Considering the challenges Mike Ballard has overcome in recent years, the coronavirus lockdown was never likely to deter him from his Paralympic dream.
The former Abu Dhabi Harlequins rugby player is aiming to make the United States paracanoe team for the Tokyo Games.
He had been scheduled to attend the trials this month, as well as the World Cup at the end of May, to compete in the 200-metre sprint event in kayaking.
Those events, in addition to both the Olympics and Paralympics themselves, have been suspended by a year because of the global pandemic.
For Ballard, the delay is not a concern. Instead, it provides him with more time to fine tune his game in a discipline he has come to relatively late in his sporting career.
He committed to the Paralympic dream last year, after having doubts over the idea of devoting all that time, energy, and funding, to an event that only guarantees one heat, lasting less than a minute.
Now, it is all systems go, no matter what obstacles are thrown in the way.
When the Covid-19 safety measures brought about the closure of beaches last month, Ballard moved his training from the water of the Arabian Gulf to his apartment balcony instead.
He has created his own homemade kayak ergometer, elevated on a wooden plinth, which he likens to “taking a broomstick and putting resistance bands on the end, then pulling like a kayak paddle”.
“If you were to practice paddling on the ground, your paddle would hit the ground,” Ballard said of his creation.
“So you need to elevate the platform a little bit, and round the bottom a little bit, so it is unstable like a kayak would be.”
His resourcefulness is borne from necessity. The paracanoe team are some way behind the likes of track and field in the food chain of USA’s Olympic funding.
“I’m awfully jealous of the teams like Australia and GB with their $5,000 (Dh18,362) ergs,” he said.
“I don’t want it to seem like I’m whingeing about money. There just is none.
“My favourite line from an email for my coach said, ‘Congratulations, you are the top competitor in the United States of America, you have earned the right to pay for your own hotel room and pay for your flights to compete’.
“It is self-funded. Kayaking is an emerging sport. Obviously, we are not winning that many medals at this point, so we don’t get that much funding, so we don’t win medals.
“It is just the way the system is. There is some funding. We went to a training camp in San Diego last year.”
The 35-year-old American is well placed to qualify for the Games, as the outstanding USA contender in his category.
Bridging the gap to the likes of Curtis McGrath, the Australian who won gold in the event in Rio in 2016, will be tough, though.
Ballard, who suffered a broken back while playing rugby in Abu Dhabi in 2014, finished fifth in the B-final at last year’s World Cup in Poland, meaning he placed 13th overall.
Not bad for a relative newcomer to the sport, and someone who rents a kayak when he arrives at events, usually for about $200, which covers a week of training and the competition itself.
“There are only three or four models of boat, but in terms of inside the boat, there are almost no rules as to what you can do because everyone’s injury is different,” he said.
“They all need their own set of things in terms of what they need the boat to do for them.
“It is a massive thing for me to work out how I am going to safely strap myself in to the boat, get my legs in the right spot, get my core in the right spot, and be able to do that safely.”
Ballard keeps track of what his competitors are up to via Instagram. He also stays in touch with his own teammates via regular training sessions on Facebook Live.
He says the losses of living and working on the other side of the world to the rest of his team are more than offset by the advantages of living and working in the UAE capital.
“This is the best place I can be to train, to work, and to have a holistic approach to this,” said the Al Zeina resident.
“I can be on the water at 4pm every day, midweek, and then I’m off every weekend.
“It is sunny and beautiful every day. It never rains. Anywhere else in the world, that isn’t an option.”
The Paralympics have also had the effect of solving the expat itch for Ballard.
His ultimate goal is to be competitive at the Paris Games in 2024, and he regards staying in Abu Dhabi as key to that ambition.
“I am committing to it and saying that Tokyo is great, but Paris is the goal,” he said.
“So it has been really helpful for me that it has been postponed, just in terms of life in general.
“Even little things, like, do I want to hang up that poster on the wall - all those little decisions that expats struggle with - I’m not struggling with those at the moment.
“I’m where I want to be, even though we still have a long way to go.”
And, while he is looking forward to getting back out on the water, he says the coronavirus limitations should not have too detrimental an effect.
“It doesn’t matter what I am doing right now, so long as I do what I can to be in the right spot in 500 days’ time,” he said.
“We are weathering the storm, we are recharging the batteries, and we will be ready to go when the restrictions are lifted.”
