Gyms have been closed for more than a month. Annoying for phlegmatic athletes, but a potential disaster for people like biology student René Thielen (28). He built a home gym so he could continue to exercise. 'That’s not a luxury for me, but pure necessity.'

No one who walks into René Thielen’s studio in the Proosdij SSH& complex can fail to see the enormous fitness equipment that takes up about half of his living area. With a power rack, pull-up bar, halter bench, a huge collection of elastics, halters and a chalk bucket. His latest addition is a self-constructed baseplate to reduce noise. He thinks that it has cost him thousands of euros altogether.

The equipment has been in place for a relatively short time. Prior to the corona crisis, Thielen could be found in the gym almost daily; he never worked out at home. But at the beginning of the first lockdown, he began to worry. ‘I anticipated that the gyms would be closed. To ensure that I could remain active, I built this.’

‘Working out isn’t a luxury for me, but rather pure necessity,’ he continued. ‘I’m very prone to depression. Playing sports keeps me stable and keeps me mentally healthy. I always say: ‘a healthy body contributes to a healthy mind’.’

Platitudes

When still very young, Thielen discovered that sports kept him mentally healthy. ‘I was bullied and I was too fat. Playing sports gave me more self-confidence so I was no longer an outsider.’ Fitness exercises also helped Thielen during his long bout of depression, which has resulted in his still being a Bachelor’s student at the age of 28. ‘If I work out during a bad day, I at least feel as if I’ve made some progress in that regard. Together, all these little pieces help to make a big difference. I try to get into a positive flow. What happens doesn’t have to define you.’

Thielen often uses such philosophical platitudes in his remarks. ‘I think too much. This is probably because of my autism, which can keep me hanging in a certain emotion for a long time,’ the sportsman said. It also manifests itself in other ways. ‘As you can see, all of my sports equipment is red or black. If a blue piece of equipment were added, I’d have a hard time with that.’

Personal trainer

After a number of difficult years, Thielen can now see some light at the end of the tunnel. He’s currently doing a research internship at Microbiology in the Huygens Building. If the results of his internship are good, he’ll be awarded his coveted Bachelor’s degree. ‘In the next few years, I’m going to work on myself. My dream is to one day work parttime on research related to nutrition and sports and to be a parttime personal trainer. I’d like to offer scientifically based help to athletes who need it.’