Ramadan: Athletes Under the Crescent Moon

In Mauritius, training continues despite fasting. Through three journeys, these women share how physical discipline and spiritual practice interweave to transform their daily lives.

It's late. The Taraweeh prayer has concluded, and Layla Oozeer welcomes her students back onto the tatami mat. This is her third session during Ramadan: after Sehri at dawn, before iftar in the late afternoon, and now, after the evening prayer. One hour a day, no matter what. Her students have not eaten since dawn, yet they train regardless.

Layla, founder of the Al-Fārisāt Fight Club (AFFC) in Port-Louis and Phoenix, holds a blue belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, is the 2022 Indian Ocean champion, and the AJP Tour champion of 2024. She trains in MMA, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and Muay Thai. While she has accumulated numerous titles, her primary focus is not on trophies but on crime, drugs, and the youth lacking direction. "Teaching these techniques is a way to defy fate," she says. Since 2019, her intensive practice has gradually transformed into an educational vocation: men and women training together on equal footing.

During Ramadan, she adjusts her sessions: less power, more precision. She incorporates sequences, drills, and emphasizes the quality of movement. She encourages her students to differentiate between endurance and fatigue, urging them to be honest about their true state. She firmly believes, "Fasting strengthens patience, determination, and concentration. These are exactly the qualities of a fighter."

An often-overlooked connection is that both Ramadan and sports fundamentally require the same thing: the ability to move beyond immediate comfort. Both teach the distinction between true fatigue and the kind we fabricate. When practiced seriously, they ultimately transform more than just the body.

Bhavna Goheram reached this realization through an unexpected path; she does not fast herself. However, she speaks about Ramadan with remarkable nuance. Her journey in fitness began as an instructor intern at iLife Fitness Gym in 2018. Passion soon took hold as she became a gymnastics coach, winning national and international medals in gymnastics and Sambo, working in extracurricular programs, and at Beyond Fitness Gym, before leading her own women's classes at the Bel-Air SSS Gymnasium. She is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in physical education at the Mauritius Institute of Education and founded The ELECT, an initiative combining fitness, outdoor activities, and community bonding.

For years, she has observed the bodies of her fasting clients and remains surprised by her insights. "My clients have taught me how spiritual commitment can enhance physical discipline," she explains. Ramadan, in her coaching practice, has become a school: a place for listening, embracing limits, and executing the right movement.

As the holy month progresses, everything changes. The intensity of workouts drops to fifty or seventy percent of usual effort. Sessions shorten, and breaks lengthen. High-impact exercises give way to brisk walking, core work, mobility exercises, and light strengthening.

She identifies optimal workout times before suhoor, just before iftar, or one to two hours after breaking the fast, allowing the body time to process the initial calories. Nutrition follows its own guidelines: breaking the fast with water and dates, followed by a balanced meal of proteins, complex carbohydrates, and vegetables.

What motivates her, beyond technique, is what she sees in her clients' faces. "The human body is truly remarkable," she says. "Its ability to push limits and evolve every day fascinates me. But the most rewarding part is witnessing my clients gain confidence and achieve their goals."

Shahana Bilkiss took time to understand that fitness is not about results, but consistency. In 2020, as she finished her studies in India, this secondary school teacher and devoted mother to her son Hamza realized her irregular eating habits, busy schedules, and culinary temptations led to significant weight gain. Body shaming and this realization prompted her to take control of her health.

Guided by her coaches Sebastian Adolphe and Kushal Luchmun, she lost forty kilograms in a year and a half. Then came pregnancy, a cesarean delivery, solo motherhood... and an additional seventeen kilograms to manage. She lost that too.

Being a single mother added responsibilities but strengthened her resilience. "I wanted to be the best and strongest version of myself for Hamza," she confides. Today, she includes her son in her habits. Healthy eating and physical activity become a shared learning experience, a bond as much as a discipline. During Ramadan, she adjusts the intensity of her sessions, scheduling them after her teaching day and before her family responsibilities, but she does not stop. Her advice, drawn from personal experience: "Even a walk or a few simple exercises make a difference. What matters is consistency."

She concludes with a measured pride that reflects the sacrifices made: "I am proud to have never given up. With the support of my coaches, I rebuilt my confidence and strength. Today, I feel stronger physically, mentally, and emotionally." To mothers who doubt themselves, she says, "Taking care of yourself isn't selfish; it's necessary. Even one hour a day can transform your energy and confidence."

On the AFFC tatami, men and women train together, each progressing at their own pace without gender hierarchy. "Martial arts are not about gender, but character," says Layla. For nutrition during Ramadan, her advice is precise: break the fast with dates and water, followed by a balanced meal rich in proteins and healthy fats to support recovery and energy. And for fatigue, doubt, and tough days, she encourages her students to celebrate every small progress. "Transform fatigue into motivation and discipline into pleasure." Her greatest victory, she confides, is witnessing her students grow in confidence, independence, and self-esteem.

Three women, three disciplines, one month traversed standing tall. What they share transcends performance: a conviction that fasting and physical effort draw from the same resources: patience, consistency, and self-awareness. That one, far from hindering the other, enriches it. And in both cases, what matters is not the intensity of a single day, but the commitment to never truly stop.