Doha: In conjunction with the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, the Qatari Forum for Authors organised a second episode to discuss the book “How to Be an Ironman” by Qatari Author Nasser Al Mohannadi, published by Hamad Bin Khalifa University Press. The book is part of the “Sports Excerpts” event, broadcast on YouTube and social media platforms.
Al Mohannadi said the book was published in English and Arabic versions in 2018 and 2019, and is based on his own personal experience, given that he is a sports fan. The Qatari author stressed the importance of turning work-out into an integral part of every person’s life, due to its health benefits, psychological and mental benefits, and how it boosts self-confidence, which touches various aspects of one's life.
He added that the book consists of five chapters, and deals with the story of a child who upon watching an Ironman championship on TV got inspired to achieve the long-term goal of competing in such a championship, training and preparing for it for 28 years. The author explained that by writing this short story, he wanted to share his expertise and experience on goal achieving by acquiring the necessary mental skills to overcome any physical or mental obstacle, in addition to encouraging one to set grand goals for oneself and materialising their dream.
Al Mohannadi explained that the book aims to deliver a message of encouragement for one to materialise their dreams and long-term goals through the author's personal experience in overcoming childhood fears and physical injuries, advocating for one to have the determination and persistence needed to reach their goal, through careful planning, perseverance and learning from one's mistakes, which aided him in achieving a dream that was hard to come by.
Nasser Al Mohannadi is the first Qatari to ever be selected to compete in the Ironman World Championship, for which he has swum for 3.8 kilometres, biked for 180 kilometres, and ran for 42.2 kilometres, in one of the toughest Ironman championships in the world.
