What is Challenge Roth?
It is one of the biggest triathlons in the world, like the Ironman series. It takes place in Roth, Germany, every July. Over 3,000 individuals and 650 relay teams take part in it.
What is the distance you covered?
Well, I swam 3.8 kilometres, cycled 180 kilometres and ran a full marathon which is 42 kilometres – all within a day.
How did you get to take part?
I am part of Tri-Dubai, the popular triathlon community in Dubai. We were 10 of us in all at the Challenge from here.
Did you have to undergo any special training?
Yes, I have been training for over a year now. I probably couldn’t have done what I did if I were not living in Dubai. The city is set up for fitness. We have beautiful cycling tracks, a great swimming facility at the Hamdan Sports Complex and some fantastic running tracks. We also have access to a clean sea, which makes swimming for a triathlon perfect.
The weather is good for almost nine months in a year, unlike many other places in the world. And the Government is constantly driving people to get fitter.
What is your takeaway from the triathlon?
Nothing is impossible if you set your mind to it. I always wanted to lose weight but didn’t do anything about it. Then I set myself the goal of doing a full marathon. Not only did I achieve it, I also shed over 35 kilograms - like a by-product almost.
