Fabio Spiteri: Breaking Barriers in Endurance Sports

Fabio Spiteri, 51, from Malta, has a life story marked by transformation, resilience, and commitment to causes close to his heart. His sports journey began at the age of 21, when he became a father at a young age. “I was into booze and parties and wanted to change my life, so I switched to sports,” he recalls — a decision that changed not only his daily routine but also the path of his competitive career.

Fabio’s early sporting background was on the track: he competed in the 400m, 800m, and 1500m events. His first competition was back in 1997 — a 5 km race. Later, he made the switch to triathlon, taking on every distance from sprint races to the extreme Deca Ironman. He chose triathlon because “it’s never boring doing the same sport. Bigger range of friends from 3 disciplines. If you get injured you can still practice swim or bike.” That variety and flexibility were key to his transition.

Career Highlights

Fabio’s achievements span decades. In 1999 and 2001, he won bronze medals in the 4x400m relay at the Small Nations Games. From 2006 until 2025, he has been on the podium in several sprint and Olympic distance races in Malta. Internationally, he won a half Ironman distance race in Sicily and earned podiums in several half Ironman events. One of the highest points in his career was his second-place finish at Deca Colmar — which he considers his biggest achievement: “definitely the DECA Colmar in 233hrs, 2nd overall.”

But his journey also had very tough moments. The year 2024 was his hardest, with two DNFs in major races — Deca Brazil, where he stopped due to infected blisters, and the Quintuple at Swiss Ultra, where a bike crash left him with a broken collarbone. “It was challenging because I spent a lot of energy training and a lot of money on these races and nothing good came out.” Still, quitting was never a permanent option: “No, no — I try to be motivated and positive all the time. There were times when I had doubts about not finishing the race, but never gave up.”

Mindset and Motivation

What keeps Fabio going is mindset and resilience. “First of all you need to remember all that training you’ve done throughout the year. You can’t just back out on race day no matter how tough it is.” He also receives a lot of support from sponsors and people in his country, which he does not want to disappoint. During his races, Fabio also fundraises large amounts from supporters and then distributes the money to all animal shelters in Malta and Gozo.

When it comes to pain, setbacks, or failure, his approach is straightforward: “Pain you just have to adapt. Setbacks and failures are all part of growing as an athlete.” He reminds that he didn’t finish his first Ironman, his first Quintuple Ironman, or his first Deca — but eventually succeeded in finishing all his targeted races, including the Deca. “Success involves failures too!”

Faith, Purpose, and Giving Back

Fabio says he is not a spiritual person. He lives a very simple life, helps people in need, and supports all animal shelters in Malta and Gozo — having fundraised over €350,000 since 2017 “through sweat and blood.”

Future Goals

Looking ahead, Fabio has a double “iron” distance race on September 1st, followed by Deca Taiwan in November. One of his goals is to win a Deca one day, and for 2026, he would like to try a Double Deca if it is organized. His dream race is, without doubt, the Double Deca.

When people ask him how he manages such distances, he answers simply: there will be a day when he is so old and fragile that it will be hard to get out of bed — “but until that day arrives I will keep on breaking barriers.”

His advice to someone just starting out is clear: “Start out easy… best get some help through a coach especially the swim segment. Do not rush into doing huge distances but build gradually. And always target a sprint triathlon as a start up. Body and mind need to adapt.”

What he wants the world to know about his story can be summed up in three points: be humble, stay fit, and don’t mistreat animals.

It has been an absolute pleasure to share the story of such an extraordinary athlete and remarkable human being Fabio.