Squatten, push ups or burpees. For a sturdy workout you have to be at the Rietplas in Emmen. Residents can go there for training with a military edge.
It regularly attracted quite a bit of attention, the sturdy workouts of a group of former mariniers. In recent years they became a familiar image along the shores of the lake. The group originated more than ten years ago, in the run-up to the celebration of the 350th anniversary of the Marine Corps. This was celebrated in 2015 with a rowing trip from Rotterdam to London, a distance of approximately 350 kilometers.
In total, around 140 Marines assumed and a group from Emmen and the surrounding area was also there. The promotion was also intended to support fellow mariniers with mental problems, such as PTSD.
“The participants from this region have continued to work together since that time,” says Mike Schuring, one of the former Marines. The North Sea has since been traded in for the Rietplas. And instead of rowing it is now training. “We do a workout twice a week. Passers -by saw us busy and then had a chat with us. Some became so enthusiastic that they decided to join us. As a result, the group has only grown.”
Originally they trained with the four of them, but now that number is ten. “For this we did our training rounds in the parking lot along the Ericasestraat,” says Schurink. But now that the group of sports enthusiasts has expanded considerably, work had to be done on a real sports location.
“We have written to the municipality of Emmen, the province and various funds and in the end we succeeded,” he points to the open -air gym that is now there. “With a magnificent view of the Rietplas.”
The different benches, stretchers and scaffolding are a paradise for anyone who wants to work on his or her condition or muscles. “You can train with the group of former Marines or get started on your own,” Schurink explains. At the field is an information board with instructions for various workouts. “The idea is to stimulate people from the neighborhood to move.”
You can work out for free. Connectedness, strength and dedication, those are the core values of the Marines. “We also went on the North Sea with that idea. And based on those points we have now also created this place.”