Nourishing an Olympic dream

DUBAI: Four years ago if anybody had said Omar Nour could participate in a triathlon it would have been brushed off as a joke with the 33-year-old Egyptian weighing over 100kgs.

Cut to the present and Nour has made waves becoming the first Egyptian professional triathlete at any distance and is the first to race on the prestigious International Triathlon Union pro circuit.

"I was a heavy guy. I was putting on lot of weight. One day I was getting into my car and my suit pants ripped. It happened twice and that's when I said to myself I have to do something about it," said Nour, who was in Abu Dhabi to participate in the region's first twilight triathlon held at the Yas Marina circuit.

"The reason I got into triathlon is for weight loss. I worked hard and lost around 15 kilos in four months. I started feeling good and great. That's when I began focusing seriously on triathlon," added Nour, who trains in the US under coach Neil Henderson.

His immediate target now is to qualify for the 2012 London Olympics which is a tough task considering the difficult qualification process and if he succeeds he will be the first Egyptian to do so in the triathlon event.

Different goals

"Since a couple of years I have been working very hard to qualify for the Olympics. Mauritius was a very big opportunity for me to secure the slot, but obviously that was a little bit of a disappointment since I could not achieve it.

"But triathlon teaches you to accept and move on quickly. It's a long process and numerically speaking I still have a chance. I shall return to the US and discuss with my coach about the possibilities but if I don't get to participate in 2012, I will try real hard for 2016."

Besides the Olympic dream, Nour has some interesting goals planned for himself. "For me it's very important to win at the highest level since I'm a very competitive person. I want to make a difference in other people's lives. Like at the Tri Yas I gave speeches and spoke to people and helped the first-timers. After finishing the race I went straight to the kids and gave them some drills for their race.

"That's what I want to do. I want to get involved with children, health and fitness. I have made wrong choices and rectified it. I want to share that with everyone."

Praising the second annual Tri Yas triathlon where he finished second in the men's Olympic category, Nour said: "It was unbelievable and a truly one-of-its-kind experience. Competing in such a venue is a brilliant feeling. In triathlon you are in the middle of nowhere and you are alone most of the time. But here it was unbelievable since you swim inside the marina and everybody is around you cheering which gives you an immense sense of energy."