Queen ‘Masenate Mohato Seeiso of Lesotho
I’ve never met the Queen of Lesotho, but I knew someone important had arrived at my gym when two black, official-looking cars pulled up at the back entrance to my gym in Maseru.
The first car was an Audi, and the second a Mercedes. Five people climbed out; two well-dressed women in high heels, and two men in business suits. They whisked a third woman, dressed in gym attire, out of the Mercedes, and headed full-speed to the private entrance.
As I sat on my stationary bike, I watched them scurry along and climb the stairs to another set of bicycles overlooking the swimming pool below.
The well-dressed women and the two men followed the lady in gym attire to a bike where she promptly covered her head with a black towel, and another woman in gym clothes joined her on the adjoining bike. It was then that I assumed she must be the Queen of Lesotho.
I watched her ride the bike, and assumed that the woman next to her was her personal trainer, despite being quite overweight.
After I finished warming up on my bicycle, I headed over to the Mosotho woman I’ve become friends with who works at the gym and asked, “Is that the Queen of Lesotho working out?”
“Yes,” she said. “She works out with her trainer, and the King comes later.”
“I’m surprised they don’t have their own gym,” I said.
“Oh, they’re building a new ‘castle’ I’m sure they’ll add a gym,” she replied.
Those working out upstairs left her alone, and I climbed the stairs to continue my workout. The Queen’s ‘security guards’ stood in different parts of the gym, making sure she was safe.
I used to be a certified personal trainer at 24-hour fitness in California, so I was curious to see what exercises her trainer was making her do.
Since I started working out in Maseru, 99% of Basotho women are doing squats, lunges and leg exercises. I rarely see them working out their upper bodies, and the Queen of Lesotho, was also doing leg press, and hamstring exercises.
I don’t understand why Basotho trainers rarely show women chest, back, bicep and tricep exercises, to balance out the entire body, although I have heard that Basotho women like large behinds.
The Queen of Lesotho worked out for one hour, and after she left, I was curious to see what weight she used for her hamstring exercises. I used the same prone leg curl machine that she used.
I wanted to go up to her, but decided to give her the privacy she deserves. I did not wait for the King to arrive.
Te Queen’s personal trainer obviously subscribes to the ‘traditionally built’ code, but clearly this does not exclude fitness. That sounds like a fun day at the gym.
You do move in exalted circles. Next time you see her you ought to invite the Queen to visit your school. That really would be a coup! 🙂
Incredible to see such modern facilities when children seem to be starving nearby. What a well dressed and beautiful Queen; I wonder what her other occupations are. Who took the photo of her?
So, you live and exercise with Royalty! Imagine that.
Like Carol, I wonder about the spending priorities. But, well, when you’re a king, I don’t suppose you worry about such things. You let your government worry about that.