Bodybuilder Saleh Hussein al-Raidi trains with steely-eyed tenacity in a dimly lit, suffocatingly hot gym in Yemen while focusing on his dream of competing in major international competitions.
The 24-year-old, who supports his family through two jobs, is unable to afford the supplements and protein-rich foods he needs to bulk up, which sets him up for a more difficult battle than many of his rivals.
He sweats as he runs through his workout in a blue singlet, ignoring the loud traffic noise coming out of the open door. He is a passenger among the battered machines.
Al-Raidi’s passion drives his daily meals, which are frequently limited to a small piece of fish with rice, which is less expensive but less protein-rich than products like eggs and chicken, which is fueled by his passion.
He works from morning to night unloading ships at Mukalla’s port in southern Yemen, supporting his wife, child, and parents, and has a side hustle doing free diving for octopus and cuttlefish.
I put in a lot of effort, but even then, I hardly ever manage to get the supplements I need, al-Raidi said.
Yemen, the poorest nation on the Arabian Peninsula, has seen the worst years of civil war and a crippled economy, putting millions of people’s dreams on hold.
Al-Raidi frequently trains at the cramped King Gym in Mukalla, which has 18 square meters (194 square feet) of equipment and frequently experiences power cuts.
The bodybuilder has little chance of emulating his idols, including six-time Mr. Olympia Christopher “CBum” Bumstead and Ahmed Shokry, the pneumatically pumped Egyptian, despite his muscular physique and tiny waist.
Al-Raidi was 18 when he first competed in Sanaa, the Yemeni capital, which has been under the control of Houthi rebels since 2014, at the age of 18. It was a frustrating experience.
He claimed that they gave him just barely enough money to cover his travel expenses, saying they gave me a medal, a certificate, and 12 000 Yemeni riyals [less than $50].
A bus was booked for al-Raidi when he was later chosen to compete in neighboring Saudi Arabia because the airline had too much money for him.
But while he waited, he was imprisoned for two days at the border crossing, where Yemenis are subject to stringent checks, reducing his supply of protein-rich food.
By the time he arrived at the venue, he had shed more than four pounds. Al-Raidi said, “My body just crumbled.”
Because I couldn’t afford the necessary means of transportation, I was exhausted and placed seventh.
Even before he pays for the few few expensive specialty foods and supplements, supporting his family is already a daily struggle.
He has to cut back on his workouts to avoid exhaustion, which puts his goal of winning the Dubai Pro Bodybuilding Championship and reaching top regional competitions even further away.
However, al-Raidi said, “seeing my body respond to training] and improve keeps me going no matter how difficult things get.”
“Bodybuilding has taught me discipline throughout my entire life.”
Source: Aljazeera
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