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BAHRAINI Paralympian Roba Alomari, who struggled to find a trainer to help prepare her for the Tokyo 2021 Summer Paralympic Games in August, has vowed that no other para-athlete will ever face a similar ordeal.
The 30-year-old from Hamad Town - a paraplegic by birth - has joined an eight-week Personal Trainer Certification Course, and is hoping to help and inspire young athletes realise their Olympic dreams.
Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports is offering the course in partnership with the International Fitness Alliance (IFA).
“I faced many problems when I wanted to practise with special trainers ahead of the Games,” explained the champion discus thrower.
“Every coach I contacted to train for the Tokyo Olympics was afraid of working with people with disabilities. They feared I may get hurt.”
Roba has taken part in several competitions, clinching 25 gold, 13 silver and six bronze. Aside from Bahrain, she has competed in the UK, the UAE, Kuwait, Morocco, Indonesia, China, Brazil, Oman, Tokyo and South Korea.
She joined the Bahrain Disabled Sports Federation in 2013 during her last year at AMA University where she studied business informatics.
She had started her sporting career in wheelchair basketball before trying her hand at discus, javelin and shotput. “I’m learning about muscles and bones so that I can train people with disabilities correctly,” she added. “My dream is to become a professional trainer and to help people with disabilities reach the Paris 2024 Olympics! Please do not put barriers when dealing with people with disabilities. They are normal and talented people who can manage all functions and exercises properly, but according to their abilities.”
The training programme, sponsored by Bahrain National Life Assurance Company, also includes the Fitness Instructor Certification foundation course and covers anatomy and physiology, principles of exercise health and fitness, gym-based planning and instruction, sports nutrition as well as programming and delivering personal training with clients.
“My favourite part is the muscle segment,” said Roba. “I get to learn about muscles and how they work, as well as the practical gym training part to be a successful and professional trainer.
“I will be transferring these experiences and information when training people with disabilities to help them reach their goals.”
More than 90 individuals applied for the training programme. Sixty were selected for an interview with a panel of four judges and eight were shortlisted. Roba is one of the eight, along with Mohammed Salem who is deaf and a member of the Bahrain Deaf Sport Club. He aims to help others like him excel as well.
“Mohammed and Roba have been wonderful students,” Khalid Unjum, founder and chief executive officer of IFA, said. “They are passionate, dedicated, hardworking and great teammates to their classmates. I believe they will reshape the fitness industry in Bahrain.
“They are already changing it by becoming the first internationally certified personal trainers who are hearing-impaired and on a wheelchair. They will change their communities forever by providing access to fitness instruction and knowledge, not previously available to them and by showing them that they can accomplish goals at this level and beyond.”
The course will be completed on December 16.
For details, follow @roobz_01, @mic77love and @ifabahrain on Instagram.
