DUBAI // Emirati fitness professionals are few and far between, but a new awards scheme hopes to inspire more to see the industry as a great lifestyle and career choice.
The Fit Awards, the UAE’s first professional awards for health and fitness professionals and centres, announced its 15 categories on Sunday. Only nine names were entered into the Emirati fitness professional award, with four making the shortlist.
One of these was Tariq Adel Al Kamil, a personal trainer at U Concept, who also co-owns Opportunity Through Sport, which runs American football camps for children around the world, aiming to prepare them for scholarships to study in the US.
The 25-year-old, who studied exercise science and coaching at Jacksonville University in Florida, said convincing people about his academic choices and finding support was difficult.
“There was almost no support for me studying what I chose,” he said. “The push is always to do business. People here don’t see how you can make a living in health, but I persisted and I went through with it.”
He said the Fit Awards, which have categories including health professional of the year and health and fitness (community) initiative of the year, were a stepping stone to making the profession appear more prestigious in the eyes of the local community.
“It’s really great to have the Emirati fitness professional category because there’s really not enough of us,” he said. “Emiratis need role models and especially for women in the culture it’s important to have a female trainer. The number of local female trainers is very small and it will continue to be so until we build on that awareness and really allow them to do it.
“There’s a lot of pushback from the families and we need to be able to break that. Many of my friends and cousins are interested in this but do not have the belief that they can do it.”
Farah Al Sharid recently qualified as a Zumba teacher, a high-intensity keep-fit class that involves dance and aerobics. She took up the classes three years ago and began teaching about 18 months ago in addition to her day job with a telecommunications company in Dubai.
Although she did not enter the awards, the 28-year-old said that as an Emirati, entering the fitness profession could be tough. “Less than a year ago, it was still quite taboo for us as locals to be working out and doing these kinds of things, like teaching.
“People found it weird that I was teaching, even though they had been going to the classes themselves. My family and friends were very supportive so I never felt any kind of effect, but many people just didn’t believe I’m local and doing this.”
Grant Goes, co-founder of fitnesslink.me, one of the award’s organisers, said the Emirati category was “an essential part of the awards”.
“The Emirati side of it is the essence of what we’re trying to build in the UAE so this has to involve Emiratis. The idea is to make sure there’s inclusion. Like anything new, it takes time so we’re hoping this will plant the seed to find what other Emiratis are out there doing this.” He said the awards, judged by industry experts and public vote, were a “stepping stone for the industry” in the UAE. “We want a prestigious awards system where the judging is done by rigorous standards and a rigorous process so that it’s respectable and setting the bar higher. It’s going beyond just qualifications and looking at things like how these people are improving the well-being of the UAE public. It’s hugely important.”
mswan@thenational.ae
