Mohammad Shamsuzzaman Arafat
Mohammad Shamsuzzaman Arafat is a triathlete, ultra distance runner and long distance swimmer. He is resident first Bangladeshi to complete the Ironman triathlon – a race that involves a 3.80 km open water swim, followed by a 180 km cycling leg and finishes with a marathon distance 42.2 km run. All of this is to be completed by 17 hours. In 2017, in Ironman Malaysia Langkawi, Arafat finished the race in 12 hours 43 minutes and placed 20th in his age category and 237th out of 885 participants. Before becoming an ironman, he raced from Teknaf to Tetulia, one end of Bangladesh to the other end, in a gruesome 1004 km race which he completed in 20 days to create awareness of good health through running and triathlons. This amounted to him running 50 km on average every day. He has swam the Bangla channel, Teknaf to Saint Martin's Island, a 16 km route 5 times till date. By profession, He is working in Bangladesh Bank.
BRAC’s education programme holds inclusiveness at the heart of our approach. We have been working to ensure disability inclusion in our classrooms since 2001. We adapt curriculums and learning methods to ensure education is accessible to all children. We raise awareness in communities about the natures of disabilities, provide appropriate materials and trained teachers, medical assistance and supportive devices.
I am fortunate to have good health and enjoy sports every day. I can move, taking on some extraordinary physical and mental challenges. But I don’t want to move alone! I want to help in moving others who have limitations to move. Lets move together and make them able. Help them through my Ironman Journey to European Championship.
