Introducing Abdulla Attiya
The youngest person to enter the Bahrain Endurance 13 talent pipeline is 17-year-old Abdulla Attiya of Bahrain, a national class swimmer who took up triathlon a little over a year ago. In terms of experience and international success he stands deep in the shadows of fellow development squad members Chris McCormack (coach and adviser) and athletes David Plese of Slovenia, Domenico Passuello of Italy, Fredrik Croneborg of Sweden, and Australians Joshua Amberger, Paul Ambrose and Eric Watson.
But in terms of competitive potential and a humble yet effervescent personality – he seems like he could be a new a Middle East triathlon ambassador one day. If all goes according to plan, Attiya is well calculated future bet.
Bahrain Endurance 13 elite team consultant and coach Michael Gilliam offers the team’s outlook on their youngest development member. “Abs has a short history in triathlon,” says Gilliam. “He has mainly raced in Bahrain establishing several top three finishes against much older competitors. He has raced in Saudi and UAE also gaining top three results and a couple of races in Asia with solid performances. The future will see him race for the federation and possibly do some more races in Asia. We will be sending him over to train with Macca at Thanyapura later this year. As you have seen he is very good at dealing with the media, the Olympics will remain the overall goal – Tokyo 2020.”
Gilliam sees Attiya entering a long term process. “Between now and 2020, we will guide him through the sport. Goal one is to be number one in Bahrain then the Middle East which I feel he can do with in the next 18 months. He is a fine swimmer who has developed great skills and cycling legs. His run is the area that we are working on – with a man like Macca guiding him this has improved already getting down the low 9s for three kilometers.”
Slowtwitch: Thank you for chatting with us about your experience with triathlon in the Middle East. Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your family?
Abdulla Attiya: I live with my mom, Nadia Mohammed, who has been my greatest supporter. I am 17 years old and I am a new member of the Bahrain Endurance 13 development team.
ST: What is it like growing up in Bahrain?
Abdulla: Growing up here it seems to me like any other place. Pretty normal, really nice. It’s a small country, a small island, so everyone knows everyone basically.
ST: What is training like in Bahrain?
Abdulla: For training it is hot in Bahrain in the summer – it can reach 120 degrees Fahrenheit. If you really love it, then you have no excuses for what you want to do. Sometimes if I have speed work I will do it on the treadmill because the heat makes it very hard to focus on the track.
ST: Where do you go to school?
Abdulla: I go to AMA International School, which has a mix of boys and girls.
ST: What sports did you do before triathlon?
Abdulla: I was a swimmer for the national team. I didn't really like it much. I did the 200 fly. It is very brutal. CHUCKLES.
ST: Why did you pick the 200 fly?
Abdulla: I did it because there were faster swimmers in the other disciplines. I hated long distance swimming. Now, after doing triathlon, I just love long distance swimming. I think 750 meters is the longest I race in the sprint distance races.
ST: How did you get started in triathlon?
Abdulla: I started triathlon just over a year ago. I did an aquathlon. [The Ritz-Carlton Aquathlon in Bahrain] I think fastest people got lost or something. I was lucky enough to win it. Then my friend said, ‘Take the next step. Get a bike and do triathlon.’ I said, ‘I will do that.” So I got bike and I signed up for one.
ST: I understand a very outstanding person lent you that bike.
Abdulla: His Highness Sheikh Nasser sometimes trains with us and he gave me the bike I was using. He is such a nice guy!
ST: How did your first triathlon go?
Abdulla I signed up for a sprint triathlon in Bahrain late in 2014. I was first out of the water and people were thinking, ‘Oh this is his first triathlon – he is going to win it.’ Then Boom! After the bike leg, which was non-drafting, I was one of the last to come in. After that I was like ‘Oh…’
ST: After a great swim and a problematic bike leg, how did the run go?
Abdulla: Before I did that first triathlon, I found it easy to run because I was a swimmer. So on the run in my first triathlon, I caught just five people. I was cramping like crazy and I was thinking, ‘You know what? I don’t think this is the sport for me.’ But afterward, I was thinking, ‘Great! When is the next one?’ After crossing the finish line, you forget all the pain. It is just amazing.
ST: What was your next triathlon like?
Abdulla: My second ever triathlon was the [November 2014 Phuket Asian Beach Games Triathlon] in Thailand. I was the youngest competitor [16] and it was a very exciting experience. I have to thank Dr. Shaikh Sager bin Salman al Khalifa, the President of the Bahrain Triathlon Association for selecting me to represent Bahrain. I was finishing in one of the last places [36th of 37 finishers where he swam 1:14 behind the winner, biked 10:13 back of the winner, and ran 4:14 behind the winner]. But the spectators thought I was a famous athlete, so Thai locals gave me their babies to carry and things to sign.
ST: Describe what it’s like in Bahrain . What are the freedoms? How do the different people get along?
Abdulla: This is the thing. Many people from other countries think everyone from Bahrain is close minded, and bad, and this and that. But you should come and visit for the Ironman. You will find that the people you meet are really open-minded. It is a really nice country. I just love it there. And I am not saying this because I am from there. It is exactly similar to Dubai.
ST: You are not paid to be a spokesman are you? Just joking.
Abdulla: No. CHUCKLES. I am not being paid to advertise my country. I just like it there. Training wise I’d say not the best place because of the heat. We have one track and one Olympic size pool. It is a small island. You could say a million people counting expats and non expats. And while the weather is very hot in the summer, now it is perfect time to be in Bahrain. The weather is amazing. It is a getaway location.
ST: Who trains there?
Abdulla: We have David Plese [of Slovenia], the Ironman Barcelona winner. And we have Eric Watson of Australia, who is also a part of the Bahrain Endurance 13 development program. He was 3rd place at the 2014 Dubai International.
