Al-Qalam 
Super fit athlete Tasneem Sallie has urged more Muslim women to get involved in sport. She says it benefits both body and mind, writes Nabeelah Shaikh
She’s a force to be reckoned with. It was her competitive nature, resilience and dedication that led to Johannesburg’s Tasneem Sallie being placed first at the SA Triathlon Championships.
The competition was held in the Free State on the 13th of February.
It was no easy feat, but the 21-year-old student from Northcliff emerged victorious in the 20-24 year-old category. She participated in the Sprint Championships which included her having to complete a 750-meter swim, a 20 kilometer bike ride and a five kilometer run.
Sallie, is an honours student at the University of Pretoria and is studying Politics, Philosophy and Economics. She won first place after finishing in a record time of about an hour and 19 minutes.
Her biggest driving force behind her accomplishment was her father, Imeraan Sallie.
He, too, has excelled in sport, having bagged multiple medals in the past.
“I started the triathlon because of my dad. He was my biggest motivation as he has always been into it. He has participated in 11 Comrades Marathon races so far, won seven silver medals and even made it into the top 100 of the marathon. He has also competed in Ironman. I always wanted to aspire to be like him because I am competitive in nature. And we’ve always had this healthy dose of competition between ourselves,” laughed Sallie.
The news of her win made her dad extremely proud, and left her feeling overwhelmed.
“When they called up my name, I was really happy, I was shocked. I couldn’t believe it,” said Sallie.
Her journey to the top began while she was in high school. In grades 10 and 11, she started participating in swimming and other sports. Since then, it has been uphill for her.
She has since participated in three SA Triathlon Championships, and plans on tackling many more. Despite the demands of university life, she makes time to train six days in a week.
“I’m a busy person by nature and I feel that I’m at my best when I always have things to do. The more things I have to do, the better. So it is easy for me to strike a balance between my training and my studies. I’m quite a competitive person so to have the opportunity to compete, push and challenge myself, has been a great motivation. ” said Sallie.
Sallie believes more young Muslim women need to start participating in sport, and need to participate at national level.
“In terms of younger people, there are not many other Muslim women, It would be good to get them involved. It’s a good way to make friends and stay healthy.
She says there are so many benefits, not just for one’s physical well-being.
“I really think participation in sport is good for everyone, not just for your health but also for your mental health. It gives you purpose and something to work towards. I know a lot of people are scared to start, especially young people. They’re scared they won’t be fast enough or are just scared to start in general. But for me, when I started, I was not good at all. I had to work towards it. If you want to do something, don’t let fear stop you. Keep at it, and you’ll get to the top,” said Sallie.
She is hoping to make the team next year again, for the national championships.
“For now, I hope to do as many other local races as I can. This will assist me to improve where I can,” she said. Sallie encourages people to become more actively involved in sporting activities. She says she hopes to see more young people, like her, competing in the years ahead.
