The first time I heard about AIPS, the French acronym for International Sports Press Association or Association Internationale de la Presse Sportive, was during my time at City University London while studying for my MA in international journalism (with sports journalism as specialty). I was already a sport journalist writing for Arab News but it was an eye-opener for me that allowed me to meet and learn about other sports journalists and the challenges they face. Back then, I chose my dissertation to be dedicated to Arab women sport journalists representing 22 countries, and the challenges that they go through. I’m not bragging when I say that the road for them was not paved with flowers; each and every one of them had her own cultural, traditional or political barriers that hindered her success. However, I’m proud to say that despite everything, they managed to break through and continued to rise in their own distinguished way. Seeing this through the years and watching them accomplish their dreams was, and still is, very inspiring and motivating. When I first started in 2005, my options were limited to watching a game on TV and then finding the number of athletes or sport officials to contact after the game. However, I managed to work from the field and interview athletes when I traveled with the team outside the country. That’s why I know how it feels when you have the capabilities to do more but your hands are tied — at the moment this is because of the COVID-19 pandemic. But just as before, then it was simply a challenge that luckily no longer exists. The light at the end of the tunnel was clear and we found our way out, and now we have at least one female sport journalist on every local newspaper in the country, if not more. With the arrival of the global pandemic, it seems like a different kind of barrier hit us and we were not ready or prepared to fight, but the good thing is that we are trying, and we definitely should.