ST: What do you learn from Eric?
Abdulla: I learn a lot from him as well. I train with Eric so it is really nice as he is being coached by Jürgen Zäck. Eric is from Australia and tells me how it is possible to train in weather he is not used to. I get to see a lot of simple stuff like what he eats, when he sleeps, the nutrition and many other things. He helps me out on the swim – we swim sessions together as well. In many ways he was my coach.
ST: Does Jürgen Zäck come to Bahrain at times to work with Eric? Do you get to work with Jürgen as well?
Abdulla: Jürgen Zäck is an online coach for a lot of people, one of them being Eric Watson I actually follow programs from Michael Gilliam – MG – who is a staff coach at Bahrain Endurance 13.
ST: Your biggest successes in triathlon so far?
Abdulla: [At the 2015 Sharm El Sheikh ATU Triathlon African Championships and Pan Arab Championship] I won the junior Arab division and placing 8th in the African Champs.
ST: What happened in that race?
Abdulla: I got a penalty at the dismount line. They had two lines – a blue line and a green one – so I wasn't sure which line to dismount. I just thought the green looks more suitable but you have to dismount before the blue. I got a one minute penalty and it moved me three spots down.
ST: Who coached you when you first started triathlon?
Abdulla: Vincent Beltran from Spain was my coach. He was really amazing and I improved heaps in my swimming and cycling with him. But sadly he could not stay in Bahrain due to the conditions. So he left. Hopefully I will travel to Spain this summer to train with him. Plus he will be doing a high altitude camp which I have never done before.
ST: What are your school ambitions?
Abdulla: Finishing my high school degree will be most important at this age. Then hopefully I will go to a sports university where I can maintain both studies and my sport. I don't know where yet, I am still planning.
ST: Do you have any sports heroes?
Abdulla: I have many athletic heroes. Definitely first place would go to Chris McCormack. Second place would go to Jeffrey Symonds of Canada. And, of course, Muhammad Ali.
ST: What do you think of Faris Al-Sultan?
I loved seeing Faris race. He plays a role in my list too. I think he comes in number four for me,
ST: Ever meet him?
Abdulla: I want to. I heard he was training in Abu Dhabi with [the Abu Dhabi Triathlon team]. I'd really love to meet him one day. He accomplished a lot. It is really amazing knowing an Arab – an Iraqi [Iraqi and German parents] – won Kona. Really good stuff.
ST: Muhammad Ali is a Muslim. Are you a Muslim?
Abdulla: Of course.
ST: What place does your Muslim faith have in your life?
Abdulla: When I travel, I see people drinking which is not allowed in my religion but that does not bother me. I respect all religions. In the end, we are all created by one God and we are all his sons and daughters. I respect everyone’s religion, whether he is a Buddhist or a Christian, Catholic or whatever.
ST: When were you chosen to be a member of the Bahrain Endurance 13 development team?
Abdulla: I was just announced as a member three days ago, but they helped me a lot already. My first experience is coming here to Dubai [where he did not race the half Ironman]. I am staying at the Jumeirah Mina A Salam Hotel with top athletes like Jan Frodeno, Terenzo Bozzone, and Caroline Steffen. It is really amazing. Not every day you get to chill, eat and live and train with an Olympic Gold Medalist and Kona Champion [Frodeno], and a former Ironman 70.3 World Champion [Bozzone]. The first thing is being mentored by these guys and learning from them, exchanging and sharing contacts with each other. Just in case I have questions I can email them. It is a great help with my career. For this opportunity, I'd like to thank the people of the team. First of all his highness Sheikh Nasser and then the team behind the team Derek King, Michael Gilliam, Lisa Pringle, Michael Dhulst and Chris McCormack.
ST: Why is triathlon increasing in popularity among Arabs?
Abdulla: I think it is the fastest growing sport in the region now. So getting it to grow more would be amazing knowing that one day you may see another country from the Middle East region at the Olympic Games.
ST: What Middle Eastern Countries have a presence in international triathlon?
Abdulla: Now triathlon is growing really fast. Starting off Kuwait and Bahrain were the only countries with triathlon teams. Now the United Arab Emirates Qatar and Oman have a presence in triathlon as well. It is amazing knowing that lots and lots of Arabs are getting interested .
ST: Why are Arabs attracted to triathlon?
Abdulla: The sense of accomplishment.
ST: Is that true of all forms and distances of triathlon?
Abdulla: When I am asked about my triathlon competition, I say I am an ITU triathlete. They ask, ‘What is this?’ I explain Sprint and Olympic distance. They say, ‘Oh, that.’ Most are not interested in the ITU scene. Maybe just a few young boys. I can tell you that many, many of them are interested in the Ironman scene. It is the name. If they do one, they can walk around and say, ‘I am an Ironman.’ That just that makes them, really happy. That sense of accomplishment.
ST: What races will you be doing?
Abdulla: I will do short course races. For now, I will race as a junior age grouper. I can‘t race as an elite – yet. Hopefully I will be able to race some European Cups in ITU soon.
ST: Why did Bahrain Endurance 13 choose you for their development team?
Abdulla: I guess one of the reason they chose me is I am the only 17 year old in the country with proven ability who does the sport. They have other 17 year olds. But no one with the swimming background.
ST: Why is swimming a key to triathlon mastery?
Abdulla: If you swim you have a large aerobic base. Swimming can’t make you win the race but surely can make you lose. And if you can swim, you can run. So it is really gives you a good breathing as well
ST: What are your triathlon dreams?
Abdulla: To represent my country at the Olympic Games in 2020 in Tokyo hopefully. That’s what I’m targeting.
