Meet a Rising Triathlete and National Champ: Alumna Ramona Khalife (BArch ‘18)

Interior Architecture alumna Ramona Khalife (BArch ‘18) never conformed to one title or role. A designer at heart, she preferred to maintain her passion for trends in interior, graphic and fashion design alive through her day job as an academic assistant for the Foundation Program at the LAU School of Architecture and Design, rather than be limited to a job in a design firm.

Beyond the university’s working hours, Khalife runs breathless—quite literally—feeding another lifelong passion: Training. Starting at the age of four when she first joined her parents for runs, she remembers waiting eagerly for the weekend so she could conquer the 400-meter track, which, back then, felt like she had “conquered the world.”

Not long after, at the age of seven, Khalife won her first cycling tournament, opening the door for her to feel the thrill of accomplishment, setting goals and working hard to achieve them. The rest is history: From national and regional marathons and races, Khalife was crowned on podiums and continued to build momentum and stamina.

As the world slowed down during the pandemic, instead of stopping, Khalife took a new interest in triathlons. While cycling and running were second nature to her, swimming posed a new challenge, both physically and culturally.

“Since I dress modestly and wear the headscarf, it was not always easy to get access to pools in order to train, especially in the midst of health restrictions, when most pools were closed,” explained Khalife. She ended up searching for training routines online and finding means to access the sea. “I even designed and produced my own athletic wear,” she added.

Khalife ended up rising to the top ranks at triathlons, locally and internationally, where she represented Lebanon at the West Asia Triathlon Championship in Kuwait. In 2022, she secured the Lebanese Triathlon Championship title and most recently, in June 2025, won the first spot at the Lebanese National Time Trial Cycling Championship.

One of Khalife’s guiding principles is encouraging young women and girls to persevere and become athletes, and to help them overcome some of the obstacles that she had to tackle.

“My goal is to see young girls empowered by their athletic capabilities and to believe in their potential,” she said. Back in 2018, she had started training children and young women who have gone on to participate in high-profile races. Khalife started “#RunWRamona,” a grassroots inititive that provides free athletic coaching and mentorship to young women.

She also served on the Women’s Committee of the Lebanese Triathlon Federation, completed multiple international coaching certification and volunteered with youth through the UN’s peacekeeping outreach.

Today, Khalife is grateful for her family’s support, and for the encouragement she receives from her colleagues at LAU, including her supervisor, Director of the Foundation Program Silia Abou Arbid.