His journey from serving time for overstaying his visa to training government staff and becoming an entrepreneur has touched hearts online. He credits Dubai with giving him hope and the opportunity to rebuild his life.
A Kenyan single father who arrived in Dubai in 2017 to build a better future has touched hundreds of thousands of people online with the story of his journey from security guard to entrepreneur.
Felix Shikoli Mate, 35, shared photographs and memories of his decade-long struggle to build a life in the UAE, raise his two daughters, and establish his own fitness business. His Instagram post, published on Monday, October 26, received more than 650,000 views and around 40,000 likes within a day.
Speaking to Gulf News on Tuesday, Felix recalled leaving his daughters in Kenya and selling belongings and property back home to pay an agent approximately Dh5,000 for an opportunity to work in Dubai.
The photographs document different stages of his life, from sleeping in a partitioned bedspace and collecting bottles for fuel points to training government employees and eventually running his own company.
“Whenever something happened in my life, I would take a picture,” he said.
Some readers compared his journey to The Pursuit of Happyness, the film about a father overcoming homelessness and financial hardship. Felix hopes his story will eventually resemble King Richard, which follows the determination of Venus and Serena Williams’ father in preparing his daughters for success.
From a Security Guard to Dubai’s Cycling Community
Felix arrived in Dubai during Ramadan in the summer of 2017. After two months of training with a security services company, his English skills helped him secure a posting at a building used by Emirates cabin crew. He spent approximately two years working in its basement car park.
An off-road cycling enthusiast in Kenya, Felix borrowed a friend’s bicycle to explore Muhaisnah after work. During one outing, he came across members of the Emirates Cycling Group and asked whether he could join them.
“They welcomed me,” he recalled.
The group helped him obtain a bicycle and uniform. Conversations over coffee gradually turned to family life, children, and their personal experiences.
After Felix’s mother died, members of the club took him for a ride at the Nad Al Sheba cycling track and gifted him a road bike that he still uses.
“They did not give me money, but they gave me something more valuable: advice,” he said.
Their support encouraged him to think about his daughters and the possibility of bringing them to Dubai. He began asking himself a question that would shape his next decisions: “When will I bring my children here?”
Visa Setback and a Fresh Start
Felix later joined a sports academy in Al Quoz. However, delays involving his new visa led his former employer to place him on absconding status. He spent two weeks in Al Awir jail.
“It taught me that you must respect the rules of the country and your visa status,” he said.
His new employer paid the fine, after which Felix travelled to Oman to change his visa status before returning to Dubai. He then worked at the sports academy for approximately four years.
During this period, he completed a personal trainer diploma and obtained his driving licence. Each took around two years because he could not afford to pay for the process continuously.
Inspired by the television competition American Ninja Warrior, Felix proposed setting up an obstacle course to his employer, who ordered the equipment. Felix later trained teams from government entities, including the Dubai Health Authority (DHA), Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), Community Development Authority (CDA), and Civil Defence, during the first Gov Games, now known as the Dubai Games.
When he lost his job during the pandemic, Felix began working independently as a cycling coach. Demand increased, friends joined him, and his business gradually developed into UAE Ninja Warriors.
Building UAE Ninja Warriors
Licensed for approximately five years, UAE Ninja Warriors now employs around 10 people, according to Felix.
The company provides coaching in cycling, swimming, running, football, and fitness. Its coaches visit clients at home, while the business also organizes obstacle courses for parties and other events.
The company grew out of Felix’s decision to turn his sporting experience into a source of income after losing his job during the pandemic.
What began as freelance coaching developed into a business that now provides work for other people. His journey from employee to employer has become one of the central themes of the story he shared online.
Raising Two Daughters Alone in Dubai
Felix’s ambitions have always been closely tied to his daughters’ future.
He initially brought them to Dubai on one-month visit visas so they could decide whether they wanted to live in the UAE.
His younger daughter, Ridemtta Mwaka Shikoli Nikita, arrived when she was five and is now 11. Her older sister, Rosemary Bakhitta, joined the family at nine and is now 14.
When school fees became unaffordable, Felix home-schooled the girls with help from others.
“They learned that we don’t always get what we want, but we never stop pushing,” he wrote in his Instagram post.
In 2025, Nikita, who runs competitively, received recognition from Dubai Women’s Run and Dubai Fitness Challenge. Felix also said his daughters were doing well in football.
His daily routine leaves little time for rest. His alarm rings at 2:45 am so he can prepare breakfast before the girls wake at 3 am for training. He then manages school runs, client sessions, and the family’s other activities, often returning home around 8 pm or 9 pm.
Felix said he sleeps for about three hours at home and sometimes catches another hour in his car. He acknowledged that the routine was unhealthy and hopes to get more rest once his circumstances become more settled.
Pandemic, Floods and Regional Conflict Test His Business
Felix’s progress has not been without setbacks. The Covid-19 pandemic disrupted his work, while the April 2024 floods left almost all his vehicles beyond repair. More recently, regional conflict prompted some clients to leave the UAE, affecting his business again.
Despite these difficulties, he remains determined to continue.
“If you reach a bump in the road, slow down, get over it, and then keep going. Enjoy the journey,” he said.
For Felix, Dubai has offered the chance to rebuild his life and create opportunities for his daughters.
He also recalled an inspirational message shared by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, about the need to keep moving forward regardless of the challenges ahead.
Felix summed up what the city has meant to him in his Instagram post: “Dubai raised me from a guard to an employer, from a lonely cyclist to a community, and from a father far away to a father of champions. I came to raise my girls. Dubai raised us all.”
Why Felix Finally Shared His Story
For years, Felix kept his experiences private because he worried that his daughters might feel uncomfortable at school if they learned the details of his struggles.
A former security colleague eventually encouraged him to share his journey. Preparing the post took about a week, and he also reconnected with a former cabin crew member who had become a pilot and recognized him in the photographs after 10 years.
The response exceeded his expectations. Felix said he has tried to reply to comments and was surprised by the number of people who connected with his experiences.
Even so, he believes the post captures only 35% to 40% of his full journey.
“I may not be where I want to be, but I am happy with where I am now,” he wrote.
He also made clear that he sees his story as unfinished, promising to share more about his life and his daughters in the coming years.
“We have a long way to go! I will have fresh stories to share with you about myself and my daughters in a couple of years,” he added.
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Felix Shikoli Mate: “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.”
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Source: Gulf News
