Thokoza fitness trainer encourages more outdoor gyms in township
“The pandemic became an opportunity for me. I ended up having 20 to 30 people joining me for a training session every day.”
A Thokoza resident started an outdoor gym for residents who cannot afford to pay monthly gym subscriptions.
The founder and owner of Everlasting Fitness Gym (EFG), Kamohelo Mokoena, trains people of all ages free of charge at Sam Ntuli Stadium in Thokoza.
Mokoena explained that he started the gym last year when the pandemic hit.
“The reason I started the gym was to keep myself active to cool off from the stress caused by the hard lockdown,” said Mokoena.
“I figured I should rather start training than sitting, eating and doing nothing, so I took my time and went to Sam Ntuli Stadium with my friends. The aim was to keep healthy and avoid catching the virus.
“The pandemic became an opportunity for me. I ended up having 20 to 30 people joining me for a training session every day, and as a result, I opened an outdoor gym that caters for all ages and genders,” he said.
Before opening a gym, Mokoena was a former footballer player. He shared that his football career ended due to bad influence from friends.
“I turned my life around and told myself I was going to fix my mistakes and do well, so the gym was the best way to help me refrain from going back to my bad habits,” he added.
Mokoena said that as a personal trainer, he encourages his team and advises them where necessary to help them avoid the pitfalls he succumbed to growing up.
One of the first members of EFG, Nqobile Mofokeng, shared his fascination with EFG after joining last year in March.
“To be honest, it has been a blessing to me being part of the gym. My teammates and coaches welcomed me with warm hearts and open hands. “I became a member because I wanted to have a healthy, flexible body and I also had body goals that I wanted to achieve,” said Mofokeng.
She said since she joined EFG, she experienced some changes in her body.
“Right now, I’m fit. There is a huge difference and my body is trimmed. I appreciate what EFG has done for me, not just the fitness but also the love and support they showed me.”
EFG founder said they need a proper training area because currently, they struggle to train when the weather is cold or rainy.
Mokoena said they need a gym and equipment, but at the moment, they work with what they have, like stairs and the equipment they borrowed from other people who also train at the stadium.
“My dream is to see the gym growing to be the biggest outdoor gym in Thokoza because we don’t have enough gyms that focus on outdoor training,” he continued.
“My aim with the gym is to encourage people to keep healthy and to keep children away from drugs and negative influences surrounding them,” Mokoena concluded.
EFG appeals to local business and Thokoza residents to donate any old or new equipment that they no longer use.
To donate, contact Mokoena on 061 185 3834.
