She abandoned her existence in the USA to compete in camel races within the UAE. Her aspiration now is to motivate additional female individuals to traverse the same path.
It spans approximately 12,700 kilometers (7,890 miles) from her hometown of Moulton to the Saudi Arabian city of Taif, and only two more journeys are needed for her to triumph in the first-ever women's race at the Crown Prince Camel Festival. This remarkable achievement took place in August 2023, less than a year after she first climbed onto a camel.
Dees, who used to frequently ride horses as a child, is not only a quick learner but also a skilled rider. She expressed her thoughts during an interview with CNN, saying, "It starts with an understanding of animals and an awareness of your own body. Once you've got into the rhythm and you comprehend how the animal is moving and how you can move with the animal, it's quite simple."
Pioneer
Dees relocated to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in 2017, following a vacation that ignited her love for the country. Based in Abu Dhabi, she balances her roles as a business owner, mother, and pioneer in her sport.
Racing camels, a single-humped species also known as the Arabian camel, has been a popular passion in the region for centuries and continues to be both popular and financially lucrative, with prize money reaching millions of dollars.
However, this storied history has been largely dictated by men until recently.
Dees is just one of many success stories to emerge from the UAE's Arabian Desert Camel Riding Center (ADCRC), co-founded by German expat Linda Krockenberger. Krockenberger, who moved to the UAE in 2015, had struggled for years to find a place to ride, only to be turned away due to her gender. In a 2022 interview, she recalled being told, "It will be good if you can dress like a boy."
Krockenberger opened the school in 2021, and it became the first-ever licensed camel riding center in the country. The ADCRC launched the UAE's inaugural all-women camel racing team, sparking Dees' interest.
"I think so many times, particularly around animals, women are seen as too fragile or too feminine to be in that environment," said Dees. "Yes, we can be more fragile and feminine, but we can also be very strong and very brave and be very physically fit in order to ride camels."
'I don't race to win'
Dees has competed in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Saudi Arabia, including the ancient city of AlUla, but will be taking a break from racing with the ADCRC for the upcoming season.
Although there's typically a one to two-month gap between events, Dees maintains a rigorous weekly training routine that focuses on endurance. Progressive trots transform into short and then long runs to build stamina and ensure both the camel and the rider are at their best on race day.
"The outcome of the race is so dependent on the fitness and quality of the camel," Dees explained. "Yes, your riding style, form, and ability play a part, but even the best rider will not win on a camel that is less fit than the camel next to it."
Upon her return next season, Dees will face competitors like Krockenberger, Jordan's Rawan Salah, and French-native Coralie Viroulaud, who won last season's all-women C1 Championship. However, Dees does not view them as rivals. She welcomes the competition because she doesn't race to win, but rather for the enjoyment and to challenge societal perceptions.
"Each international race is a bit bigger," Dees explained. "This means that there are more women who are willing to step out of their comfort zone and who are willing to step out of this very male-dominated sport and prove that yes — women can not only do it, but we can do it very well, we can do it very safely and we can be successful in it as well."
Dees' passion for camel racing stems from her love for sports and animals, as she had a background of frequently riding horses as a child. This sport, being a popular tradition in the region for centuries, has seen a significant shift with the emergence of talented female riders like Dees.
Racing camels has not only become a source of enjoyment for Dees but also an opportunity to challenge stereotypes and prove that women can excel in this male-dominated sport.
