Summary
The CMU-Q "Chicken Legs Club" has rapidly grown from a lighthearted gym joke into one of the most active student clubs on campus. Originally published in ILoveQatar.net, this story highlights the club's origins, their inclusive "ladies-only sector," and their record-breaking "Lift 4 Freedom" event for Charity Week 2025, which raised over QR 31,000 in just three hours.
Originally published November 2, 2025 in ILoveQatar.net
By Rikhia Basu
What started as a lighthearted joke between three friends during “leg day” at the Qatar Foundation gym has grown into one of Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar’s most dynamic student clubs. The Chicken Legs Club has transformed from a funny idea into a thriving community that celebrates fitness, friendship, and fun, all while breaking records and inspiring change on campus.
From organizing high-energy events like Lift 4 Freedom during Charity Week 2025 to building an inclusive space where everyone feels welcome, including a ladies-only sector that’s redefining confidence through movement, the club is proving that fitness is about more than just workouts; it’s about unity, purpose, and passion.
The ILoveQatar.net (ILQ) team caught up with the team behind Chicken Legs Club to learn how it all began, what drives their success, and what’s next for this powerhouse student community.
ILQ: Tell us about the Chicken Legs Club, how did it start? Who are the members?
Chicken Legs Club: On 8 January 2025, three CMU-Q friends, Adam Rakab, Ayub Usmonkhonov, and David Bratu, were joking about their “skinny legs” during leg day at the Qatar Foundation gym when the name Chicken Legs was born.
That same night, Adam Rakab, the founder of Chicken Legs, realized that Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar had no established gym clubs. He immediately submitted the application to create one and the rest is history.
The club’s first event, a 100-second bar hang challenge for QR 100, drawing a big crowd, resulting in over 50 sign-ups, and surprisingly saw more female members joining, reinforcing its inclusive spirit.
Today, Chicken Legs has grown into a vibrant fitness community focused on diverse physical activities and a supportive, family-like atmosphere.
The executive team includes siblings Adam (President), Celine (Event Planning Director), Karen (Media & Design Director), and Wassim Rakab (Vice President) — a set of triplets and their brother — along with leaders Sham Homssi (Female President & Outreach Director), Suad Einairat (Finance Director), Ayub Usmonkhonov (Logistics Director), and event ideation leads Sudais Arif and Noor Niknam.
ILQ: What’s the main goal of the club?
Chicken Legs Club: The main goal of Chicken Legs is to build a strong, uplifting community that goes beyond the gym. Chicken Legs is about showing up every day with energy, taking risks, and pushing yourself in whatever you do. We foster a sense of friendly competitiveness that drives everyone to go beyond their limits.
Whether it’s through creative events, challenges, or collaborations, we’re constantly experimenting and finding new ways to bring people together. Our mission is to create a culture on campus where effort, creativity, and consistency are celebrated and everyone feels a part of something bigger than themselves.
ILQ: What motivated your team to participate in Charity Week 2025?
Chicken Legs Club: Our team’s decision to join Charity Week was born from the incredible energy of our previous event. After seeing the massive attention and attendance we received, we knew we had a powerful platform and believed we could, and should, leverage that energy for a good cause.
While we were in the initial stages of planning our own fundraiser, we were approached by the organizers of Charity Week. They were hosting a spirited competition between universities to see who could raise the most funds in a single dedicated week. It was the perfect opportunity.
We channelled our community’s momentum into this new goal, and the results were staggering. Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) ended up reaching #1 as the top-raising university in Education City. We are incredibly proud that our “Chicken Legs” event set its own record, contributing the most funds ever raised in Charity Week’s CMU-Q’s history within a remarkable 3 hour span.
For us, this transformed our platform’s potential into tangible proof, when our community comes together, we can create an incredible impact for causes that matter.
ILQ: Can you walk us through your Charity Week event and how it came together?
Chicken Legs Club: As a student club at Carnegie Mellon University, we’re used to planning events, but Charity Week was different — we were working with a charity organization and representing the university.
We wanted more than “another event”; we wanted to unite people, create energy, and remind everyone why the cause matters. Our original idea, LIFT4PAL, evolved into Lift 4 Freedom for Charity Week. The campus record was QR 20,000, we aimed higher.
Planning with the Muslim Student Association (MSA) required careful coordination. Karen handled media and skits, Suad coordinated with professors, Noor managed IT, Celine tracked tasks in detail, Sudais oversaw logistics, Sham prepared presentations, Wassim directed the team, and Adam managed the website and tracked donations from Pittsburgh.
