Saudi Arabian competing in Ironman Canada for disabled children – Penticton Western
Not too long ago Alwaleed Alkeaid was a couch potato.
He admits this smiling just before he was about to begin the Subaru five kilometer run with 664 other participants on Thursday afternoon.
“Now I’m going to be an Ironman,” said Alkeaid, the first person from Saudi Arabia to compete in the event.
As Alkeaid approached the finish line, he made a beeline for his father Saleh and hugged him. Crossing the finish line didn’t enter his mind until he was reminded to. After finally finishing the race, the 22-year-old joined his father and made a $ 500 donation to Judy Sentes executive director for the Okanagan Similkameen Neurological Society Child Development Centre.
His motivation for competing in Ironman comes from a few people, Dick and Rick Hoyt, the father and son team who have participated in nearly a 1,000 Ironman events with Rick being disabled with Cerebral Palsy, as well as disabled children.
“I’m getting really psyched because I have been dreaming about this for the past year,” said Alkeaid, who saw a video of the Hoyt’s and that gave him the idea to compete.
Until moving to Canada for school, Alkeaid, who grew up in the capital city of Riyadh, had never seen a disabled person.
“Something about disabled kids motivated me and gave me the strength,” said Alkeaid, who was enjoying the atmosphere of Ironman.
Check Wednesdays issue of the Penticton Western News for the full story.