Mumbai is a city of trends. Every few months, the city flocks to something new—whether it's a workout routine, a diet, or a way of life. Most of these fads fade just as quickly as they arrive. But every once in a while, one catches on for the right reasons. It builds a following, changes habits, and reshapes the way people think.
That's where Kirsten Varela comes in. Once an unsure twenty-something figuring out his path, he's now credited with sparking a quiet revolution in the fitness industry. You might have already seen it on social media — gravity-defying moves on bars and rings — using your own bodyweight. While it's built on the same principle, the sport has its own world and is called Calisthenics.
What began as Kirsten's search for a place to train has today become Elysium Calisthenics Park — India's first dedicated calisthenics space. Just like all the famous movements, this one too has a story and here's his.
An affair with studies and sports
"I was never the typical Sports Guy," Kirsten remembers. "Maybe a bright student, always among the toppers academically, but never in sports." When it came to sports, he was just like any other Indian, who loved to follow cricket and football, but never chased the dream of becoming a player.
But the curiosity and passion for sports led him in different directions. The first of them was physiotherapy, a career that seemed to blend science and sport. "But two years into the course, I realised that the theory-heavy approach didn't match the real-world energy he sought," says Kirsten.
He switched to a business management degree, which led to a digital marketing job handling campaigns for major leagues like ISL and Pro Kabaddi. That's where his interest in sports management grew, and when the chance to pursue a Master's abroad came, he seized it. An impulsive move that changed everything.
And that's how Calisthenics happened
Gym, to Kirsten, just never felt like home. The machines, the mirrors, and on top of that, the routine made him feel disconnected from the fitness world.
"I'm not against gyms," he says, "working out is good, but it just wasn't for me. Doing the same exercises every day felt monotonous, and the vibe didn't feel welcoming." So, he created his own space: two chairs in his room became parallel bars, and bodyweight exercises became a daily habit before he even knew the term calisthenics. "I was doing calisthenics without knowing it was called calisthenics," he laughs.
Everything changed after he moved to Australia. Every suburb had public parks with pull-up and dip bars—open, simple, and inviting. He started training there, pushing his limits. Pull-ups came easily, but his first failed muscle-up humbled him. "That's when I realised there was more to bodyweight training than I thought."
Determined, he unlocked the muscle-up in two weeks. Around the same time, working on events like the Rugby League World Cup and the Australian Grand Prix taught him discipline and precision.
That moment between discovering calisthenics and realising he could create something of his own, planted the seed for what would soon become India's first dedicated Calisthenics Park.
Of Opportunities and Challenges
After completing his degree, Kirsten had a choice—stay abroad or return home. For him, the answer was simple. "Mumbai is more than just a city; it's a vibe," he says.
Upon landing in Mumbai and searching for a place to train, he hit the jackpot. "When I came back, I realised there was no dedicated calisthenics park in the entire country," he recalls. "Tiny workout corners in public parks were crowded and limited." That realisation sparked an idea, India's first dedicated calisthenics park, but turning that vision into reality brought its own set of challenges.
Finding land in Mumbai was the toughest challenge. Kirsten didn't want a cramped setup. He wanted space that inspired movement. Luckily, his family owned land and backed his vision. "I was fortunate they supported me," he says. "Everything else, though, I had to figure out on my own."
Having found a place to begin, the next step was to find investors to raise funds,, and this was even harder. Without adequate industry knowledge and given that it wasn't as big as it has become in recent years, people called it impractical. They could see only flaws in the model.
That's when Kirsten decided he'd heard enough and chose to put his own savings into the idea. And just like that, Elysium Calisthenics Park came to life—the first of its kind in India.
Elysium Calisthenics Park - Mecca of Calisthenics
But opening a park and running one were two very different things. The early days were slow, with barely ten people showing up. "It was a bit demotivating," he admits. That's when COVID-19 happened in 2020, and it was a blessing in disguise.
During this period, "People were looking for safe, outdoor ways to stay fit, and we gave them exactly that," Kirsten remembers. And he decided to cater to their needs. He doubled down on content creation, teaching bodyweight workouts, sharing tutorials, and making calisthenics accessible online. "My videos started reaching people who had never heard of calisthenics before," he says. "And when the city reopened, over a hundred people were walking in every day."
Today, Elysium has three fully operational parks in Mumbai, offering group training, personal sessions, and pay-per-class packages ranging from ₹7,000 to ₹50,000. The parks are open, minimal, and community-driven, with steel bars, chalk, and a lot of grit. "We focus on quality coaching, not flashy infrastructure," Kirsten says. "The goal is to build discipline, strength and encourage movement. A great physique is the by-product of dedicated Calisthenics training."
Going Global with ESWC
A visionary like Kirsten was never going to stop at opening a park. To truly promote the sport, he launched the Elysium Street Workout Championship (ESWC) in 2022. "I wanted to give Indian athletes the greatest Calisthenics competition experience," he says. "And I succeeded. The ESWC is now one of the best Calisthenics competitions in the world."
What began small drew unexpected international attention, proving its global potential. Since then, ESWC has reached London and Frankfurt, featuring 17 nations and thousands of spectators.
Beyond the hanging bars
For someone who started out with a few steel bars and an idea, Kirsten Varela has gone far beyond what anyone expected. His work with Elysium Calisthenics Park may have put him on the map, but it's what he's done since that shows just how wide his reach has become.
Today, Kirsten is a celebrity trainer, working with some of India's most recognisable names in film and fitness. His presence has also spilt onto the screen; he's featured in ad films and even made cameos in movies, each project adding another layer to his growing influence. Yet, none of it feels accidental. It's the same discipline, drive, and belief that built Elysium, now powering everything he touches.
As he puts it, "Life is a journey, and I'm still killing it." And with that mindset, it's clear; for Kirsten Varela, the sky isn't the limit; it's just the next bar to conquer.
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