Kuala Lampur, June 5 -- Make no mistake: I am no sportsman.

I can't play football. I never learned how to swim. And when it comes to running? Let's just say I was always the kid who got picked last during PE (physical education), if picked at all.

But in 2011, something unexpected happened. I discovered long-distance running.

It started innocently enough - purely practical. I wanted to lose some weight and figured running would help. So I bought a cheap pair of running shoes and hit the pavement. The first few runs were humbling. My knees protested, my lungs burned, and my ego took a beating. But somehow, I kept going.

And something began to shift.

The numbers on the scale slowly moved, yes. But more importantly, so did something in ...