A JESS Dubai student is heading for the Sahara Desert as he aims to complete the grueling 250km Marathon Des Sables from 6th October.
At only 19 years old, sixth former Yernur will be one of the youngest participants in the event which takes places across desert terrain across seven days.
The race, which is held in Morocco and will welcome 1000 ultra marathon runners from across the world, is said to be the toughest endurance test on the globe with runners expected to carry everything they need for the six stage event apart from water and shelter.
Yernur has been balancing training with his school studies and he is looking forward to testing himself in some of the toughest conditions on earth when he heads for the start line in less than two weeks time.
We were delighted to catch up with Yernur this week to discuss his training plans, his hopes for the race and his reasons for taking part, you can watch the interview below:
Director of JESS Dubai, former Olympic gold medalist Shane O’Brien said, “to see this level of commitment to a sport is exemplary. The whole of JESS is behind Yernur as he raises money to help his fellow Kazakhstan children gain an education and take on the toughest race on Earth. We will be watching his progress carefully and wish him every success.”
Yernur is aiming to raise some much needed funds for the iQanat School in Burabay, Kazakhstan as this is where his grandmother comes from. With a fundraising goal of 25,000AED, Yernur is hoping to support 286 children attend the school who otherwise would not be able to.
You can donate to Yernur’s fundraising efforts by clicking here.
Everyone at Gulf Youth Sport wishes Yernur the very best of luck with the rest of his training and the race itself – we look forward to catching up with him when he returns home.