Even though the Department of Recreational Sports serves a large portion of Oregon State's population, there's a good chance you've seen Dawood Al-Abadi here before. Growing up in Saudi Arabia, Dawood moved to Corvallis when he was twenty to pursue an engineering degree, but has since switched to finance. He sports a diverse range of passions, most of which revolve around physical activity, and Dixon Rec Center. "Rec Sports is great for me because I can lift, run, and play any sport there," he says. "It's convenient and perfect." Although Dawood's current interest is gymnastics, his favorite sport to play is badminton. "I try to learn a new sport every term," he says. "Physical activity is important to me because it makes me strong, fit, and healthy."
Dawood's greatest passion since moving to Corvallis has been the outdoors. "I didn't like hiking and nature until I came to Corvallis," he says, "but now, the outdoors brings me happiness and peace. In some ways, it's an escape from life." 
Dawood tells a story of a special place for him - Crater Lake - and two chance meetings he had there one winter day. The first was on the drive when he came across a couple struggling to change a flat tire. "It was cold and snowy," he says, "so I stopped to help them. A few days later, I got a text from the man, who had sent me a picture of himself proposing to his girlfriend at Crater Lake. It meant a lot to me to be able to help them on their way to such an important moment in their lives."
 


Later in the day, Dawood was hiking along the rim of the crater looking for a spot to watch the sunset. "It was a specific place, and the snow was very deep and I didn't have snowshoes, so my progress was slow. I came upon this old man who had a GPS. He pointed me in the right direction and asked if he could watch the sunset with me, on the condition that he'd cook us dinner."
"It turned out to be the ideal night. The sky was so clear, and we sat and watched the sunset and then the stars appear overhead. I don't think a moment like that will happen again," he says. "The old man told me amazing stories of adventure from his life. He was a role model and an inspiration to me. It was a perfect night."


In some ways, Dawood says, "sharing moments with other people, and hearing their stories, is worth more to me than my degree. It changes me when I hear about other people's experiences, and makes me become a more diligent person when I see other people's struggles." 
 
Later that night Dawood and the old man packed up and hiked back down to their cars. "I was amazed," Dawood says, "when my new friend took a tent out of his car and set it up in the snow. He wasn't afraid of spending the night in the cold or dark, and I admired him for that."