Exercise with a think of cleaner natureNew outdoor sport PULLKA in Wassenaar

Outdoor trainer Jacqueline Veen introduces PULLKA, a new sport born out of the memory of two perished polar explorers, to Wassenaar for the very first time. No buildings, no equipment on a car park, but unique training sessions in stunning nature.

PULLKA’s basic principle is simple and effective: you pull a sledge with a certain amount of ballast over unpaved terrain, like hiking with resistance. In addition to the amount of sand in the sled (on the picture maximally full), the surface, the steepness, and the speed can be adjusted. Since the poles distribute the resistance over two points rather than one like running, there is no shock load or risk of injury. It’s an ideal form of training because with PULLKA you improve your condition while using your torso, buttocks, legs, stomach, back ánd arm muscles. You’ll get a full-body workout in the fresh air, while contributing to a cleaner environment! Because on the way, we pick up litter and carry it with us in our sledges. In addition, PULLKA is a partner in the national Beach Cleanup Tour.

Born out of a special tradition
The training method was developed by and for outdoor people, with Zeeuw Diederik Veerman as the founder of PULLKA. Two close friends of his, Marc Cornelissen and Philip de Roo, perished during a polar expedition for important climate research in Northern Canada in April 2015. As a tribute, Diederik walked with their training gear in a sled from Hoek of Holland to The Hague a year later. As the tradition grew, Diederik went out with his sledge, harness, and poles more and more often. Diederik: “This way of moving not only gave me comfort, I became physically stronger and mentally more relaxed. The many positive reactions from passers-by gave me the decisive push. Everyone could benefit from this. That is how PULLKA started,” Diederik explains. Much to Jacqueline’s delight, because this way of doing outdoor sports fits seamlessly in her concept of ‘outdoor training with a smile’.

PULLKA try-out
Jacqueline provides the training through her company Nature’s Gym. From 2pm to 3.30pm tomorrow, Saturday 25 June, you can try PULLKA at the Wassenaarse Slag, starting point strandpaviljoen Sport, sign up at
info@naturesgym.nl. Weekly sessions are on Monday evening and Thursday morning. More information on www.pullka.com/wassenaar.