As the saying goes, age is just a number, and living by this life motto is Giovanni Potenza.
At the age of 78 years old, Giovanni is known as the 'Italian sky runner' as well as taking on endurance challenges.
Set to participate in the 17th edition of the Dubai Holding SkyRun, Giovanni will be seen climbing 52 floors of Jumeirah Emirates Towers in minutes.
Giovanni said, "I have no intention of slowing up anytime soon or retiring from the sport I love the most, and I aim to join as many races as I can. I am old but gold!"
Having completed the race in Dubai three times in a row in 2019, with an average time of 13 minutes, Giovanni said, "In Dubai, I feel a special passion like nowhere else, maybe also thanks to the fabulous ambience where Dubai Holding SkyRun 2022 race takes place. The audience in the emirate is outstanding and gives me a priceless energy and desire to win and do the best I can to achieve new records. Dubai will always carry a special place in my heart."
Participating in around two to three runs every year, Giovanni began his athletic journey five years ago.
Giovanni added, "Five years ago, in London in July 2018, I scaled 70 floors of a city sky-rise in 15 minutes, while in April 2019, I visited Milan and scaled 50 floors in 10 minutes, before heading to New York in June, climbing 100 floors in 22 minutes. In November 2019, I returned to the UK for another sky running event and claimed 105 floors in just 23 minutes. Other challenges I completed include the Canton of Ticino in Lirolo, Switzerland, in October 2021."
Excited to be a part of this year's Dubai Holding SkyRun, Giovanni shared that his favourite race was the 2019 Dubai Holding SkyRun and is looking forward to being a part of this one.
A source of inspiration to many, Giovanni advised, "Everything starts from mind and willpower; they are super important if you want to keep on improving. They say, train hard, win easy, and it's true. I train hard every day for about two hours. A healthy diet and good rest are helpful tools too, but there is one thing, you cannot teach. Basically, passion is the secret if you want to challenge yourself to reach new limits. There is no particular technique for climbing stairs, only a lot of determination, athletic preparation, passion, willpower and a powerful mind."
The Dubai SkyRun will be held on 12 November and will have three categories, Elite, Open and Teams.
Cash prizes will be given to the top three female and male winners from the Elite category and to the fastest in the Teams category.
All the proceeds from the run will be donated to the Al Jalila Foundation’s Majlis Al Amal, which is the UAE’s first cancer community centre dedicated to female cancer patients and their well-being.
To register, visit the Dubai SkyRun website, and use the code 'Runner10' to get a discount.