Bahraini adventurer leaves to Iceland

A Bahraini adventurer is on his way to Iceland to inspire others who are in difficult situations.

Manama

 Ahmed Jaffar, a Parkinson’s disease surviver, is on his way for another intense challenge as he is hoping to tackle the extreme temperatures of Iceland in the next 12 days. The Arad resident who is a successful businessman and the owner of a large supermarket chain in Bahrain has already completed five challenging trips including an adventure in Antarctica, horseback riding and trekking in Mongolia as well as climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa.

Jaffar drew international acclaim as well as admirers from around the globe who refer to him as the 'beast of Bahrain'. Last year, researchers from The Austrian Parkinson’s Support Group gave him the title 'Ambassador for Parkinson’s Affairs and Relationships' in an awarding ceremony in Vienna.

Now, he is on yet another trip to ‘challenge Parkinson’s’ as well as to inspire others "so that they won’t give up". Speaking to DT News, Jaffar said "I go for these challenging trips to show that Parkinson’s has not defeated me as well as to show people who are suffering difficulties in life that they can achieve great things no matter what the obstacles are."

Despite being burdened with the life-altering disease, Jaffar leads a normal life, working hard on his business and taking care of his family in addition to a rigorous exercise routine. "Exercise is very important, if I fail to exercise rigorously and consistently, the Parkinson’s starts to take over. This is one of the reasons I am taking up big challenges such as Kilimanjaro, Antarctica and Iceland. These trips strengthen me physically and mentally."

Jaffar is expected to reach Iceland today morning after leaving Bahrain last night. His plans for Iceland include glacier hiking, Iceberg Boating, trekking, hiking and Horse Riding.

"It will be a busy schedule. It will be physically exhausting. I am a little tensed, as I have not prepared for it as much as I wanted to. Because of various reasons, I did not get enough time to prepare and practice and it might be leaving me a little short fitness-wise for such a huge endeavor. However, I hope it can be managed.”

“The extreme climate will be the greatest challenge. Its never easy to tread from a country like Bahrain where temperature rises to over 40 degree Celsius to another country where it is very cold." he said.