Charitable causes and a desire to help inspire the youth are the motivations for a Qatari amateur athlete to take on some serious challenges, such as swimming across the English Channel.
“As part of Qatar Charity’s ‘Challenge for Life Campaign’, alongside my friend Talal al-Emadi, we climbed the Kilimanjaro – the highest mountain in Africa – to highlight the food crisis in the continent,” Fahad al-Buenain, one of the seven members of the Qatar Team Channel Swim, told Gulf Times.
“Then, we conquered the Aconcagua in Argentina, the highest peak in the Western and Southern hemispheres, to raise awareness about the suffering of children in Yemen. It makes me feel so proud,” the 34 year-old Qatari professional added.
Al-Buenain, who is the head of branding and communications at Qatar Petroleum, will join compatriots Dr Mohamed al-Kuwari, Dr Faleh Mohamed Ali, Dr Jamal Rashid al-Khanji, Dr Khalid al-Jalham, professor Nasser al-Mohannadi, and al-Emadi, in a historic attempt between July 20 and 27 to become the first Qataris to swim across the English Channel.
All members of the team have achieved success in their careers in the fields of medicine, business, entrepreneurship, oil and gas, law, and management.
Asked what motivated him to take on this tough challenge, al-Buenain explained: “It is the first-ever attempt by Qataris and it involves sea, and I love the sea. It also involves team effort and collaboration, and this brings a lot of commitment and value.”
“It also adds to one’s experiences in life. I always aim for unique challenges and this one is just like no other, especially when you know that the number of people who have swum across the channel is fewer than those who have climbed Mount Everest,” he noted.
Aimed at inspiring their country and promoting sports and a healthy lifestyle, the team will take around 18-20 hours of swimming to cover a distance of more than 34km on relay basis – one of the toughest physical challenges in the world.
About being a member of the Team Qatar Channel Swim, he feels proud to be part of such an inspiring team, which has one common goal of inspiring the youth.
Al-Buenain said that sport is a vital part of his daily life, which has taken him to all corners of the world.
He has visited more than 60 countries, sailed 5,000km across two oceans, cycled 2,000km in 10 countries, and climbed five mountains in four continents.
He is also a former national record holder in freediving, achieving 5.12 minutes of underwater static breath hold, and 40.3m of constant weight diving with one breath.
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