Syed Saddiq, Bella and children steal the spotlight at Desaru Triathlon

SHAH ALAM - Muar Member of Parliament Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman and Bella Astillah were among the main highlights of the International Sunrise TriFest Desaru 2026, drawing attention when they appeared together with the latter's children at the sporting event held at Sand and Sandals Desaru Beach Resort on Sunday.

The festival drew around 1,000 participants from nearly 30 countries, but attention throughout the event was also centred on the family’s participation, which marked a meaningful milestone for both Syed Saddiq and Bella.

For Syed Saddiq, the triathlon journey began as a personal challenge before evolving into a shared family experience after Bella joined the event for the first time alongside her children, Ayden Adrean and Ara Adreanna.

Competing in the demanding 113 Triathlon category for the third straight year, Syed Saddiq completed the 2.25km swim, 90km cycling leg and 21km run in 5 hours 30 minutes and 13 seconds.

“I am very happy to return here for the third consecutive year. What started as a personal challenge has now become something far more meaningful because my loved ones are going through this journey together with me.

“Seeing Ayden race again, Ara making her debut and Bella joining this event for the first time truly made this year’s experience very meaningful for me,” he said.

Bella said taking part as a competitor for the first time gave her a completely different experience after previously attending only as a supporter.

“This is a very new and enjoyable experience for me. Before this, I only came to give support, but this year I finally got to take part myself,” she said.

She added that the event deepened her appreciation for the discipline, effort and determination needed in endurance sports such as triathlon.

Bella competed in the Olympic Distance Female Relay category with team ‘BAM’, alongside Datin Dr Sharifah Nur Insyirah and Australian athlete Michaella Widjaya. The team finished third overall with a time of 3 hours 20 minutes and 59 seconds.

Meanwhile, Ayden finished eighth in the boys’ Super Sprint Triathlon category for participants aged between 10 and 12 years old.

Ara also impressed during her debut appearance by securing third place in the under-seven KiTS Aquathlon category.

Race director Andy Foo said the family’s involvement embodied the spirit of Sunrise TriFest beyond competition alone.

“Syed Saddiq started as a solo participant, then Bella came to give support, followed by the participation of their children and now all of them have become part of this journey,” he said.