Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
RUNNING ace Ruqaya Al Ghasra waves goodbye to Bahrain next Monday in a determined bid to bring Olympic glory to the kingdom.
The fastest woman in the Arab world flies off to Italy for intensive training before heading to Beijing.
She bid farewell to family, friends and supporters alongside members of the Sports Union at the Lost Paradise of Dilmun water attraction at a special luncheon.
Ruqaya told GulfWeekly: "When you reach the finals, you know you can achieve anything because you have made it that far. There is no going back from here. I hope to make my family, friends and, most of all, Bahrain proud."
Ruqaya thanked the park's management for organising the celebratory get-together. She was also presented with a sports bag and a soft toy for good luck.
"We are proud to express our support to Ruqaya and all that she stands for. She is a symbol celebrated and appreciated by the entire region and we are delighted to host this lunch to mark her sendoff," said general manager of Lost Paradise of Dilmun Water Park, Paul Blunt.
Ruqaya has been hailed as a role model for all Arab and Muslim women. On the track the 25-year-old sprinter had recently secured a golden double - 60m and 400m - during the Asian Indoor Athletics Championships in Doha, which was her first competition since coming back from an eight-month layoff due to injury.
Ruqaya's training programme for Beijing Olympics 2008 has been set by her personal mentor and Bahrain sprints coach Tadjine Noureddine. She will run in both the 100m and 200m events.
It's a long way from running around the sports fields at Noor High School for Girls.
She explained: "I first started running and competing in school. I always came out on top and with time grew to really love track and field events."
As she progressed in international competition her dress code became as much a talking point as the fast times she was running.
Ruqaya, who lives in A'ali, said: "When competing, people do stare at me as they are surprised by my attire and the hijab. But once they see what I am capable of they forget all about what I am wearing and simply cheer me on.
"I don't find my clothing to be an issue and it does not get in my way when I run. I actually find it motivates me further and helps me run better. Besides, when an athlete is properly trained and ready to compete, then no obstacles can stand in their way.
"I have a training programme that is set by my coach and it consists of many exercises and targets to reach. I also have a monthly training regime on how to handle speed and work on increasing it."
