Mvita Member of Parliament (MP), Abdulswamad Shariff has revealed that his decision to lose weight was inspired by skydiving clubs in Dubai, that turned him away for being overweight.
Shariff revealed that he hit the gym immediately, training five or six days a week, with each session lasting one or two hours.
The MP stated that through his regimen, which involved physical training and proper diet, he slowly shredded 46kg.
Speaking to The Star, a 44-year-old Shariff disclosed that in 2014, he weighed 130kg, ten more than what was needed for men attempting to skydive.
According to the skydiving clubs, if the weight was exceeded, the parachute was much more likely to tear, break, or even disintegrate during the course of its deployment.
Furthermore, skydiving requires one to be fit. A person could easily break his ankles, during landing, which is considered the most dangerous part of the jump.
Shariff claims that he was further forced to take complete hold of his life after some people mistook his wife for his daughter.
Nowadays, he has strong abdominal muscles, wears trousers size 34, down from 44, and also sleeps deeply for six hours every day.
According to Shariff, who is now the Public Investment Committee chairman, he has become more vibrant in his legislative duties and in the community.
In early 2017, the Mvita MP was rated the best-performing MP at the Coast, and the ninth-best countrywide by Mzalendo, a nongovernmental organization, for his efforts in improving the living standards of his constituents.
He was particularly praised for the Skills Mtaani project, launched in 2014, which enables youths to earn a living and acquire the skills to fit into today’s job market.
