Abu Dhabi: In a country where obesity and diabetes have become prevalent diseases among teenage Emiratis, 42-year-old Eisa Al Raisi is just the sort of inspirational figure his young compatriots need.
Having run 42km in the Barcelona Marathon on March 6, six days later health-freak Al Raisi arrived home the same morning of the Abu Dhabi International Triathlon, and neither a long, tiring flight nor a troublesome cold could stop him from competing in a 750-metre swim, 50km cycle and a 5km run Sprint Challenge, which was the event's new addition this year.
Home challenge
"I would have been ashamed of myself if I hadn't taken part in an event being held in the UAE," Al Raisi told XPRESS. "It was certainly a challenge for me and Alhamdulilah I did it.
He added: "It was a long journey back with a stopover in Qatar and my cold was pretty bad. But my country had spent Dh33 million and I said if I can go to Barcelona to compete in a marathon there, how can I not take part in an event being held in my own country."
The effort was certainly worth it, he felt. "When you reach the finish and they announce your name and country, you really feel proud," he said.
Al Raisi's life has revolved around sport since his childhood days. He played for the youth football team in Al Ain for eight years before a serious knee injury made him give up his favourite sport. He then took to endurance horse-riding for a while before a couple of colleagues encouraged him to take up running and eventually triathlon a few years ago. And there's a very good reason for his sporting drive. "I want to avoid things like cholesterol, diabetes, high blood pressure as my mother and elder brother are both diabetic," he said.
"I read about school kids being obese and I see youngsters with big bellies. It's all to do with too much fast food and not much exercise. That's why I always look to encourage friends and others to take up sport," he said. "I'm happy to have a wife who supports me by making healthy food for me."
But this father of five, who is employed with the Abu Dhabi government, says he has a tough time keeping his kids away from fast food. "I have to bring [fast-food] for them once a month at least, but even then I try to show them the dangers of eating it."
