Burning up calories to help fire victims

The Life: Phil Loader is senior vice president, exploration, for Mubadala Oil and Gas and spends most of his spare time at the moment training for a 383km charity bike ride.

Phil Loader of Mubadala Oil and Gas trains for a 383km charity bike ride in South Africa next month. Delores Johnson / The National

Phil Loader, the senior vice president, exploration, for Mubadala Oil and Gas spends most of his spare time at the moment training for a 383km charity bike ride along the Western Cape of South Africa next month. He explains why he is doing it and what it is in aid of.

How did you hear about the challenge?

My daughter … arranged to do some voluntary work in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, from January to June. My wife and I went down to support that and we raised funds for a couple of charitable foundations that were helping children's education in the townships of New Brighton. We took suitcases and stuff down for the kids. It was heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time. I got back from that trip and out of the blue I got an email from a guy in the UK that I know to say they were planning a bike challenge in South Africa.

What is it in aid of?

It is in aid of the burns unit in Cape Town, which supports children who have been badly burned in the townships. There's a video on their website that shows that a shack can be burnt down in about 90 seconds. Families in the townships are still cooking on paraffin and wood. The kids don't understand the dangers.

Are you fit or have you had to get into shape?

I've always been one of these people who don't look like a cyclist. I'm as fit as a fiddle and fit enough to do the ride now but I'm just carrying too much weight. But I have dropped 10 kilos and I've got another 10 to drop if I can. I want to enjoy the ride, rather than just survive it.

What's your training schedule like?

I go along to The Club probably five times a week for a spin class … that's been fantastic. There are about 15 or 20 of us who do it. It's really given me something to lock into, because you need to get into a routine. When I'm not doing that I'm in the gym on the treadmill. When I can I go out on the road, but there aren't many places you can cycle here so I cycle round the back of Abu Dhabi Golf Club. Every Tuesday night I also cycle round the Yas Marina circuit.

Are you going to ramp up your training as the ride gets closer?

Yes, I'm ramping it up now. I've got to be in the gym every day of the week now, without exception.

Are your colleagues sponsoring you?

Yes, a lot of people sponsored me for a project that my daughter did (before) so you can only keep asking people so much, so I haven't gone round with a hat in Abu Dhabi. But the team in Singapore have all contributed and our office in Thailand has all contributed. I'm in the process at the moment of raising awareness in Abu Dhabi.

To donate, visit www.justgiving.com/philip-loader