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Talent Gore
As weight-related diseases such as heart failure, hypertension, stroke and cancer become more prevalent, most people are now health-conscious and precautionary lifestyle changes have become a buffer against the life-threatening ailments.
Some have adopted healthy lifestyles by watching their diets and carrying out exercises. The great trek to the gym is becoming greater.
It is now a usual early morning ritual for fitness enthusiasts to take strolls, jogs or brisk walks.
Of late, one of the most popular fitness disciplines Zumba, has become a favourite for many especially for its reported effective weight loss results.
Among the country’s top instructors of the discipline is Zororo Nhira, better known in fitness circles as Zoro, a thorough-bred fitness enthusiast.
Zumba is a dance fitness class, a combination of dancing and aerobics.
It is an exercise that will make one workout without feeling any pain or boredom.
Zoro who started as a member of a church dance group has taken Zumba by storm.
“It all started as a joke when I joined a dance group from Family of God Church. From there I started doing choreography for weddings,” he said.
Zoro recalled how he became a Zumba instructor.
“I started as a wedding choreographer and in 2012 I met Ella Mudimu. She asked me if I could start Zumba classes and she explained what it was then she helped me raise the money to go to Cape Town for my certification,” Zoro said.
“When I became a Zumba certified instructor, I joined a Zumba group that was led by Isabel Tarisai Mhlotswa, and she groomed me to be the person that I am today.”
When he was young, Zoro dreamt of being an accountant but fate led him on a different path. “I never planned to be a dancer or rather a Zumba instructor. I had a different vision, but God changed all. The Bible says, in Psalms, footsteps of the righteous are ordered by God,” Zoro explained.
“When I was growing up, I thought I would be an accountant but I was paved, curved and groomed to be the best I am.”
Zoro narrated how he managed to break the barrier and become so popular.
“I became popular as the word spread among people. When I left Mix Active, it was just me, my banner and a loud speaker. I started in a car park,” he recalled.
“An Indian lady who was passing by my training place asked if she could try out the paces and she liked it. By the end of the week I had 17 people in my class, it grew fast.”
Zoro has so far created a brand called Zorro Trained, which grooms instructors.
“My life has never been the same ever since I started Zumba. Every day I look forward to this class, meeting new people making sure they are taken care of,” Zoro said.
“I want to give back to the community so I am creating employment. If you don’t have anything to do and you have what it takes to become an instructor you can join my team, you never know where it leads.”
He has localised his Zumba by mixing African songs and international music and that has since become the talk of town.
He says Zumba is an easy and enjoyable way of losing weight as it involves well-structured dances and aerobic elements accompanied by different music from many genres. It initially involved pop, soca and samba, is evolving to incorporate elements such as hip-hop, house music and even our own sungura.
The popular fitness instructor said he also works with top corporates that send their workers for fitness programmes.
“Zumba is a very interesting way of losing weight and living healthy, especially these days when lifestyle-related diseases are on the increase. People need to become health-conscious and live healthy lifestyles,” Nhira urges.
“I’m proud to have contributed in many charity causes such as the cancer awareness campaigns and I hope stakeholders use these campaigns to take positive action
“People are falling sick and dying because of lack of exercise. Life expectancy is now short and people need to train. My team needs support from major corporates like Zimpapers or anyone who can help us to have a good centre for fitness classes.”
On his achievements in the fitness industry, Nhira says his career has enabled him to travel to many parts of the world doing what he knows best.
“I have managed to popularise local music, for example, Jah Prayzah’s songs, in many countries through Zumba. I want to have a school of fitness dancing here in Harare.
“As people dance, they would be enjoying themselves far too much to notice any discomfort and in my case I do this by using very popular songs at the time,” he said.
“It is important to relate to clients, paying particular attention to the music selection as Zumba can have the young and the old as participants.”
Nhira says he now commands a large class of fitness enthusiasts as many people hear of the effectiveness of Zumba in weight loss.
“I have so many classes such that I’ve had to also conduct private lessons with other clients. I’ve also helped grooms and brides lose weight drastically just before their weddings and Zumba has worked wonders for them. Of course, it is a complicated process where I listen to the needs of each member of my classes and look at their health history before putting up a dance regime suitable for them,” he concluded.
leeroy
Online Reporter