ULTIMATE FITSPIRATION
SHEIKH HAMDAN LAUDS DUO WHO RAN 45KM, SWAM 10KM EVERY DAY FOR DFC
Out of the over 1.5 million residents who took up the Dubai Fitness Challenge (DFC) this year, a duo stood out: Two high- endurance athletes who pushed themselves to the limit for their 30x30 feat.
Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, on Tuesday took to social media to thank everyone who participated in the DFC, which concluded on November 28.
As he posted his message of gratitude, he named two stars of the challenge: Ghani Souleyman from Togo who ran 45km every day, and Filipino Paolo Mangilinan who swam 10km daily for 30 days.
Meet the athletes
Mangilinan, an endurance swimming coach and Dubai resident for 10 years, swam for four hours daily along the coast of Dubai. There was even a day when he swam from Kite Beach all the way to the World Islands.
“It was really an honour to receive these kind words from Sheikh Hamdan today,” he said.
Sharing his 30x30 routine, he told Khaleej Times: “I would start my swim at 6.30am and would end by 9.30am.”
Meanwhile, Souleyman, an endurance runner from Togo, said: “I felt very good hearing from Sheikh Hamdan. I really appreciate the kind gesture and have a lot of gratitude towards him for organising this event despite the pandemic.”
The endurance athlete and trainer shared footage of his runs on the Instagram handle @ghanisouley and inspired many others to run as well.
On the first day of the Fitness Challenge, he did an ultramarathon on Kite Beach. He would wake up at 2am, run 45 km and then head to work.