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UAE: This expat cut short his honeymoon to walk in 24-hour relay, raise cancer awareness
The resident, who lost his childhood friend to cancer, walked 87km during the event last year
- PUBLISHED: Sun 26 Jan 2025, 10:34 AM UPDATED: Wed 29 Jan 2025, 9:37 PM
Nihad Naseerudheen, who lost a childhood friend to cancer, is hoping to walk 100km in 24 hours to raise awareness about the disease. The Indian expat is among several UAE residents who participated in the 24-hour Relay for Life (RLF) walkathon that kicked off at the American University of Sharjah on Saturday.
Nihad walked 87km during the event last year; this time, he cut short his honeymoon to ensure he reached Sharjah to participate in the event. During the 24-hour event, the participants walk around the track for as long as they can.
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“My wedding was fixed at the last minute in January and I travelled back to India for it,” he said. “I went on a shorter-than-agreed honeymoon because I wanted to make sure I reached back in time for this event. I was not able to prepare as well as I should have due to the wedding rush but I am determined to do my best.”
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Nihad thinks that this relay is more important than ever before. “In the last year or so, I have heard of colleagues or friends losing their seemingly healthy loved ones to cancer suddenly,” he said. “Cancer has become extremely widespread and I hope that such awareness programs will encourage more people to take charge of their health and get regular checkups.”
The event kicked off on Saturday with a rally that was attended by prominent figures including Sheikha Lubna Bint Khalid Al Qasimi, Vice President of FOCP and Sheikh Fahim bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Department of Government Relations in Sharjah.
Organised by Friends of Cancer Patients (FOCP), the fourth edition of the relay – which is the region's largest cancer awareness and fundraising walkathon – united survivors, caregivers and supporters to raise life-saving funds and improve awareness about cancer.
Dina Maria, another resident walking around the track, is a cancer survivor working hard to raise awareness among others to take care of themselves. When she first moved from her hometown of Netherlands to the UAE, she was sucked into work and neglected her health.
“When I moved here, I would not drink water because I was in meetings all day long and I did not want to go to the washroom in between,” she told Khaleej Times, on the sidelines of the relay.
“I left home early, and would get back late because of traffic. Weekends were spent in doing laundry and cooking for myself and my son, so I stopped exercising as well. I think these were some of the reasons that contributed to my cancer. I want to raise awareness and tell other people not to make the mistakes I did.”
Themed laps were organised throughout the event. The Relaxed Lap offered participants a chance to connect and foster new friendships while the Glow Lap lit up the track with glow sticks, bracelets and accessories.
Rashid Al Amiri, head of corporate communications for FOCP, said that the idea of the event was to ensure participants had fun. “Cancer is usually associated with death and gloom,” he said. “But we want people to have a greater awareness and understanding of the disease in a more fun and engaging way. We want FLP to be a celebration of life.”
He added that walking the track continuously for 24 hours symbolised the ceaseless fight of cancer patients and the unwavering support of the community.
At the event, visitors could also write encouraging messages for survivors. Bouncy castles and entertainment zones were set up for young children to have fun. Some families brought out little tents and mats as they camped out the entire night.
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