“My journey as a triathlete began in 2008,” states Mohammed Al Obaidani, CEO of Triathlon Middle East, reflecting on his decade-long tryst with endurance sports. 
He wasn’t, however, new to racing when he got into triathlon, having established his credentials as an athlete during his school years; he’d followed that with a career-defining role in project Oman Sail, before the memorable sail from UK to Oman as a sailor. But it was long distance race that he was nursing all along, when a chance meeting with folks participating in a triathlon event in 2008 got him going. He did his first race with them in Azaiba, but it proved to be a bad start. “I was very slow in the beginning… It took me really long to swim 750 meters,” he recalls.
That, however, worked as a spur rather than as a deterrent. He jumped headlong into the sport, and, during his higher education in the UK in 2010, introduced himself to the ropes of the game. “I met lots of teams in Europe and I became a very competitive triathlete,” he states, pointing out, however, that he had to put his training on hold for a long time, owing to a hamstring injury. His attempt to do the Taiwan Ironman also collapsed due to overtraining, followed by another hamstring injury. It was then that he decided to put the brakes, so to say, and consider taking on the reigns of organising the event, instead of participating in one. And so, in 2013, he decided to bring triathlon back to Oman and initiate his dream of setting up the base for Ironman in Oman.
“THE UPCOMING IRONMAN IS A DREAM COME TRUE…”
For Mohammed, Ironman, as a brand, is more than the sporting discipline it upholds – “It is a lifestyle,” he maintains. “You have to train for three sports and also make time for the gym. Then you have your work, your life… You get to learn how to be disciplined with yourself, your life; how to manage your daily routines – your family, your training and your work. You learn to do time management; learn to be focused on your training and on your family. I think it is one of the best sports in the world to learn how to balance all these together,” he explains.
Reiterating the importance of training and discipline, Nico Aeschimann, Regional Director for Ironman Middle East, who is playing a pivotal role in the upcoming Ironman event, states: “Most athletes have one of the three sports as their favourite or least favourite. But you cannot just focus on your weakest one, as you will then lose on one of the other two. You need to keep the balance. Besides, you need to be disciplined with your rest day the same way as you are disciplined with your training. Yes, it is about stamina, but then again it is also about having a target…a goal for the event you have registered for.”
According to Nico, it is the training that goes into an event of this stature which reflects success in other parts of one’s life. “If you are able to sustain, then you are able to stand difficult situations, whether it is private or professional. It ensures mental toughness,” he adds.
And, to create a right training platform for the upcoming events, the organisers have sought the assistance of volunteers, who are involved in tailoring weekly training sessions.
These training sessions are focused more on building confidence and helping participants enjoy the training, notes Mohammed, pointing out that efforts are also on to involve volunteers to be a part of the event – now and in the coming years. “Through volunteers, we will be able to show the difference between Ironman and other sporting events,” he maintains.
Organised with the support from the Ministry of Tourism, Ironman has already established Oman’s credentials as a sporting destination on the international map. “With a line up of so many international events, Oman is becoming a place not only for leisure but also for adventure tourism,” he points out, adding that the plan is to bring more such events to Oman and turn it into a leading sports destination in the region.
The larger objective, however, is to create awareness regarding endurance sports within the country. It is an education of sort to help youth become fit and healthy, while encouraging them to have a goal in their life – like reaching the finish line in Ironman. “Completing an Ironman competition is not easy… Crossing the finish line is the biggest achievement,” states Mohammed, who lists his participation in the Ironman World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawai’i, last year, as his best experience.
Although more men than women are known to compete in such endurance sports, it is not reflective of physical capabilities of men, states Nico, clarifying that it has more to do with the social fabric of the society. “I studied physical education and I know this has nothing to do with the capability of the body and strength. Rather, it is a social component; it is how families are woven,” he explains, hastening to add that Ironman, as a brand, is so well established that people know it is accessible to both male and female athletes. “Unfortunately the ratios might give a different impression…” he states.
Described as the toughest endurance event in the world of sports, Ironman is more about the ‘iron’ prefixed in the word than the ‘man’ appended to the brand, despite the inequity in the ratio of athletes competing in the sports. As Mohammed quips, “It is not about the man, it is about the iron in it. It is a brand that focuses on becoming ‘iron’ when one finishes 56 miles of biking, 1.2 miles of swimming and 13.1 miles running – completing a total distance of 70.3 in miles.” The inaugural Ironman 5150 event on November 18 is the Olympic distance triathlon – 1.5kms swim, 40kms bike and 10kms run.