Ali Rıza Bilal started sports with gymnastics at the age of 5, then played basketball for 3 years at Efes Pilsen and embarked on a rowing career that would last 18 years. During this time, Bilal won numerous Turkish and Balkan championships, and became the first athlete in Turkish Olympic history to compete in rowing by winning Turkey’s first medal (3rd place) at the World Championship. Bilal turned to triathlon in 2010, and has participated in 5 Ironman, more than 30 Half Ironman and 5 Extreme Full Triathlon races to date. Now, he is preparing to go to Antarctica in November with the goal of being the first and only Turk to plant the Turkish flag on the pole.
“I will carry our flag to one of the most difficult places in the world.”
This challenging journey, which Ali Rıza Bilal calls the “South Pole Project”, will start from the seashore of Antarctica and end at the South Pole. Bilal will proceed on skis with the aim of planting the Turkish flag at the pole point and will carry all his food and equipment on a 100-kilo sled that he will pull behind him. He plans to complete this journey without assistance and alone, and to cross the 1000-kilometer -40° ice desert in approximately two months. Bilal’s progress will be tracked via satellite throughout the journey, and he will also record and keep a diary throughout the expedition.
Ali Rıza Bilal stated that he had completed all his preparations for the journey and made the following statements:
“Placing the Turkish flag on the South Pole will be both a journey in which I push my own limits and a symbol of my love for my country. Although it may seem like a difficult dream to achieve, I will move forward with determination every step of the way to achieve it. Carrying our flag to one of the most difficult points in the world is an honor that I have dreamed of throughout my life.”
Bilal, who stated that he wanted to add a new one to his successes in different branches of sports, said, “I have been involved in sports for years. I represented my country in world championships, climbed the peaks of mountains with my son on my back, ran marathons pushing him in a stroller, completed Ironman races. I had the pride of representing our country in the Olympics and I still compete in different disciplines. Sharing my experiences is a great passion for me. My main goal is to make our country and our youth experience the excitement of discovering new geographies and to show that everyone can achieve the goal in their mind. Throughout my sports career, my motto has been ‘I want it, I can do it’. Now I have added something to this: I don’t stop when I get tired, I stop when I finish my job.”
“I will meet my liquid needs by melting snow and ice for two months”
Stating that he will carry out his journey with a sustainability approach, Ali Rıza Bilal emphasized that he minimized the damage he caused to the environment during his journey and made the following statements:
“My project will be more than just a Turk achieving this. I will complete this project by living a sustainable life and producing almost zero waste, while also giving importance to protecting our world. In order to prevent global warming to some extent, I will operate all my electrical appliances with solar energy. In order not to leave any waste in our world during my expedition, I will carry my garbage with me while traveling 1000 kilometers with my own muscle power. I will not carry any water with me for a sustainable life. I will meet my liquid needs by melting snow and ice for two months. In this way, I will not waste water, and I will not have any plastic water bottle waste. I will not use fuel for heating. I will show how we can protect the environment with a minimalist life with my Antarctica project. A person produces one and a half kilos of waste per day. I will produce 2 grams of food bag waste per day. I will have produced a total of 1.5kg of waste in 2 months.”
“Your support will be my greatest strength”
Emphasizing that his greatest motivation throughout the journey will be the support he receives from society, Bilal said:
“On this challenging journey, I will carry all my food and equipment on a 100 kg sled, and I will proceed completely with my own power, without any external help. Even though I will be alone for 50 days, your support will be my greatest motivation. You can follow my adventure moment by moment via satellite and watch updates on my website arbkutupfatihi.com and social media accounts. Feeling your moral support will be my greatest strength on this challenging journey.”
Source: www.dunya.com