A final run-through the night before ensured everyone knew their role. The event opened with a speech by Aya Hashem and a prayer by Mohamed ElSayed. By the end of the night, we raised over 31,000 Qatari Riyals, breaking the campus record.
ILQ: How did you manage to raise over QR 31,000 in just 3 hours?
Chicken Legs Club: Raising over QR 31,000 wasn’t down to one thing; it was a mix of ideas coming together. Before the event, Media Director Karen made a hilarious promo video of Wassim “forcing” people to come, which got everyone talking.
We also ran a live stream so students off-campus could join the hype, and our President, Adam Rakab, built a secure donation system on our website, managed remotely with Celine from Pittsburgh.
Two big factors were our leaders taking on wild milestone dares and incredible support from faculty and staff. Most importantly, the trust and engagement of the CMU community made it possible, students knew their time and contributions mattered, creating memories that last beyond university.
ILQ: We heard there were some exciting milestones during the event — can you tell us more?
Chicken Legs Club: The milestones were a huge part of our event and kept the energy high. At QR 10,000, five executives were pied in the face, kicking off the donations. At QR 20,000, one executive shaved their beard for the first time in four years, pushing everyone to donate even more.
At QR 25,000, two more executives shaved their heads live, drawing an even bigger crowd. Finally, at QR 30,000, our president joined in, shaving his head amid chants from the crowd. Each milestone not only boosted excitement but also drove donations, helping us reach a total of QR 31,000.
ILQ: You also held fun challenges with professors and staff. Which moments stood out the most?
Chicken Legs Club: Honestly, the challenges with the professors were some of the funniest and most unforgettable parts of Charity Week. We had them do all sorts of things, from giving their best motivational speeches (and one professor really went all out with it!) to actually racing each other and even roasting one another.
It was hilarious to watch how competitive they got, especially since we usually only see them in serious classroom mode, some of them even brought their kids to join in, which made it even more fun and wholesome.
ILQ: What was the idea behind the raffle, and how did it contribute to fundraising?
Chicken Legs Club: The idea behind the raffle was an engaging and fun activity to have in our charity event where everyone could participate while still having a fitness theme to it. So how it would work is members would pay QR 20 for a chance to win fitness related prizes such as gym bag, protein powder, massage gun, and more!
But what made the raffle truly impactful, was its direct contribution to our fundraising milestones. Since all proceeds went towards charity, participants knew that their contribution had a real and meaningful impact. This meant that even if someone did not have the chance to win our prizes, they were still playing a part in reaching our fundraising milestones and even reaching QR 30,000!
ILQ: What future projects does the club have planned?
Chicken Legs Club: Some future projects that we have planned include a run club. We want to encourage people to be more active and just enjoy exercising together. It would be once or twice a week and open to everyone in Education City. The point is to make movement fun and social, not stressful.
We are also planning to release merchandise for Chicken Legs. People have been asking for it, and we think it would be a great way for students to feel like they are a part of the club. Wearing it is like a reminder that you belong to a community that supports your goals.
Another idea we are working on is possibly opening a CMU protein stand that would be run by Chicken Legs. It’s still in the planning stage, but it would give students quick access to protein snacks and shakes on campus, which fits perfectly with our mission.
ILQ: How can people get involved or support the club?
Chicken Legs Club: Getting involved is easy, students can sign up, join our WhatsApp chats, follow us on Instagram, and check our website at chickenlegs.org for past and upcoming events.
The best way to support the club is by showing up with energy and commitment to our fun, engaging events. Even non-CMU members can collaborate or partner with us. Contact us via Instagram (@chickenlegscmu) or Email ([email protected]).
ILQ: Is there anything else you would like to share with us?
Chicken Legs Club: Our website, Chickenlegs.org, has essential info on our mission, past events, and accomplishments. You can also check our Instagram for promo and recap video.
Two things stand out:
Our Inclusive Community (Ladies-Only Sector): Our ladies-only sector provides an empowering space for female students to train, try new activities, and build confidence. It quickly grew to 60+ members, with highly active WhatsApp groups, and participation often surpassed mixed-group events. Our first official event, sponsored by Checkmat Qatar with elite coaches, drew 50+ attendees, requiring two buses to transport all participants.
Awards & Recognition: In our inaugural semester, we won nearly all major 2025 CMU Student Life Awards, including:
- Tartans’ Spirit Award (Most Active Club)
- Tartans’ Choice Award (Favorite Club)
- Rising Star Award (Best New Club)
- Best Sports & Recreation Club
- Hype Master Award (Best Event Promotion)
- Social Butterfly Award (Best Social Media Presence)
- Crowd Favorite Award (Best Event of the Year, 2nd place)
