My Story
In July 2016, while I was in Saudi Arabia, I tore my left ACL (anterior cruciate ligament in the knee). Months of rehab were necessary before I was able to have the reconstruction surgery in November, which then needed further rehab before I moved back to the UK in April 2017. I got a job in Chiswick Park, which was directly across from a Virgin Active gym, so I joined, and hobbled into the gym with my stick and hired a Personal Trainer, I told him I wanted him to make me strong and he did. Within 3 months my body had completely changed and I was so completely amazed at what a difference regular lifting of heavy things could make to someone's life.
Fast forward to October 2019, and I was made redundant from my office job for the second time in as many years and I decided to study to become a Personal Trainer, so that I could help other people like myself. I decided that I would do dog walking while I studied to support myself and then the Pandemic hit in March 2020, and I was struck with severe anxiety (I now know that I was going through peri-menopause) and had no income, no dog walking work and no PT qualifications. I spoke with my PT tutor and asked advice, her advice was to start training people online and start learning my trade.
So I started training people online. I was not very good! I had no idea where to start, but I did as much as I could, recruiting friends, family, anyone who would give me donations. I also started doing Yoga every day and it helped me hugely.
I finally qualified as a Level 2 Gym Instructor in October 2020. When the gyms opened I went out to my local gym and was doing their 7am, 30 minute classes every day.One of the instructors taught a 'Pump' class and was reading choreo notes from a piece of paper on the floor while he was teaching. I went home and thought to myself.. 'I can do better than that' and ended up signing up for the Les Mills BodyPump training. Qualifying in February 2021 and teaching classes online by now, I failed the first assessment, so connected with a local Les Mills Coach, who put me in touch with various local gyms, who almost bit my hands off to get me teaching BodyPump.
This opened many doors to me, the gyms were crying out for instructors at the time, and so I had the opportunity to teach many different types of classes, including Stretch & Relax classes, core classes, LBT classes, circuit classes. I even got talked into doing the Les Mills BodyBalance qualification. I was teaching at many different gyms and pushing my body to it's limits! I ended up having to pay extra to go to 'in person' training to complete my Level 3 PT course on my 50th birthday in September 2022. Shortly thereafter I signed up for the Yoga Teacher training, which I completed in November 2023, amidst a few back pain and hip pain flare ups, which eventually lead to me giving up teaching BodyPump.
In August 2024, I had a left hip replacement and returned to teaching in November 2024, initially covering the odd Yoga class, but then taking on a permanent BodyBalance class in July 2025, which I have now given up, as my hip was taking strain!
In June 2026, I qualified as an Exercise Referral Personal Trainer.
Fast forward to October 2019, and I was made redundant from my office job for the second time in as many years and I decided to study to become a Personal Trainer, so that I could help other people like myself. I decided that I would do dog walking while I studied to support myself and then the Pandemic hit in March 2020, and I was struck with severe anxiety (I now know that I was going through peri-menopause) and had no income, no dog walking work and no PT qualifications. I spoke with my PT tutor and asked advice, her advice was to start training people online and start learning my trade.
So I started training people online. I was not very good! I had no idea where to start, but I did as much as I could, recruiting friends, family, anyone who would give me donations. I also started doing Yoga every day and it helped me hugely.
I finally qualified as a Level 2 Gym Instructor in October 2020. When the gyms opened I went out to my local gym and was doing their 7am, 30 minute classes every day.One of the instructors taught a 'Pump' class and was reading choreo notes from a piece of paper on the floor while he was teaching. I went home and thought to myself.. 'I can do better than that' and ended up signing up for the Les Mills BodyPump training. Qualifying in February 2021 and teaching classes online by now, I failed the first assessment, so connected with a local Les Mills Coach, who put me in touch with various local gyms, who almost bit my hands off to get me teaching BodyPump.
This opened many doors to me, the gyms were crying out for instructors at the time, and so I had the opportunity to teach many different types of classes, including Stretch & Relax classes, core classes, LBT classes, circuit classes. I even got talked into doing the Les Mills BodyBalance qualification. I was teaching at many different gyms and pushing my body to it's limits! I ended up having to pay extra to go to 'in person' training to complete my Level 3 PT course on my 50th birthday in September 2022. Shortly thereafter I signed up for the Yoga Teacher training, which I completed in November 2023, amidst a few back pain and hip pain flare ups, which eventually lead to me giving up teaching BodyPump.
In August 2024, I had a left hip replacement and returned to teaching in November 2024, initially covering the odd Yoga class, but then taking on a permanent BodyBalance class in July 2025, which I have now given up, as my hip was taking strain!
In June 2026, I qualified as an Exercise Referral Personal Trainer.
