Stronger Than Steel

Daily Tribune

3 days ago

The Night Bahrain Witnessed the Power of She
'My prosthetic arm was not my identity. I wanted to live without hiding — and that's when everything changed.'
- Shaikha Al Shaiba
'I didn't just climb Everest. I carried the hopes of every person who's been told they can't.'
- Dr. Arunima Sinha
It's not every day you sit in an auditorium and feel your heartbeat sync with stories of sheer resilience. But that's exactly what happened at the Leela Jashanmal Memorial Lecture in Manama, an evening that turned into a masterclass on bravery, grace under fire, and what it truly means to rise, again and again.
The Bahrain Institute of Banking and Finance (BIBF) auditorium was packed to capacity, buzzing with anticipation. I found myself surrounded by people from all walks of life, leaning forward, holding their breath, much like I did, as two incredible women took the stage and rewrote the definition of strength.
The event, hosted by the Indian Ladies Association, was a tribute to courage in the face of adversity. But no introduction could have prepared us for the impact that Shaikha Al Shaiba and Padma Shri Dr. Arunima Sinha would have on our hearts.
Bahrain Trailblazer
Shaikha Al Shaiba's story didn't begin in a sports arena. It began in silence. In the shadows of judgment, stares, and whispers. With one arm, she knew early on that society would define her by her difference. What they didn't expect was that she would choose her own definition.
'My prosthetic arm was not my identity,' she told the crowd. 'I wanted to live without hiding — and that's when everything changed.'Her voice wavered only with passion as she recalled how she joined races, learned to swim from scratch, and pushed herself to compete in one of the world's toughest triathlons, Ironman 70.3. With just two months of training and no prior swimming experience, Shaikha completed a 1.9 km swim, 90 km bike ride, and 21.1 km run, not to prove a point to the world, but to honor the strength within her.
She trained in Bahrain's heat, battled through injury, and swam against waves colder than fear itself. She didn't just cross finish lines, she tore down barriers along the way.But her biggest challenge came with loss. 'When my father passed away, my world went silent,' she said. 'I stopped living for a while. But then I remembered, I have a life to honor, and a legacy to build.'
That's when she got back on the bike. Even after a near-fatal accident in Riyadh that broke her hand, head, and hip, she didn't stop. She showed up to work in a cast and later crossed another finish line in Paris. Why? Because resilience, as she said, 'is not about pretending the struggle doesn't exist, it's about rising anyway.'
From Train Tracks to the Top of the World
Then came a hush, the kind that settles right before a storm of emotion. Dr. Arunima Sinha, India's first female amputee to scale Mt. Everest, stepped forward. But before she became a mountaineer, she was a national-level volleyball player, and a victim of unthinkable violence.
She was thrown off a moving train by robbers in 2011. Left on the tracks, limbs crushed, consciousness flickering and the cruel rhythm of 49 trains passing by. It was seven hours before help arrived.With no anesthesia, she underwent an emergency leg amputation. But even as she lay in a hospital bed, riddled with rods and screws, she made a declaration no one could have predicted: 'I will climb Everest.'
Arunima's journey wasn't just vertical, it was spiritual. She trained for 18 months, faced repeated rejections from sponsors, and endured brutal climbs with one prosthetic leg and a spine held together by determination. 'People only saw what I didn't have,' she said. 'They didn't see the fire inside.'
In 2013, she reached the summit of Everest, not just for herself, but for everyone who's ever been told they couldn't. She now leads a foundation that supports amputees and underprivileged children in India, proving that healing isn't just personal, it's communal.
That evening, under the soft lights of BIBF's auditorium, something magical happened. The crowd didn't just listen, they transformed. Tears were wiped quietly. Hands clapped louder. Hearts were realigned.
The stories of Shaikha Al Shaiba and Dr. Arunima Sinha were not about tragedy. They were about triumph. About what happens when a woman decides that her narrative won't be written by circumstance.These were not just speeches. They were battle cries. They were love letters to the human spirit. They reminded us that our scars are not symbols of shame, they are stamps of survival.
And as I walked out that evening into the cool Manama air, I realized something, I had forgotten to breathe. But I left with lungs full of courage, a heart full of awe, and a soul that had just witnessed greatness.
Honoring Academic Excellence
A special Academic Felicitation Ceremony recognized top-performing students from New India School, Asian School, New Millennium School, New Horizons, and The Indian School. Principals proudly joined their achievers on stage as their names were displayed, celebrating excellence and dedication in front of a distinguished audience.
Shaikha won the Riyadh Duathlon (5krun, 20kbike, 2.5krun)
Shaikh at the Dubai Fitness Challenge
Snaps from Ironman 70.3 hel in Bahrain
Dr. Arunima Sinha speaks at the Leela Jashanmal Memorial Lecture
The world's first female amputee to climb Mount Everest in 2013 and the first female amputee to climb Mount Vinson, the highest peak of Antarctica.
India's PM Modi congratulates 'pride of India' Arunima Sinha
Opening address from ILA President Smitha Jensen