A Kenyan father has opened up about the difficult journey that took him from working as a security guard in Dubai to running his own fitness company while raising his two daughters alone.
His emotional account, accompanied by photographs documenting different stages of his life, has resonated with tens of thousands of people online.
Felix Shikoli Mate, 35, shared his story on Instagram, taking followers through nearly a decade of sacrifice, financial struggles, unexpected setbacks and determination to build a better future for his children.
Speaking to Gulf News, Felix revealed that he had left his daughters in Kenya when he travelled to Dubai in 2017 in search of opportunities.
To finance the move, he sold belongings and property back home and paid an agent approximately Dh5,000 to secure a chance to work in the Gulf country.
What followed was a journey far removed from the success he enjoys today, marked by long working hours, personal loss, financial difficulties and the challenge of raising two daughters while trying to establish himself.
Felix Shikoli’s life before success in Dubai
Felix arrived in Dubai in 2017 and began working in the security industry after completing two months of training with a security services company.
His proficiency in English helped him secure a posting at a building used by Emirates cabin crew, where he spent approximately two years working in the basement car park.
Away from his security duties, however, Felix maintained his passion for off-road cycling, a sport he had pursued in Kenya.
He initially borrowed a friend’s bicycle to explore his neighbourhood after work. During one of his rides, he came across members of the Emirates Cycling Group and asked if he could join them.
The cyclists welcomed him into their community, helping him obtain a bicycle and uniform. Their conversations gradually became an important source of encouragement as he navigated life far from home.
From security guard to fitness coach
After his mother died, the group organised a ride with him at the Nad Al Sheba cycling track and gifted him a road bicycle that he still uses.
“They did not give me money, but they gave me something more valuable: advice,” Felix recalled.
The conversations also forced him to reflect on the family he had left behind in Kenya, particularly his daughters, and the future he wanted to create for them.
Felix eventually secured an opportunity at a sports academy in Al Quoz, hoping to take another step towards building a career around his passion for fitness.
However, delays in processing his new visa resulted in his former employer placing him on absconding status. He subsequently spent two weeks in jail.
Looking back, Felix said the experience taught him the importance of understanding and respecting the country’s immigration regulations.
His new employer paid the fine, allowing him to travel to Oman, change his visa status and return to Dubai.
He then worked at the sports academy for approximately four years, using the opportunity to acquire skills that would eventually help him establish his own business.
Felix completed a personal trainer diploma and obtained a driving licence, although each qualification took him about two years because he could not afford to pay for the courses continuously.
How Felix started his own company
The COVID-19 pandemic brought another unexpected challenge when Felix lost his job. Rather than abandon the skills he had spent years developing, he began working as a freelance cycling coach.
Demand gradually increased, and friends joined him in the growing venture, eventually helping him establish UAE Ninja Warriors.
The company, which Felix said had been licensed for approximately five years, employs around 10 people. Its coaches travel to clients’ homes to provide training in cycling, swimming, running, football and general fitness.
The business also organises obstacle courses for parties and other events. For a man who had once worked in a basement car park and struggled to finance his professional qualifications, becoming an employer represented a significant change in circumstances.
However, Felix’s ambitions have never been limited to business growth. His original motivation for leaving Kenya was to create a better future for his daughters, and bringing them to Dubai became one of his most important goals.
Felix raises two daughters alone in Dubai
Felix first brought his daughters to Dubai on one-month visit visas, allowing them to experience life in the country before making a decision about whether they would be happy living there.
His younger daughter, Ridemtta Mwaka Shikoli Nikita, was five when she arrived and is now 11. Her elder sister, Rosemary Bakhitta, joined him at the age of nine and is now 14.
Raising the girls alone while building a business has required significant personal sacrifices, particularly when it comes to their education and extracurricular activities.
Despite the difficulties, he remained determined to ensure that his children understood the value of perseverance.
“They learned that we don’t always get what we want but we never stop pushing,” he wrote in his Instagram post.
His daughters have also developed their own sporting interests. In 2025, Nikita, a runner, received recognition from Dubai Women’s Run and Dubai Fitness Challenge, while both girls have been excelling in football. Felix’s daily routine reflects the extent of his commitment to their upbringing.
He manages school runs, client appointments and other activities, often returning home at around 8 pm or 9 pm.
The demanding schedule leaves him with approximately three hours of sleep at home, although he sometimes manages to catch another hour in his car.
Felix acknowledged that the arrangement was unhealthy but hoped to get adequate rest once his circumstances became more settled.
In his Instagram post, Felix reflected on how dramatically his life had changed since he arrived in the country as a security guard.
“Dubai raised me from a guard to an employer, from a lonely cyclist to a community, from a father far away to a father of champions. I came to raise my girls. Dubai raised us all,” he wrote.
Pandemic, floods and conflict test his business
Even after establishing his company, Felix has continued to face challenges that threaten the progress he has made.
The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted his employment, while the April 2024 floods in the UAE left almost all his vehicles beyond repair.
More recently, regional conflict prompted some of his clients to leave the country, creating further uncertainty for his business.
Nevertheless, Felix remains determined to keep moving forward, drawing lessons from the difficult experiences that have shaped his life in Dubai.
“If you reach a bump in the road, slow down, get over it, and then keep going. Enjoy the journey,” he said.
He also credits Dubai with teaching him to remain hopeful even when circumstances appear unfavourable.
