When Mohamed Belal came to Dubai in 2000, he madeshawarmasfor a living and weighed 108 kilos. Now he weighs 68 kilos, is a fitness ambassador for Bespoke Ride gym and he's training for triathlon world championship.
"In 2013, I became very strict with myself. I heard about triathlon. When I asked my colleagues about it, they laughed at me. That's when I decided to go for it and show them that I can do it better than them," Belal said.
He borrowed a bike from his friend in 2013 and started training on his own.
"I rode my bike from Ras Al Khor to Al Mamzar Park via Emirates road. On Emirates road, the cars were going at 120 kmph and I was riding on the right side of the road from Ras Al Khor to Al Mamzar Park. During my break I would go for a swim. After work, I would ride back to Ras Al Khor. I did this every day," he added.
He even suffered three major accidents during his training. One broke his collar bone, another gave him a short term memory loss. But he still didn't give up.
He has qualified twice for Ironman 70.3 triathlon world championship but he couldn't participate due to lack of funds. This year he hopes to find a sponsor.
His message for fitness freaks? Sign up for a competition.
"Look for a competition and sign up for it. It can be any competition. When you sign up for something you will have a target and you will train yourself for that target."
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By Nilanjana Gupta
