in the Olympics can seem distant sometimes but Hassan has a strong mind. And he has a clear picture in his head about what he wants for himself on 10 000 meters, at the Half Marathon and at the Marathon. But I think we’ll leave that out for now and see what the future holds.
But one step at the time, Hassan knows his journey. And his focus is now on 5K 10K, and perhaps 21K before he is willing to take on the longer distances.
Beyond running with
Hassan Abdiqadir Ali
Where we grow up plays a big role in shaping our lives. It will be a part of who we are, our history and the foundation for the rest of our lives. We can change who we will become but we can never change our history.
Our choices in life, at work, with family will affect the outcome. What direction you take will end up as a different story and be part of your history. We decided to look back at our roots. With one of our founders having grown up in a small town called Västerås, about an hour’s drive from Stockholm, last July we went back to those roots and it didn’t take long time until a face caught our attention.
Already as a young kid Hassan Abdiqadir Ali took a liking to everything that could stimulate his active approach to life and his surroundings. Running was more play than practice at this time and Hassan was just trying to keep up with his friends and his older brother and it wasn’t until in school, at the age of 6 that sports caught Hassan’s attention. Track and Field, soccer and Handball all became part of the menu at this point in his life.
Hassan and his family came to Sweden when he was 12 and early on he came to see Zlatan Ibrahimovic and the world of soccer as his calling. But during his time playing soccer Hassan got more and more into training by himself and for himself. A lot of the time after practise he would stay on the field just to run a couple laps around the track. This is when he caught the attention of his gym teacher in school who saw his athletic potential inspired him to start practicing Track and Field. Hassan considered this more as a joke and didn’t put much work into it.
In our discussions with Hassan he also comes back to a sort of student advisor at his school. An elderly man with a name typical of his generation of quiet minded Swedish men, Göte, who made a special point of mentioning the joy and beauty of running every time they met at school. This was the inspirational tipping point for Hassan to finally really pick up running. After his first week of training he was hooked.
Currently Hassan is training 5-6 times per week but during school holidays he typically manages to squeeze in another 2-3 sessions. Most of his training is with Västerås Friidrottsklubb. However he finds his biggest motivation and inspiration from hanging out with his uncle Hussein. He’s been there not just to support him financially to be able to train and compete but he has also been there for him mentally helping Hassan to push himself and work on his mindset.
“Hussein is a wise man and he has coached me not just in running but in life. I’m immensely thankful for having his support. Most of the training happens on my home track in Västerås. During winter we do do our sessions at an indoor arena but in the summer we’re at Arosvallen. Whenever I get the chance I also try to join my friends in Stockholm or Linköping. There is also a few trails in Västerås and I have my 3 weekly runs that I usually do on my own. My typical long run is mixed gravel and asphalt run which measures some 25K where I might add a bit of distance every now and then. For thresholds there is a 6K run really close to where I live and in connection to that there is also a 2K trail with a lot of hills where I do my intervals”.
Many Swedish runners leave the country in winter time to be able to really get the most out of their training during those long cold months. For Hassan, still being in school, it’s been hard to leave for longer stretches of time but he has already been in Portugal twice at training camps. Last year he also had the chance to venture off to Ethiopia for a month of winter training. It was his first time training at high altitude and Hassan tells us excitedly how he could feel the benefits and results straight away. On his trips he has been training together with many of the Swedish elite runners and reminiscing about his trip to Ethiopia he circles back to his meeting with the slightly older Suldan Hassan which he describes as “inspiring and really good for my personal development”.
“It was truly a unique experience to be able to be down in Ethiopia with some of the very best runners in the world. To be able to train and run with them. To see how they live. How they train and what it takes to perform at their level”.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Hassan. We wish you the very best. On as well as off the track. Make sure to follow Hassan on his Instagram @hassanabdiqadir01 and his journey towards his dreams.
Beyond Running
What got Hassan so hyped on running was that it forces him to take an even greater responsibility for his actions on and off the field and that it constantly challenges him. Even when there is nobody else around. “It’s a reflection of who I am now and it’s only up to me how my results turns out”.
Looking back at Hassan’s results after only 5 years since he started with Track and Field in 2015, he has already spent a fair bit of time on the podium. (Add results). Nonetheless he keeps a humble attitude. “It takes a lot of training to get to where I want to be, and maybe in two more years I can practice in the way I want and start to get the results I‘m looking for. There aren’t any shortcuts out there. Only hard work to build the foundation to be able to practice on the highest level”.
“Life is full of obstacles and every situation has its lessons. Sometimes in life it’s just a big uphill struggle and it’s the same with running. If it doesn’t work this time I just learn and adapt to the situation and try to do better next time”.
With Hassan you sense immediately that there is far more layers to him behind his humble and friendly smile. Something glowing deep inside. A dream to stand side by side with the very best in the world. To take on the longer distance races. Right now school takes up a lot of his time and to compete with the very best is a full-time commitment. The dream to one day compete in the World Championships or in the Olympics can seem distant sometimes but Hassan has a strong mind. And he has a clear picture in his head about what he wants for himself on 10 000 meters, at the Half Marathon and at the Marathon. But I think we’ll leave that out for now and see what the future holds.
But one step at the time, Hassan knows his journey. And his focus is now on 5K 10K, and perhaps 21K before he is willing to take on the longer distances.
Currently Hassan is training 5-6 times per week but during school holidays he typically manages to squeeze in another 2-3 sessions. Most of his training is with Västerås Friidrottsklubb. However he finds his biggest motivation and inspiration from hanging out with his uncle Hussein. He’s been there not just to support him financially to be able to train and compete but he has also been there for him mentally helping Hassan to push himself and work on his mindset.
“Hussein is a wise man and he has coached me not just in running but in life. I’m immensely thankful for having his support. Most of the training happens on my home track in Västerås. During winter we do do our sessions at an indoor arena but in the summer we’re at Arosvallen. Whenever I get the chance I also try to join my friends in Stockholm or Linköping. There is also a few trails in Västerås and I have my 3 weekly runs that I usually do on my own. My typical long run is mixed gravel and asphalt run which measures some 25K where I might add a bit of distance every now and then. For thresholds there is a 6K run really close to where I live and in connection to that there is also a 2K trail with a lot of hills where I do my intervals”.
Many Swedish runners leave the country in winter time to be able to really get the most out of their training during those long cold months. For Hassan, still being in school, it’s been hard to leave for longer stretches of time but he has already been in Portugal twice at training camps. Last year he also had the chance to venture off to Ethiopia for a month of winter training. It was his first time training at high altitude and Hassan tells us excitedly how he could feel the benefits and results straight away. On his trips he has been training together with many of the Swedish elite runners and reminiscing about his trip to Ethiopia he circles back to his meeting with the slightly older Suldan Hassan which he describes as “inspiring and really good for my personal development”.
“It was truly a unique experience to be able to be down in Ethiopia with some of the very best runners in the world. To be able to train and run with them. To see how they live. How they train and what it takes to perform at their level”.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Hassan. We wish you the very best. On as well as off the track. Make sure to follow Hassan on his Instagram @hassanabdiqadir01 and his journey towards his dreams.
Beyond Running
