Endless Grit: How Karl Dariane Founded UAE-Based Wellness Hub Flexofix In The Aftermath Of A Life-Altering Injury With FlexoFix, Dariane is empowering people to take better control of their overall health.

If there is one takeaway from the life of Karl Dariane -a mutli-faceted individual who has crafted successful tenures for himself across athletics, hospitality and, now, as a startup founder- it is that no dream is too big to achieve if approached with discipline, hard work and the hunger to excel. Dariane is today the founder of FlexoFix, a Dubai-based wellness center and physical rehabilitation clinic that offers a blend of traditional and innovative therapies. "My ultimate goal is for FlexoFix to be part of a much-needed change in the healthcare industry," Dariane shares. "I want to move away from the traditional, reactive model of healthcare where people only seek treatment after they've been injured or sick. Instead, FlexoFix aims to pioneer a proactive, preventative approach to rehabilitation and wellness that's attainable for everyone. I believe healthcare should empower people to understand their bodies, prevent injuries, and live healthier lives."

Having faced multiple injuries throughout his life, Dariane decided that FlexoFix's services (and indeed, its very name!) would be built upon the concept of flexology, a practice that improves physical health through targeted stretching techniques that blend modern science with ancient practices. Launched in 2018, the clinic's services -which include sport medicine, intervention therapies, wellness consulting and performance testing- thus help in enhancing flexibility, reducing muscle tension, and promoting overall wellbeing. "While developing the Flexology protocol that would eventually become the initial core FlexoFix offering, I went through countless trials, constantly learning and adapting to different cases," Dariane says. "What started as a focus on movement evolved into something much deeper; aligning the body through the muscular chain. Flexology helps correct the activation of muscles and illuminates imbalances that often go unnoticed. In many ways, it reverses the traditional approach of chiropractors. Chiropractors typically adjust the joints to release muscle tension, while I work on adjusting muscular tension to help the joints naturally realign. This distinction is where I saw the potential for flexology and realized how much it could help people like myself, who had been injured and needed to understand why. It's about resetting the body and gaining a deeper understanding of it."

But to understand why Dariane was inspired to launch FlexoFix in the first place, it is necessary to take a pause here and rewind to a time when the founder was still a professional athlete- an Olympic Alpine skier (an athlete who competes in Alpine skiing events at the Winter Olympic Games), to be more precise. It was around this time that Dariane also found another area of interest: the food and beverage (F&B) space. "When I was still competing as a skier, I was fortunate to work at a resort located right on the slopes where I trained in Lebanon," he recalls. "My routine was perfect—I'd train in the mornings and then work at the resort in the afternoons and evenings. I love the hotel industry because it's all about service, helping people, and creating unforgettable experiences for them. And I love skiing for the adrenaline, the sense of freedom, the peace you feel on the slopes, and the sense of community it nurtures. My passion for both industries shaped who I am today and taught me the value of hard work, discipline, and the importance of meaningful connections."

Source: FlexoFix

As is the case for possibly every professional athlete, however, Dariane's skiing experience was marred by many injuries- this was before it came to a complete halt due to a major injury. "Injuries are an unfortunate reality of competitive sports; they set you back, but you push through to recover as quickly as possible," Dariane says. "My first injury was a torn meniscus from skiing, and then, during one of my last skiing competitions, I injured my hip. However, the most significant injury for me resulted from a car accident where I broke my sternum. I was bed bound for two months and no exercise for around 12 months, and that was an incredibly tough period. I had to stop sports entirely from 2009 to around 2011. It was a long recovery, and being away from something I loved so much was difficult, but it also pushed me to explore other paths in life and eventually led to where I am today."

Indeed, following this life-changing injury, Dariane made a move to the UAE to pursue his love for the hospitality industry. It was a decision that saw him hold key positions in the F&B departments of major UAE-based retail companies Azadea Group and Chalhoub Group, among others. But it was during these years that Dariane's path towards founding FlexoFix was slowly and simultaneously being built as well- and as it happened, it came through a series of observations about how his own injuries were being treated.

"I've actually played and competed in multiple sports, including squash, mountain biking, football, skiing, martial arts, strongman competitions, and CrossFit," Dariane reveals. "Injuries were inevitable, but I seemed to get injured constantly. The question that stuck with me was: why was I getting hurt so much when others doing the same sports weren't? I wasn't the only one pushing my limits in multiple disciplines, yet I seemed to be sidelined more often. Every time I got injured, doctors and therapists would tell me what was wrong. If I had knee pain, they'd diagnose a meniscus tear or an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) issue. If my back hurt, it was classified as wear and tear from intense training. The usual explanation was that I was overdoing it, that my body was tired. But even with all the guidance on what exercises to do and how to get stronger, I kept getting injured, and I couldn't understand why."

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When his final "breaking point", as Dariane puts it, came during the 2017-18 time period, he decided it was time to take things into his own hands (quite literally almost!). "At the time, I blew out my back again, along with multiple other injuries, and that's when I knew I needed to take action," he continues. "I had to go back to square one and learn the mechanics of my body from the ground up. I didn't want to keep going back to doctors for the same answers. So, I studied and qualified as a corrective exercise specialist to deepen my understanding. I sought professionals who truly understood movement and the impact on the body. I worked with ballerinas to learn about mobility and flexibility. I collaborated with bodybuilders to understand how muscles are built and how movement angles matter. I also worked with movement therapists to study recovery and human anatomy. Through all of this, I developed my skills as a flexologist and created my own method of rehabilitation. I realized that my approach could benefit not only other competitive athletes but also anyone passionate about their health and fitness. Recognizing that others might share similar struggles, I created FlexoFix in 2018 to help more people understand their bodies and benefit from a different rehabilitation approach."

