Bedayati

Thomas Semaan holds the Lebanese record in the 4×400 meter relay, with his team completing the race in 3:15.73. His personal best is 400m in 48 seconds.
Even though he now works full-time as a management consultant, Thomas still trains five times a week. When asked what keeps him disciplined, Thomas answered it was “passion. I like to run. This is a gift. The other thing is to always set [and work towards new] personal objectives…My current objective is to compete in the Lebanese championship representing #Jamhour [where he studied]. It is important to have faith and commitment.”

Sports is a core element of the Bedayati Youth Program, where students train hard every week to reach their new personal best. Thomas advised aspiring runners to be consistent in their training. “It’s really important to believe in yourself. There’s no such thing as unachievable objectives. But to achieve them we need to have commitment, dedication, self-discipline and self-confidence.”

When asked how he handled losing in sports, Thomas explained, “It’s not like if I lose I lose something; it’s more that when I win I win something. When I lose, I try to learn from the winner. In Lebanon, the community is small, and we all know one another. I ask runners [who outperform me] about their running techniques. I don’t see them as competitors or opponents, I see them as friends.”