Determined not to feel old, these residents embrace sports

Contrary to the popular saying "as the twig is bent, so grows the tree", several endurance athletes in Abu Dhabi did not embrace sports till middle age with some even starting after 60.

- Haneen Dajani

Dr Ziad Kassem was a man of few words, anxious nature, and could barely run 3km. After becoming a regular athlete at 65 and finishing his first full marathon (42.1km) at 67, the gains he enjoyed exceeded the emotional satisfaction and losing excess weight. He got rid of the stress and anxiety that prevented him from even taking a sip of coffee.

"Caffeine disturbed me before; now I am the king of coffee! I can enjoy it anytime and not feel agitated," said the 68-year-old dentist.

"Sports also made me more social. I wasn't very chatty, now I enjoy engaging in interesting topics with others." The Lebanese expat began his fitness journey after one of his patients invited him to join her community group Abu Dhabi Running Team (ADRT) in 2021.

"I enjoyed the community spirit and fun vibes and making new friends. I also lost around 8kg; all of that got me hooked to sports and pushed me to try new challenges." Dr Kassem described how he relived fun childhood memories by taking on cycling and swimming.