Most Influential Filipinos in the Gulf: Charles Marelid – Trailblazer

Charles Marelid

Youngblood

Having accomplished scores of noteworthy milestones and bagged various medals in the world of athletics, Charles Marelid continues to make his mark and carve out a name for himself as one of the youngest, most esteemed short distance sprinters in the U.A.E. A student of the American Community School of Abu Dhabi, Charles balances studies with training, with most of his free time spent towards his honing craft.

This year, Charles’ central focus has been specifically on running the 100 meter sprint below 11 seconds: “For a young athlete running the 100m, most of us hover around 11 seconds and above. My personal best last year was 11.03 seconds last October 2015.” However, regarding the relentless time and effort he has invested, Charles was successfully able to do so. Running his first ever “sub 11” this May, Charles proudly bagged gold for the league’s best under 17 sprinter, and achieved a record-breaking 10.94 seconds under the watchful eye of Olympian Said Aouita. He has since improved, now with a personal best of 10.81 for the 100m.

As for what the future holds, Charles plans to study in the US under one of the most prestigious sports academies. But for now, along with conquering the 200 and the 400 meter sprint, he intends to work on his versatility as a sportsman. For anyone out there who plans on pursuing athletics in the future, Charles attests: “Start young. Try as many sports as possible. And value sportsmanship.”

Special thanks to – Giordano, Nikon, Liali Jewellery, Lulu, Mitsubishi and Western Union.