Professional wrestler Adam Al-Kandousi and his mother, Jamna, opened the OverFit ghoul this summer. This gym in the Overvecht shopping center is for women, the elderly and children with a disability or overweight.
Brand new buildings are located in Jonkvrouw Sanderijndreef, opposite Shopping Center Overvecht. Vowels are in place and small green twigs stick out from the border. The OverFit gym has been here for two months now. A gym is open exclusively to women during the day. On Saturday and Sunday afternoons, seniors can also train here and there are classes for kids who are dyslexic or overweight.
Adam Al-Kandousi says the need for a gym for women has been great. He sits outside, in front of OverFit, his face in the sun. For now, he’s not going to the gym because there are women who are training indoors. The gym is then off-limits to men. “It was necessary to have a women’s gym. We noticed that it had been in great demand for a long time, but nothing came of it. That is why we opened OverFit.”
Al-Kandousi compares himself and his mother to the neighborhood’s “super saviors.” “Because let’s be honest: Overfisht hasn’t always been known to be a good neighborhood. But together we can change that. By bringing people together. Let them exercise together.”
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As a top Overvecht athlete, Adam has earned the status of “a boy who does well”. But he’s not the type who just wants to be on top. “I like to make people happy,” he says. Then he continues with a deep look: “I would like to be a kind of ‘spirit’ in the neighborhood – a good spirit, who is everywhere and connects everyone. I don’t think the attention and applause are important, I’ve had enough of that in my career as a wrestler.”
same passion
Al-Kandousi probably got the athletic gene from his mother, Jamna Ghoula. She also enjoys playing and teaching sports. Adam: “My mother has been studying sports for fifteen years.” Jamna adds: “Adam and I have the same passion. I love doing this with him.” She wants to help women get the most out of them. “Some women who come here feel insecure or inferior. They think exercise is just to lose weight. But that’s not true. Exercising releases a substance in your brain, which makes you feel better.”
Jamna and Adam believe that sports are important. Not only because exercise is good for you, but also because you can learn a lot from it. “For children, sports can be part of the education,” Adam says. “It teaches you to be on time, to be disciplined and to respect others.” Jamna: “There are no members in our gym, but there are guests. And that’s how I treat them. We make sure people get to know each other. And if someone doesn’t come to exercise for a while, I call that person.” Jamna says the two have received a lot of good feedback on the work they are doing. “People tell us, ‘We want this to continue. This should not go away.”
