Hazem Nader

Hazem Nader will carry the Olympic Torch. This is his story:

Since he was 9 years old, Hazem has keenly taken part in sport. He started out in combat sports, then explored football, tennis and basketball. He eventually settled on Taekwondo, followed by breakdance. After having left his home country Syria due to the civil war and travelled to French Guyana, he discovered running and Street Workout.

Today, his main sporting activities are running and weight training. Hazem has twice moved to different countries and changed cities seven times. His journey has taken him to three continents, exposing him to many environmental, cultural, personal and professional changes. However, sport has always been the essential pillar in maintaining balance in his life. For him, sport is not just a simple activity or habit; it has an almost religious importance.

Through sport, he has learned countless lessons about life, imbuing him with values and habits that he would never otherwise have been able to develop. If Hazem had to sum up his relationship with sport in one sentence, he would say that life is like a riding a bike: “you have to keep pedalling to maintain your balance and prevent yourself from falling. Well, sport is just like pedalling!” For Hazem, being an Olympic Torchbearer is a great honour.