Saudi Gazette It is attitude and not always aptitude which determines a person's altitude. And it is 17-year-old, Saudi national Maram Mansouri's attitude which has set the stage for her altitude – she plans to form a “mentally challenged” girls' basketball team which will be the first of its kind in the Kingdom. At an age when girls usually think about themselves and live life to its fullest, Mansouri thinks about others and how she can make a difference in their lives. Mansouri is not alone in this noble project, supporting her is a dedicated team comprised of doctors, psychiatrists, trainers and academic supervisors — including Lina Almaeena, Suaad Gandeel and Aileen, along with executive and legal affairs supervisor Sanaa Harsani. The project still in its infancy requires more staff and a number of volunteers. Physically healthy girls above the age of 18 with an IQ level of 65 to 75 can participate. They must have previously attended a specialized institute and should be able to understand and follow simple verbal instructions. Abjad center is helping Mansouri's endeavor by encouraging families to send their mentally challenged girls to become basketball players. The girls will initially have to pass through fitness and a mental ability test before they are registered with the club and issued a membership card. After which, they will be trained under highly qualified trainers who will ensure that the girls perform to the best of their abilities. Participating in the team will improve the girls' motor skills like walking, running and improve their physical fitness like muscle strength, flexibility, breathing, balance and eye-hand coordination. It will also enhance their confidence, self-esteem, and social behavior, which will enable them to live a better life in general. The girls will also learn social competence, team work, time management, sportsmen spirit, problem solving skills and appropriate body language. Mansouri is currently pursuing her International Baccalaureate program (grade 11) from Jeddah Knowledge International School. She loves to write and interact with people especially the mentally challenged as in them she finds innocence. She draws inspiration from Brad Hennefer — a young man with the Down syndrome who played golf and basketball on a professional front. He proved it to the world that mentally challenged people are not “dumb”, instead they are smart and talented, it's just that people around them are not aware of their intelligence. Mansouri's second source of inspiration is Nick Vujicic — a man born with Tetra-amelia syndrome, a rare disorder characterized by the absence of all four limbs. Although he suffered emotionally and mentally while growing up, he eventually came to terms with his disability, and went on to conquer the world in his own way. Mansouri believes that she can give the mentally challenged girls' lives a meaning by making them achieve something. She wants them to be capable enough to play on the professional front. She wants to draw a proud smile on their faces. This is not the first time when Mansouri has expressed interest in helping out the society. She had previously joined the Al-Bir orphanage program titled “The Sky is My Limit” in which she along with a group of friends taught orphans healthy habits and other social skills. In the future, Mansouri plans to study psychology and help the society in every possible way. Mansouri wants to thank her mother Ghada Mansouri for supporting her along with Almaeena, Gandeel, Faqeeh and Harsani. She wants everyone to know that if one believes in Allah then nothing can ever be impossible. The road to success is tough but not impossible because the word itself says I'm possible. For further information, those interested may contact Mansouri on the Facebook or via email at [email protected]. __