The%20specs
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
The biog
DOB: 25/12/92
Marital status: Single
Education: Post-graduate diploma in UAE Diplomacy and External Affairs at the Emirates Diplomatic Academy in Abu Dhabi
Hobbies: I love fencing, I used to fence at the MK Fencing Academy but I want to start again. I also love reading and writing
Lifelong goal: My dream is to be a state minister
MEDIEVIL%20(1998)
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Company profile
Name: Steppi
Founders: Joe Franklin and Milos Savic
Launched: February 2020
Size: 10,000 users by the end of July and a goal of 200,000 users by the end of the year
Employees: Five
Based: Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai
Financing stage: Two seed rounds – the first sourced from angel investors and the founders' personal savings
Second round raised Dh720,000 from silent investors in June this year
Match info
Who: India v Afghanistan
What: One-off Test match, Bengaluru
When: June 14 to 18
TV: OSN Sports Cricket HD, 8am starts
Online: OSN Play (subscribers only)
WITHIN%20SAND
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Moe%20Alatawi%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%20Ra%E2%80%99ed%20Alshammari%2C%20Adwa%20Fahd%2C%20Muhand%20Alsaleh%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Crazy Rich Asians
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Michelle Yeon, Gemma Chan
Four stars
Credit Score explained
What is a credit score?
In the UAE your credit score is a number generated by the Al Etihad Credit Bureau (AECB), which represents your credit worthiness – in other words, your risk of defaulting on any debt repayments. In this country, the number is between 300 and 900. A low score indicates a higher risk of default, while a high score indicates you are a lower risk.
Why is it important?
Financial institutions will use it to decide whether or not you are a credit risk. Those with better scores may also receive preferential interest rates or terms on products such as loans, credit cards and mortgages.
How is it calculated?
The AECB collects information on your payment behaviour from banks as well as utilitiy and telecoms providers.
How can I improve my score?
By paying your bills on time and not missing any repayments, particularly your loan, credit card and mortgage payments. It is also wise to limit the number of credit card and loan applications you make and to reduce your outstanding balances.
How do I know if my score is low or high?
By checking it. Visit one of AECB’s Customer Happiness Centres with an original and valid Emirates ID, passport copy and valid email address. Liv. customers can also access the score directly from the banking app.
How much does it cost?
A credit report costs Dh100 while a report with the score included costs Dh150. Those only wanting the credit score pay Dh60. VAT is payable on top.
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
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F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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if you go
The flights
Direct flights from the UAE to the Nepalese capital, Kathmandu, are available with Air Arabia, (www.airarabia.com) Fly Dubai (www.flydubai.com) or Etihad (www.etihad.com) from Dh1,200 return including taxes. The trek described here started from Jomson, but there are many other start and end point variations depending on how you tailor your trek. To get to Jomson from Kathmandu you must first fly to the lake-side resort town of Pokhara with either Buddha Air (www.buddhaair.com) or Yeti Airlines (www.yetiairlines.com). Both charge around US$240 (Dh880) return. From Pokhara there are early morning flights to Jomson with Yeti Airlines or Simrik Airlines (www.simrikairlines.com) for around US$220 (Dh800) return.
The trek
Restricted area permits (US$500 per person) are required for trekking in the Upper Mustang area. The challenging Meso Kanto pass between Tilcho Lake and Jomson should not be attempted by those without a lot of mountain experience and a good support team. An excellent trekking company with good knowledge of Upper Mustang, the Annaurpuna Circuit and Tilcho Lake area and who can help organise a version of the trek described here is the Nepal-UK run Snow Cat Travel (www.snowcattravel.com). Prices vary widely depending on accommodation types and the level of assistance required.
Pearls on a Branch: Oral Tales
Najlaa Khoury, Archipelago Books
Gulf rugby
Who’s won what so far in 2018/19
Western Clubs Champions League: Bahrain
Dubai Rugby Sevens: Dubai Hurricanes
West Asia Premiership: Bahrain
What’s left
UAE Conference
March 22, play-offs:
Dubai Hurricanes II v Al Ain Amblers, Jebel Ali Dragons II v Dubai Tigers
March 29, final
UAE Premiership
March 22, play-offs:
Dubai Exiles v Jebel Ali Dragons, Abu Dhabi Harlequins v Dubai Hurricanes
March 29, final
Match info:
Manchester City 2
Sterling (8'), Walker (52')
Newcastle United 1
Yedlin (30')
The biog
Name: Mohammed Imtiaz
From: Gujranwala, Pakistan
Arrived in the UAE: 1976
Favourite clothes to make: Suit
Cost of a hand-made suit: From Dh550
RESULT
Al Hilal 4 Persepolis 0
Khribin (31', 54', 89'), Al Shahrani 40'
Red card: Otayf (Al Hilal, 49')
More Iraq election coverage:
Abu Dhabi GP schedule
Friday: First practice - 1pm; Second practice - 5pm
Saturday: Final practice - 2pm; Qualifying - 5pm
Sunday: Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (55 laps) - 5.10pm
