This month, as I reach my 21st year in business, I am very thankful to the many people who have inspired, encouraged and supported me. I’m delighted that I still have clients who started with me 21 years ago. To celebrate this milestone, the business is getting a bit of a makeover. I hope you love the new logo and colour scheme as much as I do.
My Journey
People often say to me ‘it’s easy for you, you’re so fit’ or ‘you must eat healthy all the time’. I try to, but to be honest, I don’t always eat healthily, and it hasn’t been easy for me. This month I celebrate my 21st year in the business of health and fitness. The road has had ups and downs but I’m proud of my journey. It has taught me so much and put me on a path that has led me to where I am today.
How did you get started in fitness?
I suppose I always enjoyed PE and sport at school. At 18 I joined a gym. My favourite thing was the classes. I love music and love dance.
I qualified as an Exercise to Music Instructor in 1999, aged 25. I then went on to qualify in and teach step aerobics, aqua, spin and Zumba classes to name a few, delivering classes in the Pine Trees Country Club, Coleraine University and various community centres. These classes grew very quickly and soon I was teaching classes every night.
Our first baby came in 2002 and the second in 2004. I taught classes up to the day before they were born and went straight back to it within a couple of weeks.
I continued with classes for 9 years and in 2008 I opened my first studio. The main reason for this was because I loved to spin and spin bikes aren’t easy to haul around! My first studio was a small unit in the Enterprise Park in Limavady where I had 15 bikes. Within 6 months, I had moved to a bigger studio with 35 bikes. The following year I opened a second studio in Magherafelt where I had another 60 bikes. In 2010, I ran the biggest ever spin class to be held in Northern Ireland with 100 bikes and raised over £6,000 for the Cancer Fund for Children.
For the next 5 years, I was delivering daily community exercise classes, running 2 busy spin studios, personal training and raising 2 small kids. I eventually burnt out. My health deteriorated physically, mentally and emotionally. I was like a swan, gracefully gliding along but below the water, I was pedalling fast. Too fast for too long. I eventually sank to the bottom under the pressure.
How did you recover?
Thankfully I had full support from my husband and children who never doubted me and were the most supportive family anyone could hope for.
I needed to heal myself. Not a fan of modern medicine, I went on a quest to find out how I could heal myself naturally. I read every book, listened to every podcast, went to every workshop, seminar, event that I possibly could. This was only scraping the surface. I needed to learn this stuff at a much deeper level.
Over the years of doing all my fitness qualifications I had learnt a bit about nutrition, but the courses didn’t teach me enough. I wanted to know more and understand it better. So, I signed up to a 3-year course run by the College of Naturopathic Medicine based in Stranmillis University in Belfast to train a Naturopathic Nutritionist. It wasn’t another online course. The lessons were classroom-based and I enjoyed learning in that environment and having discussions with my peers.
Whilst studying I realised there were too many balls in the air. I needed to find my balance. So, I closed the Magherafelt studio during my 2nd year and took the plunge to close the Limavady studio during my 3rd year. I wanted to focus on absorbing the lessons I was learning at university. I graduated in 2016. I have healed my body and my life has completely changed – for the better. At my graduation, I made it my goal to educate, inspire, and motivate people to live healthier lives.
I continued teaching Pilates in the community and did a lot of personal training, coaching, nutrition consultations and started my corporate wellness service. I began to rebuild my business.
How has lockdown affected your business?
When lockdown hit, I was no longer able to teach classes face to face which is all I’d known for the past 2 decades! I had to quickly pivot my class delivery to online. The biggest positive from lockdown was that going digital meant I could reach and help more people.
Initially, my online sessions were for the people who came to my classes in the community, but it very quickly grew to a wider audience. I wrote a 7-day programme which was a great success and helped almost 200 women melt their mid-section and reduce their bloated bellies. Next, I designed and delivered a 28-day programme, educating woman on weight loss, sugar, sleep and stress. I’m currently delivering a 90-day programme with over 40 fabulous females who want to reset their eating habits, understand good nutrition and improve their physical fitness long term.
What motivates you?
Health, fitness, wellness and nutrition are massive fields but I have a special interest in 40+ woman’s health because that’s where I am personally so I can relate the multitude of issues facing women in this age group. I have dedicated my life to helping women through fitness and nutritional programmes. I have the knowledge, experience, passion, empathy and understand how women of a certain age feel. If I can heal myself and bring myself back up out of the trenches, anyone can.
I have personally tried, tested and tweaked my courses into holistic programmes that work. I want to share these programmes with as many women as possible to help them be the best version of themselves.
I just love what I’m doing now. What keeps me going is seeing woman achieve their weight loss goals, seeing how much better they feel about themselves as they become fitter. It is very rewarding supporting stressed and overworked women find a way to live a healthier, more balanced life.
I am not an all-knowing expert but I am an eternal learner and constantly curious. I am always researching and studying because I need to fully understand and experience issues and concepts to help my clients understand and implement them.
I believe coaching is about people…their dreams and fears, wonders and worries not just all about exercise and food. With my qualifications and experience, I can use a systematic method of combining scientific data with professional experience and take into consideration clients individual needs, wants and desires.
Would you change anything from the last 21 years?
If I was to do it all over again, I would have studied nutrition at the beginning of my fitness career as it is a major piece to the puzzle. I wish I knew 21 years ago what I know now!
What’s next?
I am very excited to see what 2021 brings. I have lots of ideas for future targeted programmes aimed at improving my client’s health, fitness and wellness through exercise classes, coaching, workshops, programmes and retreats! I’m currently creating easy to follow programmes on weight loss during menopause, intermittent fasting, reversing diabetes and a few others. It is important to listen to my clients as well. So, I currently have a survey open for you to tell me what type of programmes you would like to do.
I’m also keen to help local businesses support their staff through corporate wellness programmes. 2020 has been a turbulent year and employers need to ensure their staff are as fit, healthy and happy as they can be, including those working from home. It all contributes to improved productivity, loyalty and reduce sick leave.
What would you say to someone starting on their journey?
Whatever your motivation or goal is, results are achieved through dedication and consistency. I did it and you can too. However, there is no magic pill. No quick fix. To put it simply, you just need to maintain and sustain a healthy diet and regular exercise. I know! I know! Easier said than done – but you can do it and I can help guide and support you on your journey.
“This month, as I reach my 21st year in business, I am very thankful to the many people who have inspired, encouraged and supported me. I’m delighted that I still have clients who started with me 21 years ago. To celebrate this milestone, the business is getting a bit of a makeover. I hope you love the new logo and colour scheme as much as I do.”
Reflecting on the last 21 years I have realised that it is so important to make time for yourself. To invest in your health and fitness. To do it for you. Not for anyone else. To nourish your mind and body with nutritious food, exercise and knowledge. Surround yourself with the support of those who care for you and face your challenges head-on. If it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you.
Good luck to you, wherever you are on your journey and if you need support, please get in touch.
Tanya
Back to blog ›This month, as I reach my 21st year in business, I am very thankful to the many people who have inspired, encouraged and supported me. I’m delighted that I still have clients who started with me 21 years ago. To celebrate this milestone, the business is getting a bit of a makeover. I hope you love the new logo and colour scheme as much as I do.