WellFit Youth High Performance Programme awards the UAE’s fittest kids

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

Following a successful kick-off, Wellfit, Dubai’s state-of-the-art multi-sport fitness center dedicated to Active Living, announces their interschool challenge Youth High Performance Programme (YHPP) winners.

Wellfit introduced this one-of-a-kind concept, with the aim to motivate and educate the UAE’s youth in applying active living to their everyday lives, as well as to discover the fittest young athletes in the city.

A baseline test in the lead-up to the grand finale took place between April 11 to April 22, where participants were put to a challenge in the form of a bleep test.

The young athletic finalists who successfully completed the test were then invited to the ultimate final challenge that took place last week at Wellfit’s state-of-the-art facility in Jumeirah Village Circle.

“Our goal with the YHPP programme is to emphasise the importance of hands-on training for the youth community by ingraining healthy habits in early stages to create a space for rising athletes in the UAE,” said Dimitri Koutsoubakis, CEO of Wellfit.

Young athletes between the ages of 8 and 16 from over 25 schools across the UAE had the opportunity to push above and beyond their fitness limits in a series of challenges that involved a 20m speed test, 15m sled push challenge, timed max hold dead-hang competition, as well as a direction blaze pod test measuring reaction time and hand-eye coordination.

 Winners pose for a picture after the presentation ceremony.

Awarded first place in school years 5th to 13th, included the top fitness performers: Lennard Titica, Gabriella Cachucho, Enzo Bellu, Anisa Bleoca, Reyad Al Zaaim, Evie Hollis, Hussein El Zaafarany and Natalia Houghton.

“Our Youth High Performance programme is the UAEs first professional strength and conditioning programme designed for youth aged 8 to 16,” said Josh Davies, Head of Strength and Conditioning at Wellfit.

“We focus on the fundamentals of strength and conditioning using an evidence-based program framework that results in performance gains and improvements in athletic ability within our athletes’ chosen sports”.

“YHPP is unique in this regard, but we are also mindful to focus the program on setting up our athletes for longevity in sports and exercise, with careful consideration given to their maturation matched with their training abilities and workloads to achieve optimal results,” Josh continues.

The programme is open to all athletes and abilities whether they are looking to go onto professional sports careers and scholarships or want to become the best versions of themselves in their chosen sports and local teams.

With a spectrum of coaching programs aimed at developing the younger generation, Wellfit is committed to building and sustaining the momentum of creating better movers, better athletes and better performers in the region.