Why We Run: Singapore’s Blade Runner aims to inspire

SINGAPORE — Born without a left foot, Shariff Abdullah had to endure all sorts of taunting and snide looks during his childhood.

Things got better when he was able to walk thanks to the use of a prosthetic leg. He started a family, having also found a job after much effort. But his world came crashing down in 2008 when an infection on his stump necessitated a further amputation of around five inches.

Shariff contemplated suicide and fell into a funk. As fate would have it, he came across the feats of South African athlete Oscar Pistorius and inspired by the double below-knee amputee, six-time Paralympic sprint champion, he became Singapore’s very own Blade Runner.

His first race, in 2009, was a mere 2.5km. But at the end of that year, Shariff ran his first-ever marathon in the Standard Chartered Singapore (SCMS) race. The 48-year-old, now a full-time athlete and motivational speaker, reckons he has since run around 24 full marathons, with a personal best of around 4 hr 35 min.

Shariff is now a full-time athlete and motivational speaker. He trains six days a week and gives speeches at schools and corporate firms, which helps to fund a portion of his expenses.

Ahead of his eighth straight SCMS, Shariff tells TODAY his remarkable story as part of the Why We Run series, which features those who run for a cause.

Q: Why did you start running?

I wanted to run because I wanted to challenge myself; the second part is that I want to inspire people.

I only started running after my leg was amputated. My first running event was only about 2.5km, in March 2009. Slowly, I ‘upgraded’ to 10km, then 21km. My first overseas event was a half-marathon in Penang, Malaysia. I ran the SCMS in 2009 and it took me seven hours plus to finish.

Running is different from other sports. I was a bodybuilder and did participate in all kinds of events, but I found when you run, it helps you to clear all your stress. The longer the distance, the more new ideas will come to your mind.

Ever since I came into the picture, I am glad to see a lot of friends are joining running groups and taking up challenges. For example, at this coming SCMS, these two ladies and one guy will be running beside me. They have never tried any marathons, but they say they want me to be the pacer.

Q: Things were not easy for you growing up. Tell us a bit more.

When I was very young, four or five years old, I had neither a prosthetic leg nor crutches. I had to crawl around or hold on to things. Friend called me bad names and threw stones at me. Relatives tied my leg with a dog chain - I didn’t know why they did that - and those memories are something I still think of up to now. In 1975, my father bought me a prosthetic leg and I started to be able to move; that’s when I got a lot of friends. He passed away in 1977, followed by my foster mother in 1978. Life felt like a ball, because no one wanted to take care of me, as they said handicapped people gave a lot of problems.

In 1980, I found my biological mother (and things got better). I stopped school at Primary 8, then I started to find a job. That was totally tough. When you say you are physically challenged, sometimes they will not accept you. I worked all kinds of jobs, from a golf caddy to a security guard.

I got married in 1992, got a beautiful wife and three daughters, aged 24, 22 and 16. All of them are active in sports.

Q: How did you bounce back after the amputation in December 2008?

I lost hope, lost everything. I didn’t know what to do; I wanted to attempt suicide - until I found Pistorius.

So that changed me. The doctor said my recovery would take two years, but it took me three months due to the positive mindset. I just went running using the normal (prosthetic) leg. It’s kind of crazy because the moment you run, you start to feel you want more. I spent over a thousand dollars to register for all kinds of races.

When I go to give talks, share my stories - the moment I let it (problems) go out, that’s where I feel the positive energy coming in (as well).

Q: What are some of your most memorable runs?

It was the Boston Marathon in 2013, where the bombing occurred. I had qualified for my first one in 2012 first time as the first Asian to do so wearing a prosthetic blade.

I was 800m away from the ending point and I pulled out our national flag, so everybody was cheering ‘Singapore, Singapore!’.

That was the moment I could see explosions on my left and that made me fear (for my life). That fear stayed with me and from 2014 onwards my marathons weren’t so good - it was something that really scared me.

But I knew I had to overcome it so I just stayed positive, listened to motivational songs, went out for more runs and built my confidence back again.

Q: You also scaled Mount Everest in May this year. How was that like?

I am the first Blade Runner in the world to trek to the Everest base camp, 5,346m above sea level. It took about 17 days. I was supposed to run down but I couldn’t because it was quite slippery, but that doesn’t matter.

I didn’t have any high-altitude sickness but I felt cold and it was the first time I saw snow. This is my biggest accomplishment.

Q: What else is on your bucket list?

Cycling from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur. I’ve just started to learn to cycle and the event will be held in 2019, I will be 50 and I want to make it memorable. It will take about a couple of days.

Q: Looking back now, did you ever think you would have reached this stage in your life?

I am very happy and I appreciate what I have now. Thirty five years ago, that was a totally tough period in my life; now I am 48 and I feel I have experienced a lot of new things

Running has changed me a lot, especially the SCMS, which I run every year. I will see a lot of people and for myself, it’s a learning journey also. I learn from other athletes and they get inspired by me.

I have already made plans. I won’t retire, but in 2020, I am going to cut down on sports because I want to open a business selling healthy fruit juices.