Fabio Spiteri hopes to raise €100,000 in aid of animal shelters
iGEN regularly sponsors deserving individuals and charities as a way of giving back to the community, and today we are proud to announce our support for Maltese athlete Fabio Spiteri, who will attempt to raise €100,000 to benefit animal shelters, by competing in 10 consecutive Ironmen challenges over 10 days.
As the first Maltese athlete ever to compete in a Deca Ironman challenge, Fabio will complete a cumulative 38km swim, 1,800km bike ride and a 422km run over the course of the event, in what will be the most challenging feat of his career yet.
The event in question is the Brasil Deca Tri between May 20 and June 3 next year, in Búzios, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, which describes itself as the “World Cup” of ultra-triathlons, one which has only been completed by around 90 athletes across the world.
Fabio, 48, explains: “I have the national record for the double Ironman and I’m the only Maltese who has completed the triple and quintuple Ironman, so now there is this last one to tackle,” he said.
In 2021, he also became the second athlete to cycle around Sicily in under two days, cycling a distance of 977km in 47 hours and 40 minutes.
In addition to being the only Maltese athlete to complete both a triple and quintuple Ironman, Fabio is passionate about animal welfare, raising considerable amounts of money through his charity sponsorships.
Passionate about animal welfare
Fabio, who currently has 10 pets – including a recently adopted blind cocker spaniel – says he has always loved animals, and is passionately involved in animal welfare, raising €81,000 for the cause from the quintuple in July, and the €100,000 he hopes to raise from the Brasil Deca Tri will go to support animal shelters, which are always in desperate need of money to keep operating.
“I have many friends who work at animal shelters, they are all volunteers and rely on donations to keep going. It is tragic that so many shelters are forced to close due to lack of funding, and most shelters are operating at full capacity, so there is a desperate need for help.”
Although he admits that dogs are probably his favourite animal, he supports shelters that rescue all kinds of abused, injured and stray animals, from rabbits and pigs to horses and donkeys, and as well as recently donating €15,000 to groups who feed Malta’s 50,000 stray cats, he also has a plan to buy 200 cat houses.
Malta has over 50,000 homeless cats, and recently Fabio donated €15,000 to groups who feed and take care of them, and has plans to buy 200 cats houses as well
Inspiration and motivation
In 2012 Fabio spent time living in the London Paralympic village, and the disabled athletes he met there, who gave their all to achieve their goals, was something that will stay with him forever – it was a total inspiration.
He says that the key to preparing for the biggest race of his career is to stay mentally focused, and never take his health for granted. Fabio will soon be heading off to Sicily for 6 days of intensive cycle training:
‘By this stage in my life, I know my body well. My main worry is not injury, as the Ironman workout is low to medium intensity, designed to build endurance. The biggest risks I will face in the competition are inadequate nutrition, lack of sleep and getting fever when under stress, which is my worst fear.’
Fabio concludes: ‘The best way to show support for my work with animal shelters, and to follow my Brasil Deca Tri progress, is to visit and like my Facebook page.’
If you want to follow Fabio over the 10-day event his crew, which includes his son Aidan, will be filming, posting and live streaming his progress to his Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/fabio.spiteri.1.
