UAE-based sisters gear up for X3 Junior Triathlon and aim for Olympic glory

Hiba Khan - Writer 17:24 22/11/2018
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  • As the second edition of the 30×30 Dubai fitness challenge gets into full swing, action sports brand XDubai is bringing back X3 Junior Triathlon on November 23rd at La Mer ahead of the of its finale.

    The triathlon is all set to showcase some of the greatest talents amongst UAE’s youth and is set to feature an exuberant pair of sisters, 14-year-old Juliette d’Othee and 12-year-old Thea d’Othee.

    Even though, the sisters don’t come from an athletic background, they have already made a name for themselves in the world of Junior Triathlon championships.

    The UAE-based sister duo from Belgium have won countless national and international contests and have now set their hearts on gaining Olympic glory.

    Juliette was inspired to take up triathlon by her friend at the age of seven, who was described as a massive bundle of energy by her parents, Alexia and Henry d’othee.

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    They considered the sport to be a great outlet for her and encouraged her love for it, which eventually motivated their youngest daughter, Thea to take it up as well.

    “Growing up I was always jumping and running around, which drove my parents crazy, so one day a friend of mine told me about her sister who had taken part in a triathlon and asked me to sign up for it and ever since my first triathlon, I have been in love with it,” said Juliette.

    As a self-proclaimed bookworm, Thea was not particularly fond of the grueling training regime but as time went by and with a hefty prodding by Juliette, she acquired an undying fondness for it.

    “Juliette is the more competitive one,” 12-year-old Thea told Sport360 with a beaming smile, “we train together, so she is always pushing to do well and sometimes, I do feel that we miss out a few activities with other friends, but we have made lots of other friends through this sport and it has helped us overcome many challenges.”

    While talking to this spirited pair of precocious sisters, it is impossible not to wonder where they find their drive and motivation from.

    According to Alexia and Henry, the sisters are self-motivated and it was their passion that prompted them to facilitate and enable them to take part in various competitions and events.

    “They honestly love it! It’s a true passion for them and you can see it when they are training and when they are taking part in these events,” said Henry d’Othee.

    The d’Othees are well-aware and totally supportive of their daughter’s aspiration to reach the Olympics, but don’t want any share of the spotlight as they believe that they didn’t do much to stoke their passion for Triathlon.

    “Some parents ask me, how I keep them motivated and I honestly don’t do anything. I really don’t know what to tell them because it is all them. At times, they are the ones who are waking the both of us up early in the morning – 5am – so we can take them to their training,” said Alexia d’Othee.

    The sisters are all set to dominate the X3 Junior triathlon under the guidance of the first Egyptian triathlete, Omar Nour who is equipping them with tips and tricks to improve their overall performance.

    Click here for more information and to purchase your ticket for the X3 Junior Triathlon.

    You can use the following discount code to obtain a 20% discount: X3SPRT20

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