Oman Avenues Mall, the sultanate’s premier retail and lifestyle destination, recently brought to a close what turned out to be the very popular Mall Warriors Challenge #Warriorschallenge campaign. After kicking off at the end of February, the campaign featured over five weeks worth of daily fitness challenges, health and wellness workshops and fun, family-orientated events – all of which proved to be very popular with the participants themselves, and large Mall Warriors Challenge audiences.

Hundreds of competitors also took part in the weekly #Warriorschallenge Giant Obstacle Course. While the Mall Warriors Challenge was all about having fun, it was also about promoting the benefits of a healthy, active lifestyle to the people of Oman. With reports of a rising number of obesity cases in Oman, an increase in the number of cancer patients and an estimated 68 per cent of all disease-related deaths occurring in Oman due to poor habits and lifestyles, the key message of the Mall Warriors Challenge was to encourage people to live healthier, be more active and have more wellness-oriented lifestyles.

With this in mind, Oman Avenues Mall also hosted free health and wellness workshops for mall visitors during the campaign; these were organised by the Oman Ministry of Health BDI division, Oman Heart Association as well as Oman Cancer Association. Burjeel Hospital also provided a range of free health checks to visitors and Mall Warriors Challenge participants. One of the highlights of the Mall Warriors Challenge was the #WarriorsChallenge Giant Obstacle Course, which saw participants racing through a series of physically challenging obstacles, starting from the third level of the mall and ending outside in the parking area.

The performance of each competitor was timed, and the top-ranking athletes were invited back for a final, more challenging Giant Obstacle Course event at the end of the campaign. Muntaser Saif al Kalbani ended up taking the overall win, and an official #WarriorsChallenge first place 24K gold medal. Ahmed Fathi Yousuf al Balushi took the second place silver medal and Mohammed Abdullah al Amri took the third place bronze medal. The response by Giant Obstacle Course participants was enthusiastic. “I think that it is very important to initiate these kind of events in Oman.

They’re fun, but they’re also good for your body because they get you moving,” said Joseph Philip, one of the competitors. Another competitor, Chrishna Kahn, said, “I didn’t warm-up for this last section of obstacle course so now I’m sweating. Anyway, it’s a great challenge, and a good test to see how fit and healthy you are.” During the last week of the campaign, the Mall Warriors Challenge played host to a thrilling Gulf B-Boying Championship at the Oman Avenues Mall main atrium, before ending off with a three-day performance by BMX Flatland superstar Viki Gomez. Gomez is a three-times world champion in the BMX ‘Flatland’ discipline, a three-times Redbull Circle of Balance Champion and a two-times X-Games winner. muscatdaily