Meet the AISTS Olympian Scholarship recipient: Abeer Essawy

AISTS is committed to supporting talented individuals in their journey to become leaders in the sport industry. Through our scholarships, we aim to recognise and empower the next generation of professionals who will make a positive impact on the global sport community. Whether it is supporting athletes transitioning into management roles or promoting leadership across the Olympic Movement, AISTS is dedicated to helping future leaders achieve their ambitions.

AISTS Olympian Scholarship

The AISTS Olympian Scholarship provides a unique opportunity for Olympians to transition from elite sport into leadership roles within sport management. This scholarship is designed for athletes who have competed in at least one edition of the Olympic or Olympic Winter Games. Through this scholarship, AISTS recognises the unique value Olympians bring as leaders, mentors, and drivers of positive change across sport and society.

This is the first time the Olympian scholarship is awarded. However, before Abeer, 22 Olympians completed the AISTS Master of Advanced Studies:

Meet the current recipient: Abeer Essawy

In 2020, she joined the World Olympians Association Executive Committee, becoming its youngest member and the first Egyptian to hold this position. She also serves on the Egypt Olympic Committee Athletes’ Commission and has represented her country at multiple global sport summits. In 2012, Abeer co-founded Egypt’s leading digital sport platform, focused on creating a strong community around Olympic sports and celebrating the achievements of Egyptian athletes.

Since her retirement from competition, Abeer has also built experience using sport as a tool for communication and advocacy, social change, equity, and youth empowerment across the Middle East and North Africa. In 2023, she was appointed to the World Health Organization Headquarters, where she led external relations for the WHO Global Sports for Health programme, oversaw multilateral partnerships, and strengthened governance coordination with key stakeholders across the international sport ecosystem.

In her own words

With her strong experience as an Olympian and sport leader, Abeer brings a unique perspective to the 2026 Class of the AISTS Master of Advanced Studies. Through her journey, she is driven by the ambition to break barriers, strengthen the representation of women and Africa in sport leadership, and contribute to more equitable access to education and funding for athletes worldwide. Her commitment reflects the core objective of the AISTS Olympian Scholarship: driving positive change in sport and society.

What does it mean for you to be the AISTS Olympian Scholarship recipient?

Being the AISTS Olympian Scholarship recipient is a responsibility. It recognizes my journey from a young athlete to an Olympian and global advocate for using sport for health, education, and development. Receiving it at a moment when Kirsty Coventry became IOC President reinforces my belief that Olympians, especially African women, belong at the heart of global sport leadership.

As an Olympian, what does it mean for your that AISTS is founded and endorsed by the International Olympic Committee?

Education and knowledge as a key foundation for leadership in sport. Sport is a unique field with its own complexity, emotional dimension, and global influence, and it requires professionals with specialized expertise to manage it responsibly. By supporting AISTS,  The IOC is contributing to the development of well-prepared, world-class sport professionals and leaders who can strengthen and sustain the global sport ecosystem.

As a former athlete, what have been the most challenging aspects of transitioning to a career in sport management, and how have you approached these challenges?

Today, I see the transition from athlete to sport leader as a strength. My athletic background gives me credibility, empathy, and a deep understanding of the athlete experience, while my management training allows me to contribute at a strategic and governance level.

One of the early challenges was being perceived as young and as a woman in environments where leadership is still evolving. At the same time, being exposed to global issues affecting athletes across different regions was both overwhelming and eye opening. I saw how similar many challenges are worldwide, yet how differently they manifest depending on context, culture, and demographics. This reinforced for me the importance of shaping global strategies that can be adapted and applied locally.

I approached these challenges through discipline, and continuous learning. Knowledge is essential. Understanding history, systems, and how change has unfolded over time helps me identify what enables progress and reminds me that meaningful change does not happen overnight. Sport taught me that leadership, like performance, is a long-term journey. What matters is consistency, learning every day, and showing up with purpose. This mindset continues to guide how I lead and how I contribute to the future of sport.

How have your experiences as an athlete helped prepare you with the skills and perspectives needed for leadership roles in the sport industry?

My experience as an athlete is shaped by discipline and resilience. From a young age, sport taught me the value of daily effort, repetition, and commitment. More importantly, it offered me a profound understanding to life. Through sport, I saw people at both the highest and lowest moments of their lives. I witnessed success, joy, and dreams fulfilled when you on the top of the world . I also experienced injury, loss, disappointment, and moments where giving everything was still not enough. I learned through sharing those moments that despite our differences yet we are so similar, we carry the same dreams, fears, and ambitions, and even at your best today, your opponent can be better than you, and that in a single moment, everything can change, from winning to loosing, from top performance to an injury ending your sports career…

Living this reality, seeing people in those vulnerable moments of their lives early builds wisdom and compassion, and a lot of respect for others’ journeys,. It also creates lifelong bonds and a deep sense of belonging that goes beyond competition.

These experiences shaped my leadership mindset permanently. They taught me that leadership is human-centered, grounded in understanding, humility, and perspective. Learning this early in life gave me insights that many encounter much later. These values continue to guide how I lead, how I make decisions, and how I contribute to the sport industry with clarity and humanity.

How do you think the sport industry can benefit from having former athletes in leadership positions?

I bring both my lived experience as an athlete, technical expertise, and a professional understanding of the challenges facing sport today. Working closely with Olympians has shown me how decisions in governance, health, education, technology, and commercial strategy directly shape trust, well-being, and long-term engagement. In sport, every decision affects not only performance, but also people, communities, fans, and institutional trust.

Athletes’ technical expertise, especially in understanding performance and equipment, allows them to drive innovation and shape the future of their sport, particularly in technology.

For me, Athletes-centered leadership is essential to building credible, effective, and sustainable sport institutions.

What motivated you to join AISTS, and what excites you most about this new chapter?

My motivation to join AISTS comes from a lifelong vision to build a global framework that unites Olympian-led initiatives, empowers youth and girls, and measures social impact in a structured and meaningful way.

Being based in the Olympic Capital makes this new chapter especially exciting. It is an environment that truly lives and breathes sport, where global decisions and collaborations take shape.

What excites me most is AISTS’ multidisciplinary approach. It provides solid knowledge and a deep understanding of the dynamics of sport organizations and the broader ecosystem. It allows me to understand how different departments interact, what to expect from each function, and how to maximize collaboration across institutions to create sustainable impact.

How would you describe your MAS experience so far, and what do you think makes it unique?

What makes AISTS unique is its living ecosystem. You do not just learn theory, you engage directly with it. The professors and guest speakers bring hands-on experience from the highest levels of sport, offering insights that are current, practical, and globally relevant. The combination of multidisciplinary learning and real-world exposure, especially to the most pressing challenges facing sport today, creates an environment that prepares you to understand the industry.

Looking ahead, what are your main aspirations in the sport industry, and how do you hope to make an impact?

My aspiration is to position Olympians as long-term contributors to society, not only competitors. I aim to strengthen the link between sport, health, education, and peace, where sport can serve as a driver of generational transformation.

For me, real impact means building systems where athlete influence is structured, measurable, and aligned with sustainable development.

What advice would you give to other aspiring sport industry professionals who are considering scholarships or a similar career path?

Knowledge is a powerful tool, and in today’s sport industry, leaders must be well equipped to navigate complexity and responsibility.

Learning is a lifelong commitment, and when combined with hands on experience, it becomes real value. The sport industry needs professionals who are willing to keep learning every day.