‘He Needs This To Stay Alive’: Urgent Scramble To Get Official Green Light For Jake Vella To Continue Essential Training
Malta’s most inspirational athlete has been left waiting for permission to continue his life-saving exercise following the closure of pools and gyms around the island.
Jake Vella is the young Maltese triathlete battling a rare condition called ROHHAD (Rapid-onset Obesity with Hypothalamic dysfunction, Hypoventilation and Autonomic Dysregulation) where his hormones cause him to be obese, no matter what he eats.
He cannot stop his body from gaining weight and became a triathlete in an attempt to keep the obesity at bay. However, he’s since had to stop running and cycling due to worsening mobility issues, and had relied on swimming as a means of much-needed exercise instead.
After new COVID-19 mitigation measures were announced last week, an appeal was put out to find a heated indoor pool for Jake, who is the Ambassador of Sports in Malta, to continue practicing.
Jake Vella needs to train at least three times a week
However, he now awaits official permission before he can dive back into the water.
“A 25 metre heated indoor pool has been found for Jake – all we need is the permit,” leading endurance athlete Fabio Spiteri, who has been by Jake’s side for years, said online. “Trying to push the right buttons to speed up the process – just a reminder that Jake has to keep on training due to his rare condition,” he continued before tagging a number of leading government officials including the Superintendent of Public Health Charmaine Gauci.
Jake needs to swim and train to improve his mobility, with the young boy usually attending at least three sessions a week in his ongoing battle with ROHHAD.
Pools are closed until at least 11th April, meaning Spiteri’s plea to authorities to find a way to allow this Maltese youth to continue striving to be healthier and stay alive is as urgent as can be.
Spiteri, the Vella family and everyone supporting Jake now hope he will be allowed permission to swim for at least 75 minutes per session.
Find out more about Jake in this touching video all about the inspirational youth’s determination and humility.
Back in 2017, Lovin Malta had shared Jake’s incredible story in a video viewed 5.5 million times – watch it below.
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