Richard Flamand isn’t your average Dubai Marathon participant – his plan to run the race in a 9kilo rhino suit certainly ensures that. So what would possess someone to don said suit and embark on a 42km journey across the city? Therein lies a story, one that starts with a childhood spent in a wildlife park in South Africa and leads up to some rather frightened ladies in Arabian Ranches.
Rhinos are on the verge of extinction with an increased demand for their horns resulting in huge pressure on populations. At the turn of the 19th century, there were approximately one million rhinos. In 1970, there were around 70,000. Today, there are fewer than 25,000 rhinos surviving in the wild. As Rich puts it, that’s less than the crowd at a U2 concert.
The last Javan rhino in Vietnam became extinct in December 2011 and the year also saw a record number of rhino poaching - 443 - in South Africa. All of which led to Rich’s venture – he’s doing it all in the name of rhino conservation and he wants people to sponsor him. Every dirham he gets will be donated to Save the Rhino International Inc.
Born in Kruger National Park, South Africa, Rich spent 10 years growing up in the Unfolozi-Hluhluwe Game Reserve. “I was surrounded by rhinos my entire childhood. My kids may never have that opportunity. My dad currently runs the black rhino expansion project for the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in Southern Africa, which works to relocate rhinos to where they are safe from poachers. So the cause is close to my heart,” he explains.
That doesn’t take away from the fact that training in the suit is “like running in a giant crisp packet”. Rich adds, “You could also liken it to a 9kg portable sauna. I have only done one training run - 10km around the Arabian Ranches - to test it out. I don’t want to do more than that in case I scare myself out of doing the marathon!”
Of course, most people react with shock and disbelief on spotting Rich on his training run. “It’s not every day that you see a life-size rhino running along the streets of Dubai!”
You certainly don’t. And it was a particularly startling scene for some ladies waiting for the bus at Arabian Ranches. “Clearly, they did not see me coming and I must have seemed like some sort of monster. They screamed and ran away as I ran past!”
Now that people know the reason, Rich’s hoping for a more supportive reaction. Visit http://www.crowdrise.com/runningforrhinos/fundraiser/prflamand to contribute to his cause.
