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Tribute: Why Roy Nasr’s Legacy In Dubai Will Never Die
Today marked the 5th anniversary of the Roy Nasr Memorial Triathlon at the Jebel Ali resort.
On September 6, 2013 Roy Nasr, a triathlon champion, was out cycling near Nad Al Sheba with members of the Tri Dubai triathlon group he had co-founded, when they were hit by a car from behind at 5.30am by a drunk driver. Nasr was tragically killed.
The 49-year-old Lebanese man left behind his wife and two children. The heartbreaking story shook the emirate at the time and tributes poured in. It is still a reminder of the dangers on Dubai roads, but more than that, Roy Nasr’s legacy now lives on.
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The legacy we leave in this world is a subject often discussed and considered at the end of life. It’s also something that comes up in a different respect when living as an expatriate in the UAE. ‘What will I leave behind? What do I have to show for it? In what way will I remember my time here? How will I be remembered here?’
Without getting too philosophical, the Roy Nasr legacy is alive and well based on today’s event, and if it’s a reflection of the man he was, then it’s a very fine legacy indeed.
“I think that conquering any challenge you set yourself in life makes you realise that you can probably do whatever you set your mind to do.”
Roy Nasr, in an interview with The National in 2012
Family & Friends
A father’s and a husband’s legacy will always be carried on by his family. I lost my own father when I was six, he was the same age Roy Nasr was when he passed, and there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t try to make him proud.
I didn’t meet Roy Nasr, having only arrived in Dubai a year before the incident, but I remember vividly the reaction at the time and knew friends who knew him. The Tri Dubai community and the people who knew him will also always remember a lost friend.
Memorial triathlon
The 5th Roy Nasr Memorial Triathlon took place in Jebel Ali today.
The event has grown massively over the years, from about 100 participants in the beginning to 800 today. The course has expanded and the event is a wonderful family gathering.
There are great events around the world, which carry the legacies of great people; the Terry Fox run springs to mind and is another here in the UAE.
I couldn’t help but think while on the course, about what a legacy this is. How much more life these people are having today, and how their lives will be extended by taking part in triathlons and leading a healthy lifestyle.
Roy’s Beach
They named a beach after him. The Tri Dubai community still swims every Saturday morning at 6 am on Roy’s Beach. You’ll find it on Google Maps.
It’s a great gesture from Dubai that this beach is named after someone who gave so much to the Emirate, and it’s nice also, that every person who trains here will be reminded of Roy Nasr.
Community Spirit
Tri Dubai is one of many cycling groups and communities here now, though it was one of the first. There is now Cycle Hub, Revolution Cycles, Cycle Safe Dubai, Dubai Creek Striders, Ride Bike Group and the Bespoke Ride Group,.
These communities are so welcoming to all, there is an air of respect within them to all members and to all other communities. Judging by the reputation Roy Nasr had, and the positive attitude always shown by the Tri Dubai community, it’s fair to say that he has set the tone for this positive environment in the sporting scene in Dubai.
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