00:00For the better part of his life, 44-year-old Luis Pradinas thought that he would never
00:09be able to run again. However, little did he know that his decision to change his way
00:14of life for a more healthy lifestyle would not only get him running, but competing in
00:19triathlons.
00:20I was overweight. I was not doing anything about sports. And so I decided, yeah, I think
00:28I should do something to lose weight and to have a better life, a healthy life. So, because
00:36I thought that the only sport that I could do would be swimming.
00:41Luis's training took a different turn when he started working with a triathlete coach
00:45who changed his workout regime to include cycling sessions.
00:48When I first met Luis, he was training for the English Channel. He wanted to cross the
00:54English Channel. My job with him was never a question of motivating him. It was just
01:01making him believe that he could do, and then guide the process.
01:07Although his attempt to swim the English Channel failed in 2015, a determined Luis went back
01:12in 2016, and this time he accomplished the goal he had set himself four years earlier.
01:18I was so motivated. When I entered in the water, when I jumped in the water, I knew
01:23that I could do it, because I had a good preparation. Basically, the English Channel, it's a psychological
01:31preparation.
01:32When Luis returned to Dubai from swimming the English Channel, he started to think about
01:36what he could do next.
01:38When he crossed the channel, of course, when you train so long for something and you finish,
01:46then there is nothing else. You know, your life becomes like, and now what are you going
01:50to do?
01:51And he said, yeah, why don't you try triathlons? And I said, come on, that's impossible because
01:56I cannot run. Yeah, but you have to have a process for that. And so, again, I went googling
02:03and I went there and I found a clinic here in Dubai, and I started seeing a lot of videos
02:09on the internet about people, the amputees that were running, you know, doing triathlons,
02:14and I said, hmm, why not?
02:16After investing about 45,000 dirhams on a prosthetic leg, about 18 hours of training
02:21a week, on top of holding a full-time job and taking care of his family, Luis finally
02:27took part in his first triathlon on February 17, 2017, in Abu Dhabi, without receiving
02:35any special treatment.
02:37Of course, my condition put some limitations, but I don't want to have a special treatment
02:42for that. Nothing, unless if it's something that is impossible to be done, you know. But,
02:50for example, I cannot go jumping from out of the water to the transition area. That's
02:55impossible. It can be done, but I would lose, you know, too much time for that. So I don't
03:01want any special treatment. I don't think it's fair for the people that, you know, have
03:05this condition.
03:06Luis's condition does present its fair share of challenges for the athlete when he's competing,
03:12which can cause him to lose precious time.
03:15It's very difficult because it's painful. It's expensive. But it's more painful, you
03:26know, when I'm running, for example, from time to time I have to stop, take out the
03:30prosthesis because the stump gets numb. So it's very painful, especially when you finish.
03:38So why does this athlete put himself through the hardships of a triathlon, knowing the
03:42pressures and struggles he will face?
03:44The feeling that you have when you cross the finish line is rewarding. I cannot translate
03:50in words what you feel. It's like I did it.
03:55And what advice does Luis have for anyone who has a dream?
03:59I would say that you have to go for it. I mean, you have to, if you are dreaming about
04:04something, you can do it. Provided you have the motivation and you are organised for that
04:15and you do a lot of research, talk to people that have already challenged that and made
04:21that thing, you have to do your homework. But I think the most important is the motivation
04:28and the plan.
04:29As Luis prepares to take part in his second race on March 4th at the ITU World Triathlon
04:34in Abu Dhabi, he is a prime example that with focus and dedication, remarkable achievements
04:41can be accomplished despite the challenges that life throws at you.
04:45Salvi Girampaya for Golf News.
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