Power drive

I started my career as an aerobics instructor because of my husband, Sudheer.
He used to be my sensei (teacher) in karate. We trained in Kyokushin, which is a kind of stand-up, full contact form of karate. I was inspired by him to push myself further and to reach higher. Unfortunately, he passed away nine months ago after sudden heart failure.
When the person who had been my unfailing support for the past 14 years suddenly disappeared, I was left feeling very much alone. But the memory of his passion for sports and his zest for life has given me the strength to continue what he and I were doing as instructors in karate and aerobics.

All my life, I have depended on my family.
My mother, Hala Jameel Dhahir was a sportswoman and a teacher. She was the one who inspired me to take up gymnastics. She trained me from a very young age.
Lebanese women are always under the aegis of family members. I have no shame in admitting that I have always been taken care of. My mother was the volleyball captain of the National Volleyball team in Lebanon.

My love for Bollywood movies lead to my marriage.
Even as a teenager, I was fascinated by Hindi movies. I was a big fan of Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan and Sanjay Dutt. I used to wait with anticipation for Thursday nights to watch the Hindi movie that was aired on a local Arabic channel. I thoroughly enjoyed the action-packed musical family dramas. My parents used to make fun of me, saying that I was destined to marry an Indian. It became a self-fulfilling prophecy.

I was inspired by karate movies.
When I came to the UAE I started training with Sudheer, who was a Fourth Dan Black Belt, UAE Heavy Weight Champion and Asian Karate Champion (1986). Professionally, he was a trained firefighter in Abu Dhabi.
Training together in karate strengthened our relationship. After we were married, we started the Asian Karate Centre (AKC). I work as an aerobics instructor for ladies. Under Sudheer’s guidance, I won the UAE 8th Open Karate Championship in 2001. Even though Sudheer is no longer alive, I still run the centre with my dedicated group of staff who have been a huge source of strength to me.

The centre keeps me occupied and passionate about life.
Recently, our centre received an award from the UAE Karatedo Association for the Best Club in Abu Dhabi. We have karate classes teaching over 250 children, a gym for adults and yoga and aerobics classes for ladies. Our students have won numerous prizes at many UAE Open Karate Championships. The walls of our AKC are decorated with the pictures of our many prize winners.
I am passionate about aerobics.
I am so passionate about aerobics that I was back as an instructor two weeks after the delivery of both my younger children. I have three children: Lebind (we named him by combining Lebanon and India), Yazn and Mohammad Sudheer (named after his late father). Many women are slightly apprehensive when it comes to pushing their bodies to maintain health and balance during their pregnancies. I have continued holding classes for my aerobics students throughout my pregnancies. I conduct both ante-natal and prenatal aerobics exercise classes.

I have an eye for beauty.
I am a trained beautician and I have a won an award at the Middle East Festival of Beauticians in 1999. The participating countries for the contest were from Syria, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. I love dressing up women. It is my dream to start my own parlour when I retire from being an aerobics instructor. Being an aerobics instructor as well as a beautician, I think that beauty is both external and internal.

The most rewarding moments for me are when the ladies who come for aerobics classes report their happiness with their improved fitness levels.
Some of my students have lost their excess weight and experienced profound relief from their worrying health conditions. It is really satisfying to be able to be part of a positive change in someone’s life. Since my classes are for ladies only, they can let go of their inhibitions and let their energy guide them.

Exercise frees the body as well as the mind.
Some ladies are a little reluctant to join in and do the energetic moves during the initial sessions. But after a few classes, they begin to gel with their group. Doing aerobics classes regularly is known to improve concentration and memory.
I combine karate, aerobics and a bit of gymnastics into the overall programme I teach. This ensures that the ladies enjoy the benefit of all the three activities. We even dance a bit in the occasional session. Alternating the routines helps to train the various muscle groups and tone different parts of the body. I recommend diet plans for my students too. We have customised diet plans catering to the needs of people with varying lifestyles. Weight loss plans work better if we propose realistic diets suitable to a person’s background and food habits.

I have learnt to take happiness with a pinch of salt.
I gave birth to my baby boy last January. Sudheer would have shared this joy with me, but fate had different plans. I have always been a very home- oriented person. My greatest
joy in life is my children. I am determined to give them a stable and settled life no matter what the odds. It’s a long road ahead, as my children are only 5 years, 2 years and 2 months respectively.

One must never give up one’s dream.
This is one lesson in life that I will always uphold. No matter what happens in life, you must go on and complete your life’s purpose. There is no point in looking back over your shoulder at what might have been.