A One-on-one With World Class Runner Sherif Elabd

World class athletes aren’t born but made through dedicated effort and a relentless spirit that craves adventure. Sherief Elabd is an experienced mountaineer and an advanced runner, and when he isn’t scaling a mountain or on the race course, he gives inspirational talks or plans events.

We spoke to Sherief about his adventures climbing Mount Everest and his plans for the future.

Firstly, how did you get into running and mountain climbing?

Simply put, I wanted to break my life’s routine in a 180-degree transformation, mainly in pursuing sports. I first joined the Nike Running club in 2015, starting with a 5K distance race that felt like a goal to achieve. Then a 2016 ticket to Nepal to hiking the beautiful Poon Hill circuit was the beginning of many more crazy adventures to come next.

What is the oddest place you’ve ever ran or hiked in?

That’s by far Greenland! In 2022, I successfully crossed the Greenland icecap over a distance of 660 KM seeing nobody or anything but white snow for 26 days. That period was mentally challenging to say the least.

What was the scariest or most dangerous situation you’ve ever experienced?

When I was denied boarding the plane to Greenland after reaching Denmark. I was told my Schengen visa wouldn’t gain me entry to Greenland so I stayed 2 days at Copenhagen Airport waiting for my appeal to be approved by the Danish authorities. A further delay meant that I was going to miss the scheduled departure of the expedition team, lose all the money I invested in this journey, as well as the time spent on the high-volume training, I put to prep for such a majestic adventure.

What kinds of obstacles did you face while on your Everest Journey? (Breathing, weather issues, equipment Malfunction…)

I felt short of breath twice on Everest. The first time was at the Basecamp, just the day before our first rotation. It impacted my pace yet managed to overcome it by moving in an efficient way. The second time was on the way down from Camp 4 to Camp 3 after summitting. The oxygen deprivation hit me hard on that day. However, it’s normal to become affected by high-altitude expeditions, it happened to everyone in our team.

What is your favorite memory from Everest?

The friendliness, support, and success of other Arabs on the expedition. It was truly heartwarming.

What is it like being almost 9,000 meters high in the sky, on a huge mountain knowing that at any moment anything can happen?

Incredible! I proved to myself and others that I can do what I set my mind to despite all the
stereotypes, workloads, and commitments I had on my plate while preparing for this adventure.

What went through your mind when you finally made it to the top of Everest? (Is there a cool story to tell about this moment?)

I was overwhelmed, I didn’t know where, when, or how big I felt. I felt like I wanted to share my story of balancing intense work with extreme endurance exercise and adventures. I even started visualizing myself speaking in public to a crowd of Egyptian youths; and oddly enough, I received a call from the organizing committee of the National Youth Forum only 2 months after coming back from Everest.

It was a self-fulfilling prophecy as I was told I was elected to give a keynote speech in front of the Egyptian President. During the forum I was presidentially honored for excellence in my field of work, combining this with my successful summit of Mt. Everest as well.

Tell us something crazy stories you remember from your journey to the top of Everest?
Craziest of all, is when I realized that the oxygen cylinder wasn’t functioning properly! For over 8 hours of climbing from Camp 3 to Camp 4. Just a day before the summit where the air was thinnest and the oxygen tank was needed the most.

How long did it take for you to complete your whole trip and how was a typical day spent?
Two months! The daily routine was simple: eat, climb, rest, eat, eat again, chat with everyone, eat one more time and get to bed.

How is it different climbing up mount Everest than climbing down? Which is more difficult and why?
Climbing down is faster yet more risky. Some climbers tend to expend their energy going up, leaving no gas in the tank on the way down

What is something that you haven’t attempted before that you wish you could do?

A couple of things: Firstly, I would love to attempt the 10 highest mountains of Egypt in one shot and the second challenge would be crossing Antarctica on a self-sufficient expedition.  

Who are some inspiring people you’ve met since you’ve started your climbing/running journey?
Just to put things in context! Inspiring people to me aren’t necessarily the most skilled or renowned runners or mountaineers! Generally speaking, I am inspired by those who still achieve and challenge themselves amidst the urgent social and business life pressures. Those who never compromise athleticism in their lifestyle. Those who are able to give back, show the way and influence others in their circles to move as opposed to only self-achieving. If I were to mention one, then I would go for my mountain buddy, Nelly Attar, a highly-respected mountaineer and social media influencer.

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