On Wednesday, June 12, a conference was held on sports as a means of prevention and awareness. It was an opportunity to interview Hassan Fadli, Alzheimer’s Ambassador, who carries the project “5 Ironmans to Beat Alzheimer’s.”
The screening of Hassan Fadli’s documentary, directed by Adrien Rivollier, took place at the Garibaldi amphitheater. It was followed by a conference attended by university professors, researchers, doctors, and the director of France Alzheimer 06.
Numerous studies show that a regular physical activity reduces the risk of developing neurocognitive diseases by about 30%. Hassan Fadli understood this. Therefore, he decided to take on the challenge of participating in five Ironmans, in five European countries, over a year. A major challenge, but with two main missions: raising awareness about Alzheimer’s among the general public and leading a prevention project to inform about the preventive measures for this disease. He speaks to us about it in an interview for Nice Premium.
Launch of the project
Tell us about the day you decided to take on this project?
“It was the day after a conversation I had with my dad, who, sitting under a fig tree at the back of the garden, suggested I do something for the community, the good that we are, the people. It was a big moment, a beautiful exchange, very natural, very deep. And then I said to him, ‘but of what kind?’ and he told me ‘this disease.’ And it was actually recognition, he had come out of his denial, he accepted that he was in full cognitive decline, he even started losing his discernment.”
He continues: “there is no concrete solution, no medication, but apparently, there is prevention, so why don’t you do something? It made me think. The next day, I went running in the woods. Then I came back with the idea of doing five Ironmans for the Alzheimer’s cause.”
Why the Ironman?
“Because I used to do triathlon when I was younger. I took up this sport again ten years ago, after a career as an expert where I could travel all over the world. I always told myself that I’d love to do an Ironman. But doing it just for the sake of doing it is not very motivating, not very rewarding, not very encouraging. Whereas here, the answer presented itself naturally: not to do one, but to do several in one year. A way of shaking up awareness and interest around: why is this guy running five Ironmans in one year? For what cause? What is the need? The state of affairs? The situation of this disease today?
I still see myself taking care of my dad, it was very painful. We don’t realize the difficulty of being a caregiver. I believe he gave me this project so that we could get out of this difficult period that my family and I went through. We needed to be carried by a strong, great project that made sense. And with sports, as a means of conveying a message about the cause. My father suggested and initiated this project, it’s called resilience: bouncing back from a tragic and painful moment.”
Why five and why this choice of countries?
“So five because it fits on one hand. These are also means of prevention and risk factors for Alzheimer’s: nutrition, cognitive stimulation, social activity, cardiovascular health, and finally physical activity. And then it allows you to visit Northern Europe, Southern Europe, and Central Europe. To understand the specificities of each of the countries visited, the cultures, and the different health systems. It’s also the whole idea of this documentary, this project: to go and see all these different practices in the application and in the follow-up of people.”
“I have new hats, but I’m passionate”
Hassan Fadli
Today, you are dedicated to this association. What were the risks, concerns, and doubts when starting it?
“It was a particular moment to choose your battle. I was a director of research and development for 20 years. I had a beautiful career, but I was exhausted. I came to a crossroads, and I no longer had much motivation for this job. However, there was something to do with this association. There is a risk and doubts: will I be able to go all the way? Can I rally people? Can I have a team, coaches, partners, sponsors, funding? And then I ticked each of these boxes. I set up an action plan to aim, not at the starting line, but at the finish line.
Then I had to secure a budget, personal funds, so there is a somewhat kamikaze approach. No more salary overnight, you put your own funds into a project where you might lose everything. It’s typically taking a risk. And when it’s an engagement that calls upon your values, you say it might work. Last year, it was hard, and now in 2024, it’s going much better, we were able to rally more and are much more confident for the future. It was difficult at first like any project. But I learned a lot. And it’s finally by easing up today, that the planets are aligning.”
You speak of exhaustion in your previous job. Is there not a form of exhaustion in doing 10 to 15 hours of training per week?
“There is a form of exhaustion in this project because it’s a personal project. It’s a passion, a personal story from a personal context. But for me, the exhaustion is stronger in managing the project. I coordinate, manage, handle communication, the website, media, contacts, budget coordination, and planning. I have new hats, but I am passionate.”
“And no, for the training, we go gradually, I have coaches for nutrition, physical preparation, mental preparation. We are lucky to have a great team. And the training part is more a part of relaxation. The Ironman training is low intensity but with volume. And a routine has been set, we try to avoid fatigue and injury thanks to the coaches.”
The importance of awareness and prevention
What are you doing to raise awareness?
“The best way to raise awareness is to talk about the disease. All channels, all platforms are useful. It involves conferences, meetings, and interviews. For example, we spent the morning at the medical faculty, with professors. Then, we participated in a workshop with speech therapy students. And then we understood the benefits of speech therapy. So, our role is to testify. It’s a means of raising awareness. Then, the documentary will be the main outcome of the project. We hope to reach the general public through TV channels and platforms.”
How can we contribute to this project?
“Talk about the project, relay the project, share our video capsules, our missions. Invite us to your schools. We have already organized conferences in colleges and high schools. We talk to young people because the disease starts at the age of 30 – 35. So the best prevention possible is the earlier, the better.
So invite us to your schools. Because yes, there is a cultural side, a media side, a documentary side, a sports side, and a public health side. We tick a lot of boxes to eventually interest a broad audience. It’s a challenge, I don’t think we’ve succeeded today, but everything is to be done tomorrow.”
What next for you?
“We will clearly extend the promotion of sports for health prevention. We have a few ideas in mind around sporting events and challenges. But 2025, we will extend the exercise.”
So, see you on Sunday, June 16, 2024, in Nice, to follow his 3rd Ironman.
