Dubai: The father-son combination of Nick Watson and his son Rio, called Team Angel Wolf, accomplished the ‘Climb With Rio’ challenge this weekend in four hours and 43 minutes - a mission to spread the message of stay at home, stay safe and stay fit during the COVID-19 pandemic.
With Rio, who is a person of determination strapped on his back, father Nick walked 118 times up and down the stairs of their home, the equivalent of climbing the Burj Khalifa.
As part of the initiative, Nick and Rio encouraged people from all over the world to get involved and take on their own climb-a-thon, by choosing an iconic landmark without having to leave their homes.
Thousands of people joined the Team Angel Wolf challenge, helping to participate in their own way over the weekend via Instagram and Facebook live. Schools challenged their children and entire families walked together up and down the stairs of their homes to see how many times the combined efforts could complete the Burj Khalifa climb. There was also lots of support from others around the world which created an inclusive event.
‘’This has been completely different to what we have ever experienced before in a race or a challenge; even though we, and hundreds of others, did the challenge separately, there was a real sense of togetherness and not being alone; which feels unique at the moment. I have to admit it was 4 hours and 43 minutes of pure discomfort yet pure joy; as however uncomfortable it got (and it did) Rio totally motivated and fuelled me, his excitement, enthusiasm and appreciation of each given moment gave me energy to keep going’’ said Nick.
With another achievement under their belt, Team Angel Wolf will continue their quest to promote healthy lifestyle. ‘‘I can not express how grateful we are to all those in our global community that came together and embraced the challenge of Climb With Rio and took it on in their own way, safely at home... I am speechless; thank you. We are very proud of every single person that gave the challenge a go!”, said Nick.
Who are Team Angel Wolf?
‘Team Angel Wolf’ is the Watson Family comprising of dad Nick, mum Delphine, 13-year-old daughter Tia and son Rio, a 17-year-old teen with severe disabilities and a rare chromosome order. As a family, the Watsons compete in many sporting events across the UAE, taking Rio along to join in the fun to spread awareness and integration of children with disabilities in the UAE to promote sport, health and fitness within the community.
