How do you create your own sports park in your parents’ backyard? Windesheim student Ian van der Pal did it. As the youngest certified calisthenics trainer in the Netherlands, he provides personal training and group classes using the calisthenics equipment in the garden.
His own company, named Just-Ian, is somewhat hidden away in a side garden in a quiet residential area in Zwolle. Ian (23) has been giving calisthenics lessons there for two years. At Windesheim, he is in the final months of his Associate Degree Sport Studies, specializing in sports entrepreneurship.
His parents are part of the whole. His father trains along enthusiastically during the group classes. His mother trains less often, but mainly provides the good vibes. “She doesn’t really like working out,” says Ian, “but she does enjoy having coffee afterwards.”
Calisthenics is on the rise. It is a workout where you use your own body weight to build fitness. “Sports parks are popping up all over the Netherlands where people can do exercises like pull-ups and planks. You see them in Zwolle too, for example on Lübeckplein close to the campus,” says Ian.
Control
What looks like effortless strength in Ian is actually the result of years of discipline. “People see the end result in videos, but sometimes you have to work towards that for years. You gain control over your entire body, from your toes to your neck. Everything has to work together properly.”
Ian: “Sports have been my obsession for a very long time and a good outlet for me. I was already a hyperactive boy as a child; I am a true ADHD person. I started swimming when I was eight, and by the age of ten, I was doing it four times a week. This allowed me to stop taking ADHD medication and gain more focus.” He ended up in professional competitive swimming, where he trained at a high level.
Until covid struck in 2020. “From training eighteen hours a week, I went to zero because the swimming pool closed.” When everyone had to stay home, he sat on the couch gaming, just like his friends. But he was still bursting with energy. His parents’ side garden was still unused, so he built a sports park there with his father and friends.
Own business
His teacher encouraged him to start his own business. “I had never thought about that before. But when I started teaching martial arts and water polo to manage financially and gain knowledge, I almost had to.” When the group classes in the backyard were added, more and more invoices had to be sent. What started as something small grew on its own. By simply persevering, my own business came into existence.”
New assignments are coming in through his company. Last summer, Ian went to a martial arts school in Curaçao as a trainer for four months.
What sets his training sessions apart is the combination of discipline and accessibility. “I want people to feel comfortable. Of course, we train hard, but there is also room for a chat, about how you’re doing and how your weekend was.” He has noticed that motivating yourself to train is often harder than the training itself. “I’ve sat in the car with my father crying myself sometimes, because I didn’t want to go to swimming training. But if you lower that barrier, everything becomes easier,” Ian smiles as he looks into the living room where his father is sitting.
Risk
What is he most proud of? “That I just did it. Without a grand plan. I stand behind everything I have done.” He also puts things into perspective: “It could have been a flop, then it would have cost me some money. But I still live at home and don’t have a family, so I could take that risk. That made it easier.”
Ian doesn’t have big plans for the future yet. “I’m a bit undecided. If I do something, I want to become good at it. Maybe I want to move towards working for the police. But training will always remain a part of my life. Moving, developing, and taking others along with me in that. I do that with pleasure and want to keep doing it.”
text: Nynke Lautenbag
photo: Herman Engbers
