A District in Motion

The walk starts very close to Smrz's apartment – at Seebogen – right next to the Boulderbar Seestadt. His daughter, who is now nine, also climbs here, he says. The bouldering gym itself offers around 1,400 square meters of climbing space, including two outdoor areas. As a little preview, a small climbing wall with colorful holds also attracts climbers under the subway. In general, many exercise options have gathered under the tracks, which we will pass by today. Right next to it, a CrossFit area with bars at different heights awaits, and a bit further back, a motor skills course challenges you to test your own agility. All together, this forms the 'Fitness Park' in Elinor-Ostrom-Park.

At the Seestadt Triathlon, participants also swim across the lake that gives the area its name, Smrz explains as we reach the Seepark – and he also mentions his initial concerns that it might have been too cold in mid-May. Right on cue, two hardy swimmers take the literal plunge into the cold lake water, amid plenty of laughter and splashing. “During the triathlon, Seestadt residents stood on their balconies and watched, the atmosphere was great,” says Smrz. In the background, we see a few women with strollers moving in sync – it's Sonja Wolf's Mama Fit class. By the time we stroll over, the class is already over and Wolf is chatting with one of 'her' moms, while behind them, well wrapped up in the stroller, a baby sleeps. Wolf is self-employed as a licensed Mama Fit trainer; she completed the additional training during her second pregnancy in 2018: “I've been a fitness and personal trainer since 2010, but I didn't want to work only in gyms anymore. Because of my own pregnancy, I started looking into sports options and discovered Mama Fit – six weeks before giving birth, I took the final exam for the course.” Mama Fit is an open class system with no registration required. So Wolf held her first classes with her nine-week-old personal training baby: “I was also a role model: our classes are always outdoors, in any weather – and I showed that it works with a baby if you wrap them up well.” When it rains, they move under the subway. “You have to get outside with the child anyway – and we just combine it.” Mama Fit isn't the only offer for women with children: the Seestadt gymnastics club organizes the 'Flotte Muttis' (Active Moms). Here too, the kids are always along: with group walking and running sessions using jogging strollers through Seestadt and short exercise routines in between, tailored to what each mom needs most for her fitness.

Via Maria-Tusch-Straße and Sonnenallee, we continue to the Yu-Taekwondo studio, where everyone from beginners to black belts can find the right class. Self-defense and personal safety courses are also offered. Bike enthusiasts are also well catered for in this neighborhood: United in Cycling has its base here, where you can buy bikes and accessories or have your bike repaired. Just around the corner is one of several yoga options in Seestadt, the Wild Hearts Yoga Club. And of course, Smrz's favorite sports venue: Andi kickt. “I played football very intensively in a club until I was 19 – and then not at all for a long time,” says Smrz. At some point, the idea came up in a group of dads to go play soccer together – and it turned into a regular Monday fixture. This happens at Andi kickt, a sports facility on the roof of the Seehub parking garage with five soccer fields, each accommodating eight to ten players. The facility also includes changing rooms, showers, a sports canteen, and an air-conditioned club room where events can be held. The passion for football seems to run in the family – at least at times – says Smrz, and there's a fitting concept for that too: the Football School. Unlike a club, it offers courses and camps at various locations. “That was very convenient for my daughter – she could try it out without immediately joining a club.” On the way back, we walk across Wangari-Maathai-Platz towards Seepark again, where Gate 9 is located in the HoHo, a fitness center with “a pleasant atmosphere, motivated staff, and high-quality equipment and classes,” as Smrz describes it.