Its a cold night in Boston. A line has formed outside of Reebok CrossFit One for the live Open announcement of WOD 20.5. Its been raining all day, and even though were waiting underneath an awning, the crowd is steadily getting soaked. And that could have put a real damper on the evening, but not for Noor Dajani. Shes got a big smile on her face. Her black hijab is tucked into her jacket, and underneath a Reebok logo peeks through an open zipper. Shes telling me about her experience running the New York City Marathon the previous weekend. She trained for just two months before the race, but was still able to complete it with a great time (and in great spirits). I think about Noor trying to balance CrossFit, coaching, starting a business, raising two kids, and training for a marathon half a world away from her home.

I smile back at her in amazement.

Noor isnt your typical athlete and trainer. Born and raised in Jordan, Noor is the only female CrossFit Level 3 trainer in the region. But growing up, hailing from that area of the Middle East meant that certain expectations and limitations were placed on Noor and other women and girls regarding how to dress, move, and behave when men were present. For Noor, those situations intersected directly with her favorite pastime: sports. I was super passionate about all kinds of sports and movement but in my case I had to stop participating in sport at a very young age around 10 years old, she said.

Her family made sure to provide Noor and her 7 sisters enough space to play and practice sport within their home, but it wasnt enough for her. She wanted a chance to take on sports professionally. But the difficulties of not being able to follow-through with dedicating her time to training eventually caused her to stop. It wouldnt be until she was 25 years old that she found sports again, and not until she moved away that she could explore her opportunities in a new light.

A world away. In the summer of 2013 Noor relocated to the US for a 2 year period with her family. While living in Ohio, she started educating herself in different areas of fitness through certifications in spinning, TRX, bootcamp, personal training, and finally Olympic weightlifting and CrossFit. She credits her mentor, Aaron Jannetti, owner of CrossFit Endeavor in Hilliard, with helping her build her capacity and confidence as a coach. Since starting CrossFit I have become more resilient, confident, and self compassionate. The exposure to hardships in each workout, and developing positive attitudes and strategies to tackle each workout, transferred directly to my own life and mentality, she said.

Coaching others and helping them create better, happier, healthier lives sparked a joy in Noor she didnt know she needed up until that point. But when it came time to move back to Jordan, she found herself scared that shed lose herself back in a life with limitations around women in fitness. So, she made a plan to stick to what made her happy. Doing CrossFit and involving myself with the CrossFit community right away upon my return helped me keep growing my resilience, mental strength and passion, she said.

More here:
How One Woman is Using CrossFit to Break Barriers in the Middle East - Morning Chalk Up