“Boxing Grannies”
(09/2018)
During my trip to South Africa I took part at a box training with the Boxing Grannies. The training is completely free for the grannies and takes place at the a-team gym two times a week in Cosmo City, a township next to Johannesburg. The oldest "gogo" - Zulu language for grandma - is 85 years old and incredibly fit. Btw you have to be at least 65 years old to join the club. The gym is running by the award winning trainer Claude Maphosa. A couple of years ago, when some of the grannies used to play soccer, which was a bit to dangerous for them, because of the injuries, they saw Mr. Maphosa and his friends boxing at the gym. The grannies were excited to participate. Mr. Maphosa and his team invented a special training program, a mix of boxing and fitness exercises and since then around 20 grannies come around twice a week. Grannie's Box Club not only helped them to improve their general health condition, but also to cultivate social contacts.
published in Zeit Magazin, 10/2018
