Rollin’ and Rowin’ with Ahmed Magdy

Egyptian rower hopeful, Ahmed Magdy Helal, 32, talks about balancing his training to reach his Olympic dreams with building a love of roller skating in Dubai

Tell us about your work/business – what inspired the idea and when did you start it?
RollDXB was conceived in 2016 by three Emirati women who had the dream of bringing roller skating to Dubai and creating a space where everyone can have fun and be themselves. All three women grew up skating in the street of Dubai, in parks such as Mamzar and at the rink that at Wafi City Center in the 90s which has since closed.

The first stage involved spreading the love and culture of skating with pop-up rinks and events around the city, where people could join in the fun for free, and everyone was invited regardless of their age, gender, interests, or nationality.

RollDXB as an indoor venue and home to all skaters was opened in April 2021, and was the first indoor roller-skating rink in the country and took the city by storm.

I joined RollDXB in June 2021 as Operations Manager and soon proved to be capable of being the General Manager of RollDXB academy, which we started in August 2021 to introduce skate enthusiasts to the concept of quad artistic skating and skate jamming.

What do you consider to be your greatest personal and professional achievements?
Aside from becoming a partner at RollDXB and building the academy, I’m an avid rower and was the Egyptian national champion in 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013. I qualified for the 2008 Beijing Olympics and was the runner-up at the International Rowing Championship in Tunisia in 2009. That same year I took part in the World Championship in France. In 2020 I took part in the World Rowing Indoor Championships without a coach. I’m also participating in the UAE Rowing Championship for the 2023/2024 season.

What were your biggest business challenges? How did you overcome them?
The biggest challenge was juggling working at a startup and training to compete at the Olympics. I shared my aspiration with the owners and other team members, so they were fully aware of my situation. Accordingly, everyone tried to help and volunteered to help in different ways.

How do you manage the daily stress that comes with running a business and training for the Olympics?
I try as much as I can to compartmentalise my thoughts so that I can focus on the task at hand as it can be overwhelming to think about everything at the same time. I also make sure that I am organised but still open to change, so I am not thrown off guard if I need to have a different routine.

I’m able to trust and rely on my team at RollDXB by delegating work to them, so I am able to have time to train.

I also make sure that I have time for myself and enjoy time with my friends so that I can recharge.

What advice were you given when you started, and did it help?
I was told to find a mentor and it was the best advice that I received. It is like having a coach but for your career. I recommend having one mentor from the same industry and one from another to learn new things.

This year has been labelled as the year of sustainability. Has that changed certain rules and practices for you and your business?
In general, all founders of RollDXB are green – so we try to reduce our electricity usage and waste. We made a recommendation to the landlord to put solar panels on the warehouse and believe it or not, we tried writing to Elon Musk to ask for advice on reducing electricity usage.

What is important to you?
I value having peace in my life and not losing it over toxic jobs, relations, or quick fixes.

I am working towards my goal of becoming an Olympian again, a goal that was side-tracked by the pandemic.  I am currently training two-to-three times a day with the help of two coaches who live abroad – one in Egypt and the other in Denmark. I also travel to train at specialised rowing camps throughout Europe to gain access to global rowing champions.

What inspires you?
My family and my partner who support me in every way and stories of underdogs making it.

Do you prioritise your mental health, and how?
Yes, of course. Your mental health is actually very critical to your performance. I know there is an assumption that we need to achieve things to be happy, but in reality, you need to be happy to be able to have a clear vision and make the right choices.

My go-to activity is walking on the beach or swimming in the sea. There is research that has proven that seeing water actually helps with stress and other mental health issues.

This article appeared in Issue 002 – the Men’s Edition