Portrait of a Nation: Dubai sporting heavyweight urges public to exercise from home

Andy Fordham said training outdoors was not worth the risk given fitness routines could be adapted

Andy Fordham has urged people to exercise responsibly during the coronavirus lockdown. Courtesy: Andy Fordham

The man behind many of the UAE’s biggest sporting events has warned residents not to exercise outdoors during the coronavirus lockdown.

Andy Fordham, who organises triathlons, duathlons and Iron Man challenges, said people should adapt their training routines to exercise at home.

Mr Fordham, 55, said he had been inundated with requests for advice about going for a run or cycling while current government guidance is to stay at home except for essential travel to hospitals, pharmacies or supermarkets.

He urged members of the public to stay indoors where possible, highlighting the variety of exercises people could do from home instead.

“Don’t think that because you are going out for a quick run or cycle that you will be immune,” he said.

“There are plenty of options for people to exercise without leaving their properties.

"A friend of mine even did a full marathon on his 19-metre balcony running back and forth from one side to another."

As of April 2, 814 people in the UAE have tested positive for Covid-19 resulting in eight deaths. Sixty one patients have recovered.

Globally, there have been more than 938,000 cases and more than 47,000 fatalities. The number of people known to have recovered from the virus currently stands at 195,000.

Mr Fordham, who moved to Dubai from New Zealand in 2008, said he had been responsible for organising more than 100 sporting events in the UAE.

Competitions included the Dubai Ironman, the JLL Triathlon in Dubai and the ITU Triathlon in Abu Dhabi.

He was also race director for the Sheikh Zayed Road Run in Dubai last year in which more than 77,000 took part.

“When I was in New Zealand, triathlons were a new sport,” said the keep-fit fanatic.

“Back then it wasn’t too hard to come up with dates that didn’t clash with another event.

“Now it’s all changed. Now you would usually have four or five events of mass participation taking place each weekend.”

Mr Fordham said he had been a keen cyclist growing up but that his interest in the sport had been rekindled in 2012.

At about that time he began using the cycling track at Al Qudra Road on the outskirts of Dubai to keep fit after work.

"I started to organise a duathlon in 2013 - which is a triathlon without the swimming - and I was hooked again from there," he told The National.

“I reinvented myself – it was the springboard for what I’ve been doing ever since.”

Mr Fordham now runs the Crazy Bonkers Eventz company. The firm organises large sporting events all around the UAE and abroad.

The father-of-two said the international explosion in keeping fit continued apace, and the Emirates was no exception. He said there were now hundreds of gyms in Dubai alone.

“The awareness of health and fitness is huge,” he said. “I’ve noticed a massive increase in numbers of people taking part in events in the last five to six years.

“I think a lot of it has to do with how multicultural Dubai is. Having so many people from different parts of the world has had a huge impact on the wider culture here.”

Mr Fordham described the various exercises people could do from home while gyms and fitness centres were closed due to the coronavirus outbreak.

“There are so many workouts you can download at home or watch online,” he said.

“There are people who are doing things like star jumps and press-ups. Others take it to another level.

“There are even interactive smart trainers that let you remove the rear tyre of a bicycle and mount the back of the bike on them.

“The resistance is controlled via an app and it basically means you can cycle like you normally would outside.

“It’s hugely popular with members of the cycling community here in Dubai right now."