Salman Ali Shariati Abdul Hali, 14, would soon get himself listed into the Malaysian book of records as he will be the youngest triathlete to complete a 12km swim, 540km cycling and 126km.
The Form Two student from Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Gunung Rapat, has achieved many feats since he was seven years old and his rise to prominence came at the age of eight when he swam in the Straits of Malacca with his sister, Zahra Ma’soumah to become the youngest swimmer to complete a long distance swim.
Since then, Salman has been an icon for many teenagers in Malaysia as he continued to test his limit by participating in marathons and taking part in triathlon competition.
Today, he was part of the ‘1Malaysia Go Green 2011” event in which students from the Perak Sports School and Ungku Omar Polytechnic Institution gathered to participate in an eco-awareness campaign and also to support Salman in his quest to complete the 126km run.
The program which started on the October 6, began at Sungai Dinding, Lumut and today’s closing was done at the Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Field in Ipoh.
The idea for this program was generated when the boy from Setiawan had to face many challenges due to environmental pollution when he swam the Straits of Malacca. From rubbish in the sea to open burning, Salman wants to create awareness among the public and the youngsters about the ill-effects of environmental pollution.
Datuk Zainol Fadzi Paharuddin who officiated the closing ceremony for the program lauded the efforts of Salman and said the state government will always promote environmental conservation in Perak.
“Though, he has yet to complete his record attempt but I’m proud of him for creating awareness among all of us about the importance of environmental conservation.
“With such determination and spirit, and for whatever setbacks or hardships he has faced, youngsters should take note of his efforts and follow him in his dream to promote environmental conservation,” said Zainol.
Zainol also said high awareness is necessary to promote nature conservation and at the same time, the involvement of youngsters can help make a change for the better.
Salman, who was interviewed by the Peraknews team said he had always wanted to prove his worth as an athlete and this challenge has been an arduous one.
“I fell from my bike yesterday and also had difficulties to swim as I had to go through debris and rubbish in the sea.
“However, it did not deter me and I had an added enthusiasm to complete the event as I wanted to create awareness among youngsters in Perak about the state of our environment which is slowly deteriorating,” said Salman
-Peraknews.
