#360fit: Etisalat Fitness Fest lays foundation for more

Matt Jones - Editor 05:51 20/11/2015
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Mail
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • WhatsApp
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Game of Throne’s Hafbor Bjornsson in action.

    Having just orchestrated the inaugural Etisalat Fitness Fest, Chris Fountain believes the foundations are in place for an annual event that will cater to absolutely anyone in the UAE who wants to be more active.

    – The Sharjah Streetball Challenge brings fun to Dubai's streets
    – Drift Grand Finals: Ahmad Daham aiming to remain the 'king of drift'

    Nearly 8,000 people descended on the Dubai Autodrome earlier this month to attend the event, where participants could try their hand at around 200 different fitness and sport-related activities.

    The event had been two years in the making, with the aim to get more people in the UAE outside and active.

    While many events held in the UAE are confined to one sport or a cluster of sports, there was literally something for everyone on offer during the three-day event, from boxing, martial arts, zumba, ballroom dancing, ballet, sprint racing, weight lifting, cricket and much more.

    Fountain, managing director of Turret Media, organisers of the event, was hugely encouraged by the first Fitness Fest and is already looking ahead to next year.

    “You could do up to 200 different activities across the festival and that was a major achievement and we set the foundations for something that can be built upon in the future,” he said. “I’m pretty certain we’ve created an annual fitness festival for Dubai for years to come.”

    Popular event: Etisalat Fitness Fest.

    His enthusiasm is infectious, but even Fountain will admit that topping the first event might be a fairly mountainous task – literally.

    One of the major highlights included strong man demonstrations from Hafþor Bjornsson, also known as ‘The Mountain’ from hit TV show, Game of Thrones.

    French bodybuilder Morgan Aste, aptly nicknamed ‘The Big Rock’, who weighs close to 163kg, also made an appearance.

    Elsewhere, the event also featured the Universal Muscle Fitness & Fashion (UMFF) Championship; the high-flying Gravity Calisthenics Battle of the Bars; knockout performances from the Lee Hurford Boxing Academy and Energetic Zumba shows from renowned choreographer Liana Veda.

    “There were so many events and that was the major appeal, there were so many ways to get active,” added Fountain. “There are so many things you can do but the most important thing is to just do something.

    "We operate a number of festivals and one thing you get a sense of while living here in Dubai is that it’s an outdoor city. The beach and parks are fantastic and lots of people live in apartments with gyms and pools.

    A day for everyone.

    “The outdoor activity is out there and we wanted to celebrate that. I’ve got young children myself and I like to see them active. To celebrate fitness as a way of life, that’s what fuels me, but we didn’t want to just preach to the converted.

    “The aim was to create an inclusive event that appeals not to people already interested in getting fit but to people who probably needed a bit of support and encouragement to get active.”

    Another highlight was a Q&A session with CrossFit champion Camille Leblanc-Bazinet, who was crowned the fittest woman on the planet in 2014.

    “As a first-year event, the Etisalat Fitness Fest surpassed my expectations and the foundations have clearly been laid for an amazing future,” said Leblanc-Bazinet.

    “It was such a positive atmosphere and an innovative way to get people thinking about, and participating in, fitness activities.”

    Fountain has been encouraged by the feedback and is already eyeing changes that could enhance next year’s event.

    He said: “We’ve created something that can be built upon, will grow and attract more and more people year on year.

    “Being outdoors, we had music pumping. It worked form a festival perspective and that’s something I think we’ll pursue in the future. We’ll certainly be going ahead with another event in 2016, with some tweaks.” 

    Recommended