"In a dimly lit, suffocatingly hot gym in Yemen, bodybuilder Saleh Hussein al-Raidi wraps his hands around rusty barbells, training with steely-eyed resolve for his dream of entering major competitions abroad. But the 24-year-old, who works two jobs to support his family, lacks the means to buy the supplements and protein-rich foods he needs to build bulk, setting him up for a more gruelling fight than many of his opponents."
"Barefoot among the battered machines, he sweats as he runs through his workout in a blue singlet, ignoring the traffic noise blaring through the open door. Al-Raidi is fuelled more by passion than the strict nutrition regimen required by his sport, his meals often limited to a small piece of fish with rice more affordable but not as rich in protein as products like eggs and chicken."
Saleh Hussein al-Raidi trains in a cramped, overheated gym in Mukalla while working two jobs to support his wife, child and parents. Financial hardship prevents access to protein-rich foods and supplements, leaving meals often limited to a small piece of fish with rice. He supplements income by unloading ships and free-diving for octopus and cuttlefish. Years of civil war and a crippled economy have reduced opportunities across Yemen, causing frequent power cuts and minimal training amenities. Despite a muscular physique and dedication, limited resources make international competition ambitions difficult to realize.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]