FlexoFix thus offers all members with a three-base program which includes treatments catered towards self-body awareness, conscious practice, as well as enjoyable treatments. And these services aren't reserved only for the athletic and sporty among us either. "Our target market spans everyone from those living low-activity lifestyles to professional athletes," Dariane says. "Whether you're someone dealing with chronic pain from sitting at a desk all day or an elite athlete recovering from intense training or injury, we have the expertise and tools to help you recover and thrive. This approach is designed to ensure that you get the exact care you need to perform at your best, no matter your level—be it a casual, active person, the elderly, children, or a high-level athlete."

Source: FlexoFix

But how exactly does FlexoFix's rehabilitation techniques differ from traditional/conventional options? "Flexology increases blood flow throughout the body, and I wanted to harness that blood flow to target specific areas and go deeper in ways that couldn't be done as effectively through manual therapy alone," Dariane explains. "That's when I discovered hyperbaric oxygen chambers [a type of therapy that involves breathing pure oxygen in a pressurized chamber, which allows the oxygen to dissolve into the bloodstream more effectively, promoting faster healing, reducing inflammation, and boosting recovery], which we brought in. As time went on and I worked with more clients, I realized we could push things further. I added vibroacoustic therapy [a technique that uses sound waves and vibrations to promote physical and emotional healing] because I had seen the amount of pain people were coming in with, and I knew this therapy could be a game-changer. Vibroacoustic therapy, combined with pulsed electromagnetic field therapy (PEMF), revitalizes cellular metabolism, reduces stress, and enhances overall recovery. So far, this has proved to be a perfect combination."

But Dariane's endeavors to create a one-stop-shop wellness clinic didn't end here. "It became clear that we needed a physiotherapist and chiropractor on board," he continues. "As incredible as flexology, hyperbaric oxygen, vibroacoustic, and PEMF were together, I wanted to offer a complete package. That's what sets us apart! I created a program where clients move through multiple therapies, targeting physical rehabilitation on a whole new level. We believe in using a bespoke combination of traditional and modern treatments to treat people in pain and discomfort, and we have it all. The best part is our team works hand-in-hand on every case. Some clients may need more physiotherapy than flexology or chiropractic sessions, but we customize the approach to ensure every person gets exactly what they need."

In the little over five years since the clinic's launch, the greatest source of affirmation for Dariane has been the health results FlexoFix has enabled for its patients. "The biggest success of FlexoFix is the remarkable progress of our clients' recovery, especially those who previously underwent physiotherapy rehabilitation elsewhere," he says. "We've had numerous cases where clients were dealing with chronic issues, like back pain lasting 12-15 years; despite seeing several practitioners during that time. Through our detailed assessments and personalized, tailored programs, we were able to pinpoint the underlying causes and create solutions that significantly reduced their pain in half the time. Seeing those clients walk out happy and pain-free is what makes our work so rewarding."

Karl Dariane is the founder of FlexoFix,. Source: FlexoFix

In its journey in growing from "a small 3x4 office into an eight-room clinic with four practitioners," FlexoFix has also been keen on creating a more cohesive health and wellness community in the UAE. A recent manifestation of that goal came in the form of a strategic partnership with Smart Salem, a Dubai-based medical fitness center. "One key point that both Amanda Gravitis, Smart Salem's CEO, and I align on is the concept of 'pre-hab'- preventative healthcare or preventative rehabilitation," Dariane says. "At FlexoFix, we've developed a comprehensive movement analysis assessment that tests everything from mechanics to posture, flexibility, mobility, range of motion, and strength. Smart Salem's vision also revolves around preventative care, focusing on analyzing people's health through innovative testing, gut microbiome analysis, food intolerances and hormone analysis and more- and most recently, they've developed an Active Lifestyle Package. We've integrated our movement assessment into this offering. Together, we're giving individuals a more complete picture—not just of their DNA and overall health, but also of their movement patterns and potential imbalances."

Before concluding Dariane's story and sharing his goals for the future, it is important to take another pause- this time to understand how, despite facing so many personal setbacks, the entrepreneur was able to tap into an inner place of resilience and grit. "It was a big struggle, and I'll admit that I let my ego get the better of me during that time [of injury]," he shares. "I didn't even want to go back to sports. I was tired of constantly being injured and thought it was all over. My spirit was crushed, and I didn't recognise myself. I went from feeling at the top of my game, in great shape, and with everything going for me to getting injured almost six times in one year. When I finally stopped all sports, it felt like I'd lost a big part of myself, which was really difficult. But during this challenging period, I held onto a dream that helped reignite my passion and give me a new sense of purpose…I wanted to create a space that combined everything I loved—hotels, sports, and wellness. This vision motivated me to help and educate others on how to move better, stay healthy, and recover properly. I threw myself into the project; it was my way of blending my passion for hospitality and health into one cohesive experience."

And it is precisely with that mindset that Dariane is now gearing up for FlexoFix's upcoming journey too. "At FlexoFix, we're building a community of professionals with a passion for continuous learning and exploration. Our team is committed to staying at the forefront of rehab and wellness by studying new methods, adopting cutting-edge technologies, and constantly refining our approach. We aim to lead the way in physical rehabilitation, creating programs that aren't just about healing but enhancing physical and mental performance. My vision for FlexoFix is to inspire other professionals to think differently, innovate, and constantly push the boundaries of what's possible in physical rehabilitation and preventative care."