Expat Desert Warriors unite for a good cause

Deborah Parmenter enlisted the help of trainer Ahmad Jaber from Elite Aesthetics to help her prepare and was soon joined by friends and volunteers keen to help her 36-year-old sister, a mother of eight, back in the UK. She now has a team of 45 fitness fans to help her tackle the tough assault course.

DUBAI , UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – Oct 9 , 2014 : Ahmad Jaber , trainer ( right ) giving training to the participants of Desert Warrior Challenge near Skydive Dubai in Dubai Marina in Dubai. ( Pawan SinghShow more

DUBAI // The life of an expatriate in the UAE can seem to many to be full of sunshine and shopping, but being thousands of miles away from loved ones can be tough, particularly when you get bad news.

The impermanent nature of living in the Emirates means putting down roots can be tough, but a group of expats have rallied together to show there can be such a thing as family away from home.

Briton Deborah Parmenter found herself in such a situation when her sister Sam Hardy fell terminally ill after suffering heart failure.

Desperate to help, she signed up for today’s Desert Warrior Challenge in Al Ain, approaching friends for sponsorship to help pay for her sister’s treatment.

Deborah enlisted the help of trainer Ahmad Jaber, from Elite Aesthetics, to help her prepare and was soon joined by friends and volunteers keen to help her 36-year-old sister, a mother of eight, back in the UK.

She now has a team of 45 fitness fans to help her tackle the tough assault course. “I didn’t think I’d even get 30 people,” said the marketing executive, who has been in the UAE more than six years. “Because nobody pays for the boot camps, the loyalty is there and the charity is the goal.

“Yes, the Desert Warrior is the big goal, but this has given people a different kind of motivation. Everyone has different fitness levels but everyone is encouraging each other. It’s just refreshing to see something so genuine.”

The Desert Warrior event is a series of obstacle courses designed to test competitors’ physical and mental strength. Teamwork and overall fitness plays a big part as competitors have to run, jump, crawl and climb their way through the course.

Although only teams of up to 30 were originally allowed to enter, the organisers have bent the rules to let Deborah’s group of 45 take part, with half of their entry fees going toward the appeal.

Mr Jaber, who runs the boot camps three times a week, said he was proud of the commitment people had shown.

“Being out here you can experience things that are going on back home that you can’t control,” he said.

“People here are giving even though Sam doesn’t live here, so it’s about expats coming together as a family to support. It’s living proof of people coming together just to help each other.”

And it is not just long-term expats who are getting involved. Geoff Kiernander, 66, has lived in Dubai for less than four months and signed up with his 35-year-old daughter.

“I’ve always been fit but I’ve never done anything like this before,” he said. “I expected this from the Dubai community though, having lived abroad a lot and lived here before. Everyone tries to pull together to do something in situations like this.”

Nadia Wallett, 42, has been going to boot camps for two months before she decided to sign up for the Desert Warrior team. In that time she has managed to turn her life around, making healthier decisions in terms of nutrition, and she feels much better for it.

“It’s great to see people coming together for a good cause,” she said.