Bella's son Ayden, Syed Saddiq brave Desaru triathlon

New Straits Times

a day ago

KUALA LUMPUR: Former Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman and actress-singer Bella Astillah were among the big names who lit up the International Multisport Coastal Fest in Desaru but it was eight-year-old Ayden Adrean who stole hearts.
Ayden, Bella's son, made his triathlon debut in the Super Sprint category on Sunday, braving a tough 300m swim, 10km bike and 2km run.
Despite losing his safety buoy early in the swim and having to return to shore, Ayden resumed the race with the organisers' approval and finished in style, clocking 47:36 for the cycling and 17:07 for the run.
"I was really tired during the cycling, but I never gave up," said Ayden, beaming with pride.
"This is the best competition I've ever tried."
He had only trained for a week under a coach's guidance but had already shown promise after completing a 400m open water swim in Langkawi recently.
Bella, visibly emotional at the finish line, said she never pressured her son into the sport.
"As long as he's interested, I'll always support him. I was so nervous when he didn't show up during the bike segment but that's just a typical mum's reaction" she said.
"With all the amazing food we have in Malaysia, it's important to balance it out with exercise. Events like this are a great start."
Syed Saddiq, 32, also returned to compete in the 113 Triathlon (2.25km swim, 90km bike, 21km run) for the second year running.
He finished in 6:14:27, calling the sport "one of the best ways to embrace a healthy lifestyle".
"I'm still new to this, but I've grown passionate about it. I'm here to support the organisers, my friends taking part, and most importantly, to better myself," said the Muar MP, who is gearing up for the Ironman World Championships in Nice in September and Ironman Malaysia in Langkawi in November.
"This sport isn't just a hobby. It needs to be part of a national health agenda. Over 50 per cent of Malaysians are overweight, one-third are obese, and more than 30 per cent have diabetes. We need to take action, and events like this are a good place to start."
Meanwhile, Singapore's Aaron Lee was crowned the fastest finisher in the 113 Triathlon, powering through sweltering heat to complete the race in four hours, 56 minutes and 15 seconds (4:56:15).
The 27-year-old software developer, who only began serious training in June, was surprised by the win.
"This was my first time racing in Desaru. I usually just do events back in Singapore. It was really tough out there, especially during the run, but I'm satisfied with the effort," he said.
Aaron trained 62 hours in June while juggling a full-time job and added: "Winning wasn't something I expected. There are definitely faster guys back home. But I really enjoyed the experience, and that's what matters most."
The International Multisport Coastal Fest, now in its 10th year, drew more than 900 participants from 25 countries across four formats — the 113 Triathlon, Olympic distance (1.5km swim, 40km bike, 10km run), Sprint (750m swim, 20km bike, 5km run) and Super Sprint.