A new team has been launched to raise awareness of tri in the Middle East and North Africa and develop future champions.
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The Alameda ON Team features four-time World Champion Leanda Cave, Laurence Fanous, Arab triathlon champion and Jordanian no.1, Egyptian pro Omar Nour and Irish multiple Ironman and 70.3 winner Eimear Mullan.
Plans include nurturing 10 young talents from across the region who will be supported in taking part in events and training camps. Longer term, the hope is to set up triathlon academies in different countries to encourage people into the sport, as well as improve triathlon’s status in the region.
There are no Arab women in the pro side, because of the dearth of female Arab pro triathletes – something the team is hoping to help change.
“It is a team formed to make a difference, not just to reward its pros. So it is a way of developing tri in less well off regions, which is something that I have always been interested in doing,” says Laurence Fanous. “I just didn’t expect to still be racing while doing it – I thought it would be something I could do when I was done, so it is great all round!”
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