Expat wins 10GM gold souvenir for shedding extra pounds
My friends and family were shocked at my transformation and I have inspired people around me to take fitness seriously.”
Rommel Manio, Filipino expat
dubai — Although the Dubai Fitness Challenge has ended, the change the initiative has brought to the UAE residents is simply amazing. Rommel Manio, a 34-yearold Filipino expat, was one of the 9,500 people who enrolled for a fitness drive at Al Ghurair Centre in Deira and walked away with 10gm of gold for losing 10kg in less than a month — that too without going to a gym!
Al Ghurair Centre launched the first season of ‘lose to win gold challenge’ campaign during the fitness challenge last year. The 30-day challenge rewarded health enthusiasts and participants with a gram of gold for each kilo lost during the period of the challenge.
To make this challenge possible for all the participating visitors, the centre held fitness programmes in collaboration with Gold’s Gym Dubai on its premises. Numerous free fitness programmes are linedup every week till November 24, along with free BMI and body fatmuscle ratio tests, on the ground level of the mall.
Rommel, who always wanted to get fit but was unable to follow a fixed fitness regime, said when his friend told him about Al Ghurair Centre’s ‘lose to win gold challenge’, it gave him the push he wanted. “Before this challenge I would try and run or jog three to five kilometres every night after work but with this gold challenge I increased my distance to about 10km everyday. I also changed my diet and went completely vegan for six days a week. I ate only fruits and vegetables during the week and ate meat during weekends,” said Rommel.
On the weekends, he made use of the free fitness classes organised by the centre on its premises, where trained fitness instructors would take group sessions for mall visitors. “My life has changed 360 degrees now and I feel confident and comfortable with my own body. I was suffering from severe back pain previously which has now completely gone after losing weight.
“My friends and family were shocked at my transformation and I have inspired people around me to take fitness seriously. I am grateful to Al Ghurair Centre and the Dubai Government for organising such innovative competitions that motivate us to take care of our health.”
Talking about his 10gm of gold, he said: “This is my souvenir for life — my trophy — that will always remind me of the effort I put in to get back in shape.”
Zeinab Badar, head of marketing at Al Ghurair Centre, said: “With over 9,500 people registered, the second season of Dubai Fitness Challenge at Al Ghurair Centre has been a huge success. Consisting of a range of free fitness activities for all, the participants were encouraged to lose weight and win gold.”