Published: Sun. August 28, 2022, 7:33 PM
Last updated: Mon. August 29, 2022, 5:02 PM
Dharmajan Patteri, a resident of Dubai, earned the Ironman name after effectively completing what is one of the toughest one-day sporting occasions in the world. the area of 16 hours and 30 minutes.
The race, which took place in Nur Sultan, the capital of Kazakhstan, brought together professional athletes and sports enthusiasts from around the world.
“It wasn’t just a matter of physical endurance,” the 46-year-old said. our minds to finish.
The race on August 14, the 5th anniversary of my father’s death. I gained from him my love for the game and sought to dedicate my name to it. So I persevered. “
Originally from the southern Indian state of Kerala, Patteri landed in Dubai in 2007 and had no idea how the city would replace his life. “When I was given here, I didn’t have the perception of having compatibility,” he said. I play football and cricket in college, so I felt like I was a pretty compatible person. “
The accountant’s first contact with physical activity took the form of the Dubai Marathon. “At the time, the fun race was 3km,” Patteri said. “My friend and I would be fun to try.
The first kilometer was wonderful and we ran with a lot of enthusiasm. In the kilometer at the moment, we may only see the young little ones who overtake us. That’s when we realized how out of shape we were.
From that moment on, Patteri began running and participated in several local races, in addition to the 10 km Dubai Marathon. “After a while, I started getting bored of running,” he admits. “I used the same muscles and felt like I needed a change. My favorite places were Mamzar Park and Creek Park. I started seeing other people swimming and biking around them. So I made the decision to give it a try. “
He thanks local track and cycling teams like Dubai Creek Striders and Dubai Riders for helping him on his journey. “These support teams have helped me tremendously with my technique,” he said.
The turning point in Patteri’s life came in 2017, when he lost his father and a colleague that same year.
“It was a massive wake-up call,” he said. My father had become a very inactive user after retiring and I felt this had contributed to his untimely death. My colleague was a young man who had everything a man could want in life. However, his life was also cut short due to fitness problems. These sudden deaths shook me and I knew I had to get back in shape.
With renewed interest, Patteri continued his fitness journey. This time I had a goal. ” In my community, it’s not unusual for other seniors to lead sedentary lives,” she said.
“However, here in the UAE, I have been able to see other people of other nationalities over the age of 60 leading a very active and sporting life. I sought to set an example for the people around me. “
In 2019, he started competing in smaller triathlons in Dubai with the aim of eventually competing internationally. However, everything stopped when the Covid-19 pandemic arrived. That year, when the Dubai Fitness Challenge was held, Patteri swam in the open sea.
“It’s the best game for the situation,” he said. Open sea, massive social distancing and no other restrictions. “He swam 2 km each day of the 30-day challenge.
Patteri admitted that preparing for the Ironman festival was one of the most disciplined things he had ever done.
“The total education program lasted 6 months,” he said. At first, I trained about five hours a day. I had to manage work and life between education. I had to be careful not to get sick.
I went to bed every day around 7:00 p. m. m. o 8:00 p. m. I turned down a lot of invitations to social events. I learned a lot about nutrition, fitness and physiotherapy those six months. It was hard. “
When, in spite of everything, he started running, he had to face many unforeseen challenges. “The swim went well,” Patteri said. But biking and running was another story. .
Halfway through, however, I started having pain in my knee. At the end of the race, I only reached 17 km/h. I still had to run the marathon after that, so I fixed it.
The marathon was a natural test of his courage. “I had to take two painkillers to be able to continue,” he said. “But I was determined to finish. When I got to that last line, it was the most productive. “feeling in the world.
For Patteri, the mantra of his life is simple: “What you can do for your young people is invest in two things,” he said.
“One is his education and the other is his own health. I am determined to keep running and maintain my health. My long-term purpose in life is to run a marathon at 80.
I am very encouraged by this quote from His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum: In the race for excellence, there is no finish line. Similarly, there is no physical compatibility goal for me.
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