Abdeslam Bouasria, made his way from a small quiet town of Rabat-Salé-Kénitra in Morocco to become a high performing athlete in South Portugal. Success doesn’t happen overnight, but Bouasria who goes by ‘Abdel’, had the mindset to push himself with daily training sessions, while working a full time job, sacrificing a comfortable life by leaving his home country, his family, and friends, to make the risky move to excel in athletics in Portugal. Upon arriving in Faro, Portugal, Abdel learned to face countless sources of challenges on a routine basis.
Abdel did not know the language, arrived without a phone, no athletic shoes, and arrived with all his savings. Abdel managed to network his way up to making a life for himself in south Portugal, and soon after, joined the athletic club, the Association of Algarve. From then, he knew the comfortable life he had sacrificed in Morocco to be in Portugal, would not be the same. His days started at five a.m. and ended at midnight, and back to the grind the next morning for the rest of the week, seven days a week.
With challenges of sacrificing everything in moving to a new country, Abdel trained his brain to perform and even thrive under stress and pressures. Abdel realised that setbacks will occasionally occur in life, and he especially knew that he as an athlete cannot be successful if he isn’t resilient. 
After joining the athletic club, Abdel was determined to be committed, competitive, and persevere through adversity. As a minority himself, Moroccan, Muslim, and a non national, Abdel remained humble and patient. He always credits his coach and staff and his friends who helped him to get where he is now. With a strong sense of camaraderie, he always supports and looks out for his team members. He understands the importance of character and pushing the limit. He understands that the only way to improve is to push harder and go beyond his boundaries.
Abdel stepped into the spotlight when he started competing in the Algarve region of Portugal. He qualified for several regional and national championships and soon thereafter, started winning for his team. Abdel exhibits traits of a strong and admirable mindset to help him succeed on the track. Innately self confident, he truly believes he will win even on his roughest, toughest days. Even after a loss, Abdel managed to stay positive and use the experience as an opportunity to learn and move forward.
One such time during a 800 and 1500 Meter championship, the main athlete for his team could not perform. Abdel was sent to replace the main athlete in the finals of Portugal. He came in victorious in 4th, leaving everyone around him shocked. He proceeded to win the championship, coming in first in 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022.
Athlete Abdeslam Bouasria Championships
His life, like on the track, Abdel is familiar with identifying opportunities, making split decisions, and telling his body to react. He is patient, yet perseveres when he trains and focuses on his goals. He doesn’t expect results to come immediately. He does, however, know the importance of consistency and building discipline. Truly a self made athlete, Abdel eats, breathes, and lives the sport.
Fast forward 5 years later, Abdel is fluent in Portuguese, is revered within his athletic association, and creates a schedule that works for his lifestyle. His days still start as early as 6 a.m., when he works, takes care of his family (coming from a family of 8 children), cooks, and still pushes himself to train every day. Here is his professional profile.
-GG
