"I’d Rather Make Mistakes On My Own Path Than Play it Safe" - Rakan Alireza, Olympic Cross-Country Skier and Rower

A pioneering Saudi athlete who defied expectations by qualifying to represent Saudi Arabia in cross-country skiing at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, becoming the first Saudi male skier to do so.

Since his international skiing debut in 2021, he has competed in multiple FIS Nordic World Ski Championships, including Planica 2023 and Trondheim 2025. Despite training in a city with no snow, Rakan’s daily regimen built on running, swimming, cycling, and hill climbs, reflects a relentless commitment to excellence that has propelled him from the desert to the world stage.

Away from the snow, Rakan is also a decorated rower, inspired by his cousin Hussein Alireza, who competed at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. He is a multiple-time GCC indoor rowing champion and a national champion at the Saudi Games who has represented Saudi Arabia at the 2022 Asian Games in single sculls.

0:00 Intro

4:13 Start of The Journey

7:24 Rowing

9:07 Embracing Challenges

12:08 What are the Saudi Games?

15:23 Rowing to Skiing?

18:04 Olympic Qualifications

30:24 Skiing Without Snow

33:05 Olympics Selection and Winter Sports

36:29 Maintaining Mental Strength

50:19 Olympic Ambitions and Self Advice

54:35 Closing Thoughts

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Credits

Rakan Alireza | Guest

Mo Islam | Host Founder

Ryan Ismail | COO

Faisal Nejaim | Show Manager

Gregoris Kalai | Head of Strategy

Tito | Creative Director

Youssef Hamieh | Production Manager

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