Dubai: UAE triathlete Ahmad Al Fahim is hoping to inspire more Emiratis to get into the sport when he takes part in the Ironman 70.3 season-opener in Dubai on Friday.
Former local Motocross and jet-ski title-holder Al Fahim, 37, only started the sport a year ago but has already qualified for September’s Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA.
“It’s been a year of hard work and accomplishments at a competitive level but the big gain for us triathletes is the resilience you gain, the physical strength and the adoption of this very healthy lifestyle that becomes the axes of your life,” he said.
“Despite having done sport since I was a kid, I am proud to say that I am much fitter now than I have ever been in my life, it’s an amazing feeling, and what is so wonderful about it is that all kinds of people can achieve the same.
“Performance comes with training and more training, there is no mystery around it. Of course, when you become a professional athlete you must take on more specific training to develop special aspects of your racing.
“I wish to see more Emiratis adopting the sport and Inshallah in a few years we will have a larger number of UAE national elite athletes, but also and very importantly healthier people transferring good values and healthy habits to our younger generations.”
Dubai kicks off a 106-stage year-long season of Half Ironman events, starting with a 1.9-km swim, 90-km cycle and a 21.1-km run along Jumeirah.
Five-time International Triathlon Union (ITU) world champion Javier Gomez Noya of Spain headlines the US$100,000 event, alongside 2008 Ironman 70.3 world champion Terenzo Bozzone of New Zealand. Last year’s event was won by 2008 Olympic champion Jan Frodeno, while the women’s race was won by Swiss double world champion Daniela Ryf, who is favourite again.
