Gym Rat with a Heart: Mahbubi Abassi Empowering Women in Bremen
Newcomer to Germany
Relocated Sports Star Influences Females at Bremen Refugee Housing
Not even two years ago, Mahbubi Abassi touched down in Germany. Now she's putting her sports expertise to use, focusing on fellow women: through an exercise program.
Gym Space Underground
Creeping neon tubes bathe the basement of a residential home in Bremen-Hastedt in harsh light. There's still a few quirks with the setup—weights and exercise equipment piled in random spots. But it's all good—twice a week, Mahbubi and her small group of female trainees make use of this humble workout space.
Persistent Struggles
Mahbubi hails from Iran and's been living in Germany for a year and eight months now. She wasted no time jumping headfirst into giving back to her community. "When I got here, I was searching for a way to offer training. There weren't any sports programs for women at the facility. So, I figured, why not kickstart something like this?" she says.
Her efforts come with their challenges, especially when it comes to reaching out to women from culturally restrictive backgrounds. "It was tough at first because many of the women here come from religious limitations, and the husbands needed to agree as well," Mahbubi admits. "These were women predominantly wearing headscarves, from Afghanistan, Arab countries. It took time until trust was established." Yet here we are, with more and more women joining the gym each day, not to mention a few children and young people.
A SportsPassion Born Young
Mahbubi's been a workout warrior ever since her childhood days in Iran. Kickboxing, strength sports, yoga, basketball, martial arts—she's rolled with 'em all, proving that sports was more than just a hobby for this driven woman. At the age of 19, she'd even scooped the national title in kickboxing.
Post-title days, she channeled her energy into training others, especially young ones and adults. "When I reflect on myself, my body needs not only food but also movement to live healthily, and for my psyche, sports are healthy," Mahbubi explains.
The Soul of Sport
Mahbubi encourages everyone to embrace sports as more than simple physical exercise. "Sport also motivates in everyday life to take fewer wrong turns and can guide people onto the right path," she points out. Translation: exercise is dire for mental well-being, too. It strengthens families, supports child rearing, and creates a sense of belonging—all vital for integration.
Fighting for Recognition
Last year,mahbuibenefited from a small trainers stipend from the state sports association. Now, she's without any funding and dreams of broadening her reach to help even more women. By offering her love for sport,she's shaping the community, one squat at a time.
- Mahbubi, now in Bremen for nearly two years, utilizes her fitness-and-exercise expertise to run a women's exercise program in a home's basement, fostering health-and-wellness among her trainees.
- Despite the initial struggles in connecting with women from culturally restrictive backgrounds, Mahbubi's gym space now welcomes not only women but also children and young people, illustrating thesuccess of her womens-health focused lifestyle endeavor.
- With a passion for sports that began in her youth, Mahbubi promotes the integration of home-and-garden communities by advocating for the importance of a balanced lifestyle centered around science, fitness-and-exercise, and health-and-wellness.
