I am Farook Alhosari, and I am 15 years old. I am originally from Syria, but I have lived in Dubai my whole life. I attend Swiss International Scientific School in Dubai (SISD) with my brother Kareem and my two sisters, Maria and Masa. I have a really big family who I spend a lot of time with because family is really important to me.

I like SISD because the sports facilities are the best in Dubai. My favourite subjects are PE and Design. In SISD, PE classes are of a really high quality. I love Design because it allows me to be creative and the assignments allow us to explore very interesting projects.

I have been horse riding since I was 6 years old and bought my first horse at 12, her name is Waluscha. I started training with a coach and learned show jumping. Show jumping is my passion; it’s like no other sport. It requires focus and attention and I really love horses.

When I was 13 years old, I took part in my first competition. I was extremely nervous but I managed to push through and end with a great result. This was when I realised I was talented and my love for the sport grew even more, so much that I knew I wanted to continue and achieve great things. I began to compete weekly which lead to my involvement in the National Equestrian Competition in Syria, where I placed 2nd. This is my biggest achievement to date and one I’m extremely proud of. I hope, someday, to be able to compete in the Olympics representing my country, and be known internationally as a successful show jumper.

Right now, I’m working towards the Longines show jumping final in Dubai, I placed 8th last year out of approximately 100 riders so I am working extra hard to place higher, maybe even 1st place!

For this, I am training 4 days a week, 2 evenings after school and weekends, where I also compete in national competitions.

I’m extremely ambitious and hope to attend a top university one day so I work hard in and outside of school. My school schedule, alongside my training, leaves little free time and sometimes means making sacrifices, but I know it will all be worth it.

Farook Alhosari is a Grade 9 student at Swiss International Scientific School Dubai.