BUTTERWORTH: Before Abdul Malik Mydin, 28, took up marathon swimming, he was known among friends as an accomplished cyclist and had won numerous competitions.
His cycling career started in 1993 at the Asian Junior Cycling Championships. He was placed fifth and subsequently became champion in the National Junior Time Trials for the 70km team event.
According to his biodata made available to the press, he took part in Sukma in Ipoh in 1994, and won the gold medal for the 100km team time trial as well a as silver medal for the 165km individual road race.
He also won the gold medal (4km team pursuit) of the National Track Cycling Championships the same year. In the Tour de Langkawi, he won the overall team event as well as the individual stage event.
In 1995, he was selected for the Commonwealth Games and Australia National Championships.
In 1996, he won the Selangor Open Cycling Championships (145km road race) and the Asian Cycling Championships (100km team time trial).
In 1997, he took part in the Tour of Iran. He was also second (45km individual time trial) in the National Cycling Championships and fourth in the Tour of Merdeka.
Abdul Malik then shifted his attention to swimming.
He swam across the North Channel that separates Penang Island and Seberang Perai in 1999.
In May, he swam from Kuala Perlis to Langkawi as his final preparation en route to his English Channel epic swim.
