Keeping Fit For A Cause

From online to offline, Bishan Bears sign up to run 100km relay for cancer fight

- Melvyn Teoh

During the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in April 2020, fitness enthusiast Anselm Chelliah and his wife Rina Chan wanted to exercise at home and also help their friends stay fit.

The couple started a Zoom fitness class called the Bishan Bears, and Chan invited several friends and their husbands to join them virtually, as physical restrictions were in place during the circuit breaker.

Since then, the group have moved offline to weekly exercise classes at HDB void decks and participated in runs for charity.

Chelliah said: "My wife was bored, and then she was like, 'hey, why don't you organise this thing online, find a platform and then get a few of my friends, and then you just talk us through the workouts'".

The 47-year-old thought that it was a great idea to stay active after undergoing surgery on his Achilles tendon.

"I was already going crazy not being able to work out with my one leg in a cast," said the Army warrant officer.