Coming from a privileged familial upbringing in Saudi Arabia, Alya’s fulfillment came from a place of purpose, instead of focusing on an advantageous lifestyle consisting of just material things. Alya's fearlessness and determination was critical for her to tap into her true passion of sports and develop the courage to walk away from Saudi Arabia’s restrictions that did not allow women to be involved in any type of athletics. Alya took her talents and dreams to Europe where she still trained for marathons, climbed Mount Everest, and learned how to surf and skateboard, eventually setting her sights on becoming a two-time Olympian.  Despite her dreams being put on hold by various setbacks, Alya still has her sights set on passing her own athletic torch to others who continue to pursue their athletic journey despite facing their own external challenges in the world.