Could your story inspire a nation at the Abu Dhabi International Triathlon?
Friday 17 January 2014, 2:58PM
By IMG Consulting
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Event Organisers Urge Athletes To Share Motivational Stories For A Chance To Win Trip To UAE Capital Event
For the second year running, the Abu Dhabi International Triathlon is urging aspiring athletes with motivational stories to share their experiences for the chance to win a coveted place at the world’s most glamorous triathlon.
Event organiser, Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi) is seeking 10 extraordinary athletes to participate in the March 15th triathlon to help inspire a nation. Applicants can be athletes who have made exceptional contributions to their community or charity through sport, provide selfless assistance to others or have personally overcome great adversity with courage and determination.
Last year, the event received over 100 entries from inspirational triathletes globally. One of the 10 selected was Brit, Paul Gardner, who displayed incredible strength and resilience in the face of misfortune. Suffering severe injuries after being hit by joy riders in a stolen car, Paul put sport at the core of his rehabilitation. Gaining motivation through fundraising for the hospice that cared for his late mother who died of breast cancer, Paul fought back from the accident to tackle triathlon. Never letting his physical problems stand in his way, he has competed for GB as part of the World Championship Age Group team and trained as a Level II coach.
“I compete with uneven leg lengths, a 12 inch nail in my right leg, a pin in one ankle and a plate in my arm. When it goes well I don’t think about them, when it gets challenging, I remind myself that I’m doing all this despite them,” he said.
Similarly courageous is 27-year-old Frenchman Gregory Jousset who was chosen as a result of his fighting spirit and passion for sport. Sustaining serious injury while working as a fireman in Paris, Gregory credited his speedy recovery to triathlon which helped rebuild his physical fitness.
Being electrocuted, falling from a height equivalent to two floors up and suffering severe burns was not going to keep the disciplined athlete away from his love of triathlon. Rather, Gregory used his circumstance as a means to push himself beyond his limits, setting himself a series of challenges – one being the Abu Dhabi International Triathlon.
Gregory said: “To make sure I didn’t get down, I did everything I could to come back as quickly as possible to show people that triathletes don’t give up that easily.”
Prizes for the ‘Inspire Athletes’ packages include return economy flights to Abu Dhabi with the UAE’s award-winning national airline, Etihad Airways, plus four nights’ accommodation at the five-star Khalidiya Palace Rayhaan by Rotana, as well as free entry to the event. Winners will experience one of the world’s finest triathlons and be treated to the emirate’s famed Arabian hospitality on a hosted excursion.
A record-breaking 2,050 athletes from 76 countries took part in last year’s Abu Dhabi International Triathlon, the biggest field to date, with world elites and first timers competing shoulder-to-shoulder for a shot at one of the sport’s richest prizes.
To enter, email inspire@abudhabitriathlon.com by (3rd February 2014).
Now in its fifth year, Abu Dhabi is looking to attract more than 2,000 athletes from across the globe to compete, including many of the world’s top elites.
Nominees have the choice of participating in any of the three distances available including; the 223km ‘long course’ (3km swim, a 200km cycle and 20km run), the half-length ‘short’ course (1.5km swim, a 100km cycle and a 10 km run) and the sprint course (750m swim, a 50km bike and 5km run). Both the ‘short’ and the ‘sprint’ can be run as a team relay.
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Dubbed an ‘Instant Classic’ after its 2010 debut, the superstars of Triathlon continue to make their way to Abu Dhabi with reigning Olympic Champion Alistair Brownlee and his brother Jonathan, 2011 World Champion both confirmed to open their seasons in the Emirates at the 2014 event.
Next year’s Abu Dhabi International Triathlon marks its fifth anniversary, with a record number of entries and participants set to take part in the spectacular sporting experience. With two months to go until the event, over 70% of places have already been snapped up.
The 2013 Abu Dhabi International Triathlon will start with a sunrise swim in the Arabian Gulf’s shimmering turquoise waters off Abu Dhabi’s Blue Flagged public beach, before weaving through closed roads along the Corniche Beach, up to the spectacular Yas Island and around the Yas Marina Circuit – home to the annual Formula 1™ Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - before returning to the heart of the UAE capital.
Winners will need to be available to travel to the UAE between 10th and 16th March and have the relevant visas and travel documents. All entries need to be submitted by 3rd February 2014 (midnight UK time) and the winner will be announced on 5th February 2014. The lucky winners must be willing to tell and share their inspirational story with the triathlon community. Winners will be selected by a panel of judges from the event management team, and their decisions are final.
*Terms & Conditions apply
Enter the competition by emailing your story to inspire@abudhabitriathlon.com
Enter the event
Organisers have frozen athlete registration fees for the fifth year in a row. Athletes interested in entering should visit www.abudhabitriathlon.com and, after clicking on the ENTER NOW link, simply follow the instructions. Entry fees for the long and short distances are US$190 (AED 695) and US $130 (AED 475) respectively, while Sprint course rates are US$75 (AED 275) for individuals and US $120 (AED440) for a team. The fee for the team relay is US$280 (AED1,022).
Abu Dhabi International Triathlon – www.abudhabitriathlon.com
Organised by Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority, the Abu Dhabi International Triathlon was dubbed an ‘instant classic’ by the world’s media and ‘The World’s Most Glamorous Triathlon’ by top triathlon website, www.TriRadar.com, after the inaugural 2010 race. In 2011 the event doubled participation from its first year to 1,500 triathletes from 51 nations, with a 65-strong elite field that boasted 24 World Championships, 50 Ironman titles and over 100 national titles. In 2012, the event secured a record breaking 1,855 athletes, while 2013 saw over 2,000 entrants – ensuring its status as one of the world’s top international events.
The Abu Dhabi International Triathlon course has been designed to showcase the beauty of the UAE capital city to the world and help push the emirate’s credentials as a leading alternative winter training base for athletes of all calibres.
Starting with a sunrise swim in the Arabian Gulf’s shimmering turquoise waters off Abu Dhabi’s blue flagged public beach, the course then weaves through the closed roads along the Abu Dhabi Corniche beach, up to the spectacular Yas Island and around the Yas Marina Circuit – home to the annual Formula 1™ Eithad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - before returning to the heart of the capital.
Online:
Visit: www.visitabudhabi.ae
Twitter: http://twitter.com/AbuDhabiTri
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Abu-Dhabi-International-Triathlon
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/AbuDhabiTriathlon