At Bayland Park in southwest Houston, baseball diamonds can be found everywhere. However, it is inside the community center, where one special gem is helping people discover the benefits of staying active at any age.
Meet Annette Kapp, a 90-year-old fitness instructor whose energy, enthusiasm and dedication have made her a favorite among students who fill her free exercise classes each week, “She’s amazing. Who would think that she is 90 years old?” said Laurie Bricker, one of Kapp’s students.
Kapp teaches yoga and weight-training classes at Bayland Park, with the weight classes drawing particularly large crowds. Her students say the experience goes far beyond exercise, “She makes me feel happy,” said student Rachel Ejekaam.
Another student, Laurie Gass, said Kapp’s example gives others a reason to keep pushing themselves, “I have never seen anybody so active at that age,” said Gass who added, “She gives us all hope.”
For Bricker it’s more, “It’s motivation, it’s psychological, it’s everything.”
Free classes are a pandemic project that resulted in a community
Kapp’s journey to leading packed classes at Bayland Park began during the COVID-19 pandemic, “COVID made everyone lonesome, and so they came here,” said Kapp.
What started as a small gathering outside her front porch grew into something much bigger. The classes even developed a nickname: “On the Curb.”
Today, Kapp’s classes bring dozens of students together at Bayland Park’s community center.
Asked how it feels to see so many people showing up to learn from her? “Wonderful,” said Kapp.
She also takes pride in knowing her work encourages others to prioritize their health and fitness.
“It makes me very proud that I am able to do this and inspire people to exercise,” Kapp said.
Proof that it’s never too late to start
Kapp’s commitment to fitness is about more than showing up for class. She became a certified fitness instructor at age 75, proving that pursuing a new goal doesn’t have to come with an age limit.
Her students say she continues to set an example simply by refusing to slow down.
By her own accounts she has no plans to stop inspiring them anytime soon.
For 2 Helps You, meeting Kapp was a reminder of the extraordinary people in our area making a positive impact in their communities.
We hope to see Kapp in 10 years, still doing what she loves at 100.
