The home story of Bashir

If you've seen him running or heard an interview with him, you're probably a fan. Marathon champion Bashir Abdi is pure inspiration. His talent and perseverance take him to every corner of the world, but his heart is in Ghent. Here, surrounded by his family on the floor of his living room, Bashir can truly unwind.

That floor is the New York Pure Plus parquet collection from Lamett. Bashir and his wife Nimo chose Mantaro Inca from Parquetvinyl for the top floor of their home. Curious about how the floors suit their taste and lifestyle, we decided to drop by for a visit.

No place like home

We ring the bell on a grey Thursday morning, a few days after Bashir won the Rotterdam Marathon for the second time. The pictures of him waving to the public with his daughter Khadra and helping fellow-runner Koen Naert achieve a personal best were shared all over the country. As Khadra is at school with little brother Ibrahim, we are welcomed by Bashir, Nimo and their youngest daughter Maryan.

Inside, the atmosphere is casual. The living space is light and open, with wide oak planks that direct your gaze to the garden. While Maryan enthusiastically practises her first steps, Bashir settles into the sofa. “It's my rest period now,” he says. “I need to do as little as possible during the week after a marathon. Even though the children still wake us up at 6 o'clock in the morning. For me, there’s no place like home. I don’t need luxuries. Sitting here on the floor and watching my children play is all I could ever wish for.”

Scooter riding in style

The whole family loves the living space, and especially the floor. “It radiates warmth and feels soft without being slippery,” says Bashir. The couple chose parquet from the New York collection, in the subtle colour Pure Plus, as a light and versatile basis for the rest of the interior. For example, the black kitchen, which they chose later, was given accents that match the colour and texture of the parquet. “We don't need to have lots of things,” says Nimo. “It's deliberately simple here. Although there’s more furniture to come. because we’ve just moved in. But thanks to the floor, everything will feel harmonious."

It's clear to see that real people live here, with a lot of love for each other and great energy. “We planned to install another glass door between the entrance hall and the living room, but our kids love walking all the way from the front door to the garden window. And our son likes nothing more than riding his scooter here. Fortunately, it doesn't affect the parquet, which is finished with varnish. We haven't had a single accident — knock on wood — that couldn't be solved with a mop and some detergent. But we did attach protective filt under all the furniture, because we want to enjoy our beautiful floor for as long as possible.”

Travelling without sightseeing

In the meantime, it's time for some light stretching. Maryan enthusiastically flies on Bashir's knees, and the sports mat proves to be a great hiding place. The fact that he is often away from home is difficult, Bashir admits. His achievements demand many sacrifices, such as regular altitude training in Ethiopia. “Those sessions last a minimum of three weeks,” he explains, “and the more often, the better. At altitude, you produce more red blood cells.” But however necessary it is, Bashir can’t help feeling guilty sometimes. Especially if not everything is going well on the home front.

“My focus there is completely on the essentials: training, training, training, without much comfort or good food. When I meet people who have also been to Ethiopia, they sometimes ask whether I visited any of the local attractions. The same with marathons, which take me all over the world. My answer is always no,” laughs Bashir. “I’m very focused on my training and my races, and when they’re finished, I come back to my family. The home feeling is unbeatable.”

Ice baths and weight training

At home, it's also important to stay focused. “During intensive training periods, I run 200 kilometres a week in two sessions a day, with strength training in between. I’ve mapped out routes of exactly 1, 3, 5 and 10 kilometres on the towpath along the Scheldt, on which I do laps to achieve the desired training distance. And around twice a week, it’s time for an ice bath.”

Then Bashir buys 25 kilos of flake ice from a catering wholesaler in the area. “They were surprised the first time, but now they’re used to seeing me.” The couple chose Mantaro Inca from Parquetvinyl as the floor for the first floor. The planks are wide, with an extra thick wear layer and a wood texture that you can see and feel.

That choice turned out to be a real winner thanks to the water resistance. “I never need to worry if water or ice gets on the floor. Or if the bath overflows: yes, that actually happened!” Bashir says that the first 30 seconds in such an ice bath are the hardest. After that, your body gets used to the cold. “Unless you move, because then everything starts again,” he laughs.

In the future, he wants to set up a training space on this first floor. Not for strength training — he does that in the neighbourhood — but for core stability. Although Parquetvinyl can take a (serious) knock, as Bashir experienced for himself in the Lamett showroom. “They asked me to drop weights on the planks. I was careful at first. Those planks are 5 to 7.5 millimetres thick, so you expect them to break. But that didn't happen, so then I really went for it,” he laughs, while banging imaginary weights against the ground. After all, under the top layer of such a plank there's a rigid carrier, made of a mixture of limestone and PVC. Underneath, there is an integrated subfloor, which absorbs unevenness during the installation but also has a sound-absorbing effect: not an unnecessary luxury if a night's sleep is important.

Focus with (very) occasional French fries

Over the next few days, Bashir will start cycling and stretching lightly again. A strict diet is also important for the recovery of muscle damage. We are amazed when he tells us that his diet includes French fries only twice a year. “But they taste so good that they’re worth the wait,” he beams. We ask about their plans for Eid, which is coming up in a few days' time. “If our garden is ready, the party will definitely be here,” says Nimo. “We both have big families. There are always lots of people here.”

The work in the garden is progressing rapidly, and Bashir will be able to enjoy it this summer. “He’ll be staying in Belgium for the next few months,” says Nimo happily. It's a busy life, with intensive training periods, foreign internships, competitions and compulsory rest. With a sharp focus on the essentials and on pushing boundaries. But also with time to have fun and enjoy his family. Because here in the midst of it all is his unshakable foundation: on this floor, with his daughter on his knee, he is completely at home.

Thanks for the hospitality, Bashir & Nimo!