Rewind four years, to the start of our journey. My friends and I founded the Desert Shield Community Team, the first obstacle course racing team of its kind in the UAE. We started with a vision to promote a healthy and active lifestyle for ourselves and those around us. Since then, we’ve shared our passion with our immediate community and competed internationally, rubbing shoulders with the world’s best for the last three years at the Spartan World Championship in Lake Tahoe.
Fast forward to today, we are on the cusp of making history, as we anticipate the opening of the first OCR gym in the UAE and the first Dekafit by Spartan Gym in the Middle East. Thanks to the Abu Dhabi Ports, our gym will stand proudly in an iconic location and will be installed with state-of-the-art equipment thanks to the Khalifa Fund, who have provided financial support to help turn our dream into a reality.
A combination of our internal drive and the external support of our leadership and government has got us to where we are today. The Sports Councils throughout the country have been very supportive and in particular, the Abu Dhabi Department of Community Development as well as the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, Dubai Sports Council have been with us every step of the way, providing us with crucial support alongside many other Government authorities and in particular the health authority. We want to make a positive and tangible change in the United Arab Emirates. We believe our message and our facilities can help tackle obesity and diabetes to help make a positive lifestyle change among our peers.
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, said it best at a community cycling event a few years back, “the most important thing is that everyone is happy.” So now you’ve heard the story so far and the dream we set out to achieve, we want to invite you to be a part of our destiny. Help us to shape the future of health and fitness in our country and train with us so you too can be Race Ready!
