Lise Slane took the plunge and left her job in event management five years ago to set up her own company Simply Gymnastics. The gymnastics academy offers artistic gymnastics recreational and academic level to children of all ages in the UAE.
Slane has 30 years of experience in teaching gymnastics internationally and trained in the sport herself from a very young age. The school covers all basic tumbles, vaults, balance beam and uneven bars, using the latest equipment, and provides training for children of all abilities.
Slane has a strong focus on creating a friends environment for all the family to come together and support her students. When we met Slane for morning coffee she was keen to share with us her dreams of moving the business forward and the immense pride she has of her students.
Five things we learnt from our chat with Lise Slane:
She left her job to follow her dream:
“I was struggling with work in the UAE. I’d had an events background and it was hard to get back into events. So I literally had to write myself a list of what I enjoy doing and don’t enjoy doing, what I’m qualified to do, not qualified to do, and it was just there. Something that’s always been in my life is gymnastics.”
She has loved gymnastics since she was a child.
“When I was younger I was always climbing walls, climbing trees, I was a very sporty active child. I started in ballet, then I was in karate, I moved onto trampolining. Whilst I was trampolining I used to see all these little kids walking through for gymnastics and I just wanted to do that.”
She believes gymnastics is great for modern day kids. She said:
“Now is the age of technology and they’re in front of screens too much. We have a huge problem with obesity and diabetes because children aren’t running around enough, so for me it’s important that they find a passion, a sport – healthy body, healthy mind.”
It’s not easy to get into gymnastics as an adult! She said:
“It’s a tough sport. It’s really for the kind of yoga, cross-fit type people. You have to have an understanding of your body and it’s alignment. It’s not easy to just go into as an adult.
She’s created more than just a club but a community with Simply Gymnastics. Slane told us, “new families coming to Dubai will get to know each other. They build life-long friend ships and they’ll always have a place at the club and a memory they can come back to.
Watch Lise’s full Morning Coffee interview here:
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