AMMAN — In the span of her 18-year career, Rubi Habash has managed
to transform from an amateur basketballer, at 14, to captain of Jordan’s
first-division national team, a Red Bull athlete and a
TikTok sensation with
close to 200,000 followers.
اضافة اعلان
When Habash was only six years old, she was selected to play with the Amman
Orthodox Club juniors before being drafted for the first-division national
women’s team at 14. In 2012, the athlete was one of four women who represented
the Kingdom at the 3x3 world championship in Greece. A year earlier, Habash
bagged a bronze medal at the Pan Arab games in Qatar.
“I have played both individual and team sports but it was my mother
who encouraged me to get into basketball because she played, and is very fond of
the sport,” Habash told Jordan News in an interview, adding that basketball
has become part of her daily routine.
In her five-year run as a model, Habash walked the runways of the
Amman Fashion Week, the Kingdom’s landmark fashion event. “I started modelling
when I was at university to help put myself through school,” she explained,
noting that what was once an odd job, paved the path for her to become the face
of Red Bull.
Athlete, model and most recently content creator, Habash explained
that she has managed to turn making TikToks from a hobby to a steady source of
income.
“I now make money creating sports content on TikTok. I’m close to
passing the 200,000 follower mark. It’s funny because my husband used to make
fun of my TikToks but now that I make money off of the app he supports me and
wants to try his hand at it,” Habash joked.
Habash revealed she still intends and is ready to move forward with
Shabab Al-Fuheis in the upcoming Pan Arab tournament and women’s league.
Even though Habash shows no sign of slowing down, she said there was a time in
her career when she thought about abandoning basketball, after becoming a
mother.
“I thought a lot about quitting when I became a mother and was
still breastfeeding. I remember during one match at a training camp in Turkey
when I had to leave the game in the final moments to go feed my baby. Back then
he was only breastfeeding, and when I came back, there were 10 seconds left to
them game. We ended up losing by 10 points,” Habash recounted.
But Habash believes that dedication is the only way to beat the
odds facing new mothers and athletes.
“You cannot give up when you become a mom or leave your sport
behind. Work hard because nothing feels better than watching your child clap
for you during training and cheering you during matches. It’ll make you feel as
though all the patience and sacrifice were worthwhile,” Habash said.
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