While in pursuit of a fulfilling life, an Egyptian adventurer is also looking to make a difference by drawing attention to one of the biggest environmental plights of our time: plastic pollution, writes Mostafa Adel.
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“I’m trying to experience life in a different way. I want to break away from the idea of needing money to be happy,” says Omar Khaled (also known as Omar El Galla) in reference to his perilous adventures.
\nTHE CYCLING AND RUNNING EXPEDITIONS
\nThis year has been quite extraordinary for El Galla. He cycled around Egypt over 65 days, covering a distance of 6,500 km. A few months later, he ran 1,500 km, which took him a little over a month. El Galla ran a complete marathon every single day with nothing but a backpack on him. Both were solo adventures, without any support, but El Galla did not always live this on-the-edge life.
\n“I worked really hard for 10 years, and I was successful, but I was unhappy,” he explains. He had a successful career and a steady income, which is what most people want at his age, but he never felt fulfilled. One day, El Galla quit his job and started pursuing his passion for adventure.
\nHe slept on the road for most of the time while on his cycling and running expeditions, facing harsh conditions and uncertainty. Nevertheless, he loved every second of it. “During those trips, I experienced really special moments of clarity. Pushing yourself physically and mentally that much puts you in a state of mind one can rarely achieve otherwise,” the adventurer adds.
\nSWIM FOR PLASTIC
\nDespite testing his own limits several times, El Galla refuses to slow down. He will embark on his next record-breaking adventure on October 15, completing the triathlon with a swim in the Red Sea from Taba to Shalateen. He estimates that the 900-km-plus distance will take three to four months to cover. This time, there is more to his adventure.
\n“In my cycling journey, I would know that I’m approaching a small town in the desert a couple of kilometres beforehand, when I started seeing flying plastic bags and bottles everywhere,” he says. “When I ran the length of Egypt, I used to see plastic thrown all over the Nile and the soil in agricultural lands.” These observations set the goal for his next expedition. “I want to shed light on plastic waste and its impact on the environment.”
\nAs can be expected, planning such a trip was a logistical nightmare, and he had to change his plan several times. Initially, a sailboat was to follow him for support, but the delay of some permits prompted him to scrap the idea. Since no boat will accompany El Galla, he will swim by the shore. “I’m going to tie a buoy with food, water, a sleeping bag, a power bank and a satellite tracker around my waist while swimming,” he shares. The plan is to swim 12 to 15 km every day and then get out of the water to look for food and bedding.
\nLogistics aside, the physical training was beyond anything he had experienced despite his previous exploits. “In the beginning, I spent a month swimming every day at Dahab and then went back to Cairo for daily swims in the pool,” El Galla adds. “It took every minute of my time for the past five months.”
\nEl Galla is doing his swim in cooperation with ‘if,’ an initiative launched by renowned Egyptian adventurers Omar Samra and Ahmed Gabr. This project aims to provide sustainable alternatives to plastic. “I’m going to create a map through this swim on the locations of the areas along the Red Sea coast that are most affected by pollution,” El Galla says. This map will be used to organise more thorough clean-ups in those areas by ‘if’ as well as raise awareness in the surrounding towns about the damage of plastic.
\nFinancing this expedition was also extremely challenging, but that did not stop El Galla. He launched a crowdfunding campaign, hoping this will be enough to help him finish what he believes to be a very important journey. “I think that, through this swim, we can create a big impact and spread awareness about the problem of plastic waste. If only a few people started using less plastic, imagine how much of a difference that would make. If I’m able to have this kind of impact, I’d be fulfilled,” El Galla concludes.
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