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At just 15 years old, triathlete Mia Sahioun is already collecting national titles and international medals. From Kfarchima to Abu Dhabi, passing through Jounieh, Bahrain, and Fujeirah, Lebanon’s “golden girl” of triathlon has climbed to the very top of the West Asian rankings… with Asia, Dakar, and perhaps one day the Olympic Games now in her sights.
The image is still fresh in everyone’s minds: a little over a week ago, at the aquathlon organized by the Automobile and Touring Club of Lebanon (ATCL), young Mia Sahioun crossed the finish line with a comfortable lead—determined face, clean stride, eyes already set on what comes next. First in her age category, as usual. At 15, the ProFit Club athlete lives in rhythm with one of the most demanding sports in the world: triathlon, that powerful blend of swimming, cycling, and running, sometimes adapted into aquathlon (swim + run).
A Serial Winner With an Early Trophy Cabinet
Mia Sahioun has only six years of triathlon behind her, yet her track record already reads like that of a seasoned athlete. Hailing from Kfarchima, she swept the Lebanese championship titles in U12, U14, and U16 categories, establishing herself as the reference of her generation in the triple-discipline sport.
The international stage quickly took notice. In Abu Dhabi earlier this year, Mia clinched a gold medal in the Under-15 triathlon, confirming she was not just a strong junior within Lebanon, but a genuine contender at the regional level. She followed this by winning silver in triathlon in the Emirate of Fujeirah, proving that the Abu Dhabi podium was no lucky break.
The result is clear: Lebanon’s “golden girl” has made her way onto dozens of podiums, at home and abroad, to the point where she hardly remembers what it feels like to return home empty-handed.
From Bahrain to the Top of West Asia
Her rise continued with national team selections. Wearing the colors of the Lebanese Triathlon Federation, Mia competed at the Asian Youth Games in Bahrain. Against a strong field, she finished 16th at the continental level but crucially ranked 1st in West Asia. The performance propelled her to the top of the West Asian standings for the U15 category.
For a 15-year-old balancing her days between training and school—she is a student at the Lebanese-German School of Jounieh—such a milestone speaks louder than words: within her age group, the young Lebanese athlete is now the regional benchmark.
Behind these results lies a meticulously structured daily routine. Mia trains every day with the ProFit club under the guidance of two well-known figures in the sport: champion Ali Zoghbi and champion Lindsay Nader. Swimming, cycling, running intervals, physical conditioning—Mia already trains like an elite athlete, supported by a technical staff that sees far beyond Lebanese borders.
Eyes on Asia… and the Olympic Rings
Her next major appointment is already circled in red on her calendar: the Asian Triathlon U15 Championship, scheduled in Saudi Arabia on December 5 and 6. Mia will represent the ambitions of a Lebanese triathlon scene in full development, seeking to confirm her status as West Asia’s number one and test herself against the continent’s best.
Later in the season, a participation in the West Asian Championship in Fujeirah is also being considered. In other words, the young athlete will not be short on mileage or training hours before the end of the year.
In the back of her mind, another dream is growing steadily: qualification for the Youth Olympic Games, scheduled next July in Dakar, Senegal. The goal is clear—earn the ticket, raise the Lebanese flag at the start line, and aim, why not, for another major podium to further cement her place in the sport’s rising history.
A Family Adventure… Searching for Support
Behind the “golden girl” is a family running alongside her. In 2025, the total cost of Mia’s competitions—travel, registrations, equipment, training camps—reached 15,000 dollars. A considerable sum in Lebanon’s economic context, currently shouldered entirely by her parents, Alain and Maya, who support their daughter’s athletic journey without hesitation.
Like many young talents, Mia hopes a sponsor will soon step forward to help lighten the financial load of increasingly frequent international competitions. Starting next year, the ProFit triathlete will transition to the women’s category at the age of 16, with what the Lebanese Triathlon Federation already anticipates will be a “packed” season.
Future in Her Legs
At 15, most teenagers are still deciding which sport to sign up for. Mia Sahioun, for her part, has already found her battleground: 750 meters of swimming, around twenty kilometers of cycling, and a solid running finish—repeated across races, countries, and seasons.
With her national titles, podiums in Abu Dhabi and Fujeirah, top West Asian ranking, and continental ambitions, the young Lebanese athlete checks all the boxes of a future star of regional triathlon. The real question now is whether Lebanon will be able to keep pace with its “golden girl,” or whether she, like so many before her, will carry the weight of a rising career on her own shoulders, sprinting toward a future already moving at full speed.
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