When Mohammed Al-Saleem participated in the YES program in 2014, he had no idea that it would set him on a path that would one day take him to the Paris Olympics. At that time, sports were not on his radar. In fact, he wasn’t much of a fan of athletics at all. But his year in the U.S. changed everything. In an interview conducted by YES alumna Adhwaa Alabdulkarim ’18 with Mohammed Al-Saleem ’15, Mohammed takes us through his journey from being a high school exchange student in the U.S. to representing Saudi Arabia at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Once he arrived in America, Mohammed found himself in a household that lived and breathed sports. His host family played a huge role in introducing him to American sports culture. Mohammed’s host brother, who attended the same high school as him, encouraged him to get involved, and soon, Mohammed was attending practices and games with his new family. He wasn’t just a bystander either—he jumped right in, even if he wasn’t always the one on the field, he would volunteer. He was an assistant coach for basketball and played defense in football. But it was the spring season that introduced him to a sport he had never really considered: baseball.

It was his host father’s love for the game that drew Mohammed in. Along with his host brother, he joined the school’s baseball team and, for the first time, really learned how to play. To his surprise, he loved it. “I’m so grateful to my host family for encouraging me to try something new,” he recalls.

After returning to Saudi Arabia, Mohammed left the sports world behind and focused on his studies, enrolling at King Saud University to become a paramedic. He graduated in 2019, but his passion for baseball hadn’t faded. Around that time, the Saudi Baseball and Softball Federation was just getting off the ground. With a bit of free time on his hands, Mohammed decided to approach the Federation and ask if he could join a team, hoping to get back into playing the sport he had grown to love in the U.S.

What happened next was unexpected. The Federation saw how knowledgeable he was about baseball, thanks to his time in the U.S., and instead of just letting him join a team, they offered him a job. Soon, Mohammed was organizing events, setting up the baseball league, and even helping coordinate a visit from the U.S. Embassy. His role in the Saudi baseball community continued to expand, and eventually, the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee took notice and officially recruited him.

In 2024, Mohammed was nominated by his manager to join the Saudi delegation at the Paris Olympics, where he took charge of coordination for the athletes, particularly the equestrian team. Being in Paris and representing his country on the global stage was surreal for Mohammed. “It was an amazing experience,” he says, “and something I never could have imagined for myself back in 2014.”

Reflecting on his journey, Mohammed says that his time with YES played a huge role in shaping who he is today. The open and welcoming culture he experienced in the U.S. gave him the confidence to try new things without fear of judgment, and it’s this mindset that led him to approach the Baseball Federation in the first place. “If it wasn’t for YES, I don’t think I would have had the courage to walk into the Federation and ask to play,” he admits.

Looking to the future, Mohammed is determined to help make sports more accessible in Saudi Arabia. He believes that sports reflect a country’s progress—its infrastructure, its education, and its culture—and he hopes to play a role in fostering that growth. “We’ve come a long way in the past few years, and there’s still more to be done,” he says. “I hope I can be a part of that change.”

For Mohammed, the lessons he learned through YES go far beyond sports. The program broadened his perspective on life, making him more flexible, open-minded, and willing to take risks. He believes that the smallest decisions can have the biggest impact. In his case, one decision to join the YES program set off a chain of events that eventually led him to the Olympics.

When asked what advice he has for current YES students and alumni, Mohammed keeps it simple: “Don’t be afraid to try new things. Life has so many possibilities. Push yourself, and embrace every opportunity YES gives you.” He also encourages parents to support their children in joining the program. “Trust your kids—they’ll come back better versions of themselves, ready to contribute to their country.”

One of the most important lessons Mohammed carries with him is that intentions shape everything. He believes that going into any experience with positive intentions and an open heart changes the way it unfolds. “Having good intentions, loving your people and your country—that mentality will shape your experience. It’s what makes the difference,” he explains. And that is what he encourages new YES students to focus on as they go through their YES journey.

For Mohammed Al-Saleem, YES was more than just a cultural exchange—it was the starting point of a journey that took him from an American high school baseball field to the global stage of the Paris Olympics. And if there’s one thing he’s learned, it’s that you never really know where life is going to take you. You just have to be ready to say yes to new experiences.

Mohammed Al-Saleem (YES 2014-2015, Saudi Arabia, placed by YFU in Muskegon, MI)

Adhwaa Alabdulkarim (YES 2017-2018, Saudi Arabia, placed by CIEE in Schuylerville, NY)