Sabrina Ahmed, News Anchor Local 5 News

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sabrina ahmed

Des Moines Mom recognizes that moms wear a lot of hats. You are a mom, wife, friend, diaper changer, nose wiper, meal planner, lost toy finder, the list goes on and on!

This summer we are thrilled to feature some local moms who are thinking outside the box and making a difference in our community through the businesses they own, organizations they are involved with, and work they do. Check out the rest of the series and read profiles from previous years here

Sabrina Ahmed is a morning anchor for Local News 5. She is also mom to 16-month-old twins. 

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your family.

My name is Sabrina and I am a mom, wife, and morning anchor at Local 5 News. My husband and I are proud parents of 16-month-old twins! Beau and Bella are incredibly sweet, have huge personalities, and keep us very busy. We live in Des Moines, we love our neighborhood, and are incredibly grateful for the community we have. I am one of seven kids, my parents and all my siblings live here, too. It takes a village, right?

What do you consider the biggest challenge of motherhood to be? Biggest joy? 

The biggest challenge I’ve found of motherhood is balance. I am constantly thinking about keeping my kids on schedule, paying attention to what they eat, making sure they are playing with the right toys, getting outside enough, are being shown enough kindness without creating entitled children… all the things. The struggle for me is making sure I pay enough attention to those things without obsessing over every move. I know I need to let go and allow the process to happen a bit more. It’s easier said than done sometimes.

The biggest joy is seeing each and every milestone. While the pandemic has brought a huge set of challenges for everyone, one good thing to come from it is the chance to slow down. I’m able to pay attention to every new word they say, every shape they put in the right hole, every animal sound they mimic. It brings so much joy to both my husband and me as we watch them turn into little humans right before our eyes. And they’re funny!!

How long have you been a reporter? Is it something you always wanted to do?

I have worked in TV for ten years and I absolutely love it. Being able to wake up with our viewers every morning, share the most important news happening that day, but also put a smile on peoples’ faces is a gift. It’s hard work. The hours are demanding and exhausting.  But I’ve wanted to be a journalist since I was young, and this is the perfect mix for me.

What’s the best part about your job?

Two things: The hours. My job (while not flexible in the early morning hours) allows me to be home with my kids every afternoon. I am still a nursing mom, and I get to be there to feed them for the majority of their feedings. We get to go to the park or the zoo or the spray ground every afternoon, and that has allowed me to get the best of both worlds. 

Journalism matters. Facts matter. We need honest, fair, unbiased reporting. Local journalism brings issues to light that impact us every single day. We get to tell the stories of people doing incredible things right in our own community and focus on things we have the ability to change and make better. It is an honor to take on that responsibility.

What’s the hardest part about your job?

The hours. When the alarm goes off at 3 am, it hurts. But after a cup of coffee (or two), I start to come to life. Going to bed at 8:30 doesn’t make me the most exciting wife on the planet, but we get the weekends to spend more time in the evenings together. It just makes Monday’s alarm hurt a little bit more.

What do you wish you knew when you started?

I wish I realized how important community would be to raising a family. When I started in this industry, I thought I would want to get to the biggest market possible and someday work for a network. The older I get, the more I realize that’s not for me. I want to raise kids in a place where my family is (my whole family is still in Des Moines). I care about having a sidewalk in front of our house and waving at our neighbors when they walk their dog in the morning. I thrive when my community is doing well, and I feel a need to help when my community is hurting. I just wish 21-year-old me knew how great Des Moines is.

What do you love about raising a family in Des Moines? 

Everything I could ever want in life, Des Moines has. We have incredible parks, the trail system is one of the best in the country, and we have wonderful local restaurants (food is my love language). In a single day, we can start at the Farmer’s Market for breakfast, pick up everything to make a locally grown lunch, be home in time for naps (see above for my obsession with staying on schedule), get to the pool or the zoo, and go out to dinner at a world-class restaurant. Did I mention we never left our neighborhood?

Quick Takes:

Favorite local restaurant – Aposto

Best place to take kids – Blank Park Zoo

Favorite summer activity – swimming

What’s the last show you watched, thing you listened to, or book you read? Currently reading People You Meet on Vacation

How/where do you relax? – stress relief for me is running (Adrian Williams on the Peloton Tread is my best friend, he just doesn’t know it). But I also Wakonda Pool.

If your life had a hashtag, what would it be? #SendCoffeeAndWine

Know a Des Moines mom we should feature? Let us know! Email [email protected] with details and we will be in touch.

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