Abu Dhabi (November 27, 2017) – Saturday 25 November saw 228 children from schools across Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Al Ain take part in Race 2 of the Junior Aquathlon series. In its fourth year, the record high entry Abu Dhabi Junior Aquathlon, presented by Daman’s ActiveLife, saw young participants from ages of 4 – 18 years take to the safe waters of Al Bateen Beach.
Organized by Gulf Multi Sports and sponsored by Daman’s ActiveLife, a health and fitness initiative by National Health Insurance Company – Daman’s, the Aquathlon facilitated five category races, namely the Super Sprint, Junior Competitive, Junior Splash and Dash, Beach Blast, and the Tiny Tri Event.
Junior athletes in the Super Sprint, Junior Competitive, and Junior Splash and Dash took to the protected waters of the Al Bateen Public Beach, sprinting into the ocean for a swim, ranging from 50m to 375m. Following the successful swim, the children continued on, running along the beachfront pathways with distances ranging from 100m to 2.5km culminating in a final sprint to the finish line.
With multiple awards handed out to the winners of the categories, nobody went home empty handed, with all participants crossing the finish line receiving a medal and a participation gift. School Awards went to Raha International School (1st), British School Al Kubairat (2nd) and Lycée Louis Massignon (LLM) (3rd) for highest participation from a school.
There were some outstanding individual performances of the morning, with Pauline De Groof from Raha International school taking first place in the Super Sprint female category and fastest overall in a time of 18:07, while Roughan Gaetz (Raha) won the male Super Sprint male category in a great time of 18:18 The Junior competitive race was won by Christian Herfst (Raha) in Under 10 category, Luna Perez in Under 12 category and Hubert Zalewski in the Under 14 category and in the over 14’s the winners were Lotte Berger (Female) and Finlay Mackenzie (Male).
Over 39 children, between the ages of 4 and 8 years, took part in the Junior Splash & Dash category, a 100m swim in the shallows before a 150m sprint. Family and friends cheered them on, bringing the popular race to a close.
Dr. Sven Rohte, Chief Commercial Officer at Daman, said: “The Junior Aquathlon is just one of many initiatives we support which are ideal for introducing young children on how to lead an active lifestyle. Today’s event has been as popular as ever, and it’s always an encouraging sight to see so many families from our local community taking part – both returning and newcomers.
“Daman remains committed to improving the health of individuals of all ages and fitness levels, as we continue to support the creation of healthier communities across the UAE.”
Steve Watson, Managing Partner of Gulf Multi Sport, said: “It is clear that everyone here today has thoroughly enjoyed this event once again this year. It was made possible by our dedicated sponsors, volunteers and spectators and of course to all our enthusiastic athletes. It is always a pleasure to welcome back our returning athletes and an equal pleasure to welcome our first timers. Thank you to Al Bateen Public Beach for hosting this year’s race and to our valued partners Daman’s ActiveLife, Abu Dhabi Sports Council, Abu Dhabi City Municipality, Al Ain Water and National Ambulance.”
10 February 2018 will see Race 3 of the Abu Dhabi Junior Aquathlon series, returning to the popular Al Bateen Beach.
