“ Until You face your fears,
don’t move to the other side where you can find your power,”
–Mark Allen.
Learning from fears involves a process of self-discovery, growth, and empowerment and can lead to personal growth and increased resilience. Today’s topic is about Mohammad Shamsuzzaman Arafat, who is the first Bangladeshi finisher in the IronMan World Championship and the IronMan 70.3 World Championship.
IronMan World Championship
Persistence can change failure into extraordinary achievement. To accomplish something extraordinary one must have an extraordinary dream, a goal so high, a journey so demanding that his achievement seems impossible to most people. IronMan World Championship is a worldwide competition and Iron Man is the world’s most difficult triathlon. It is a triathlon competition including bike riding, swimming, and running. This competition is held in different countries every year. It creates a global communication and strong support network. Triathlon competition encourages competitors to improve their mental, and physical health, and overall well-being. The motivation for competitors to push themselves beyond their limits can be great.
From Iron Will to Iron Man: The Beginning of Arafat’s Journey
The dream had started early in his life. Yes, I am talking about IronMan Arafat. He first heard about IronMan while he was studying at Dhaka University in 2010. That time he used to compete in various sports competitions. Gradually, the idea of becoming Iron Man started turning into his passion. Many obstacles came along the way of his dream, but nothing was tough enough to derive from the goal he was working hard to achieve. He knew that “To err is human ” so despite making mistakes repeatedly, he learned from them and practiced persistently instead of getting frustrated over them. This persistence and strong willpower helped him cross the Bangla Channel. Arafat crossed the 16.1 km long Bangla Channel for the 7th time. This new experience boosted his confidence and motivated him to continue to improve his performance. The triathlete then started to prepare for bigger challenges. He decided to run from Teknaf to Tetulia, the longest route in Bangladesh, which is about 1004 km. From 15th February to 6th March 2017, within 20 days, Arafat succeeded in turning his decision into
reality. He reached Tetulia from Teknaf. Till now, the first and only person who has crossed the longest route of Bangladesh is Mohammad Shamsuzzaman Arafat. This milestone facilitated the destination of his dream.
Achieving Triathlon Excellence
Arafat excelled in the triathlon through the process of personal improvement. Besides working in the Bangladesh Bank, he trained himself and practiced constantly. This consistency has led him to ultimate success. He has participated in many marathon competitions and local running events. With the help of notable performances, the man with extreme willpower strengthened his position on the international stage as well. He reached his first IronMan distance in Malaysia in 2017. Then he finished Germany’s European Championship in 2019, Thailand’s IronMan 70.3 in 2020, and Ironman 70.3 World Championship, in St. George, USA in 2021. In recent years, he has again competed in the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Lahti, Finland. He finished 344th in his age category and overall in 1969 out of 3960 athletes. Now he is preparing for the next Ironman World Championship in Nice, France, with four other Bangladeshis.
Triathlon has a unique ability to inspire people to achieve their goals. It has many benefits including personal growth, community building, physical fitness, and so on. From Arafat’s successful career, we have learned that “Continuous effort—not strength or intelligence—is the key to unlocking our potential.”
To know more about his work-
Facebook: Mohammad Shamsuzzaman Arafat
Website: IronMan Arafat
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Writer,
Tanvir Islam Saif
Intern,
Content Writing Department, YSSE