My story

Fitness and exercise are, for me, a way of life. I have chosen this way to live my life and because it has made such a massive difference to every single day, I am on a mission to share that with as many people as possible.

Most coaches and trainers will tell you that they know what you’re going through because they’ve been there too. Trust me when I say I really have! When I was just ten years old, I was introduced to Weight Watchers. I wasn’t aware that I needed to lose weight. I was only ten years old, after all. And things spiralled from there.

My insecurities started to kick in, which have been with me almost ever since. My weight, the way I looked, how I acted – I had zero self-confidence. I suffered depression for years, feeling lost in the bigger world, and it was a major part of my life. When I discovered who I was – largely due to finding my birth family after 35 years – everything started to make sense. My life had purpose and I now knew where that had come from. My story is quite detailed, with various twists, and one day I’ll write it all down. But to give you a bit of an insight…

The pressure I felt as a ten-year-old stayed with me. The pressure to be a certain way – I wasn’t even sure what that was supposed to be. I got bullied at school (and I went to a ‘nice’ school). But the little life I was living came crashing down when my perfect-from-the-outside family separated. I had some major family issues to try and process and, at 16, I left home.

I drifted through various jobs, living on people’s sofas, without any sense of belonging, purpose or worth.

It was only when I met my husband, Neil, when I was 21, did I begin to realise that perhaps there was something within that was worthwhile. He was the one who showed me that I did have something to give, a real purpose.

Neil was my catalyst for change. He has encouraged me to explore things outside of my comfort zone – he was the one who encouraged me to do my Personal Trainer course. All the jobs I’d done up until then were because I wanted to make people happy or enjoy themselves – secretarial work, waitressing, child-minding. I loved helping people. I also knew how much I’d always enjoyed sports and exercise so perhaps I could make a career out of it. Neil then convinced me to put it into practice and become a Personal Trainer. So I did.

Now I’m in the position to be able to show other people that they can do it. It took me until I was an adult to understand what it’s like to have someone in your corner, motivating you and encouraging you. I really care that people feel better about themselves. No one should ever be made to feel insecure about themselves, feel their not good enough or feel they’re being put down. Whatever your personal circumstances, you deserve better than that. However unsupported you feel, that’s where I can help.

I love to help people. To get fit, feel confident, feel motivated and be their best selves. It comes straight from my heart and I give my whole self to my clients. I provide a support network, message them with words of encouragement, make them feel loved and worthwhile.

And it all comes down to self-confidence. Helping people get out of the ‘I can’t do it’ cycle and into a ‘can do’ attitude. It might sound corny but it’s that simple. I love the positivity that exercise brings, how it can build a community and create a new family – a fitness family. I can’t tell you how much joy I get from seeing people implement what I say and start to get results they never knew would be possible – I know they’re listening, enjoying and are interested.

My PT clients and my regular bootcampers are all part of my fitness family. But I wanted to be able to reach more people, which is hard when there’s only one of you and lots of them! So the online Fit in 20 fitness hub was born. The perfect way to reach lots of people at once, with different personal circumstances, levels of fitness and confidence, and to provide an online community and environment – withoutjudgment, just support and encouragement.

The joy of Fit in 20 is that it is so accessible. If you have a bad week and only manage one or two workouts – or none at all – it doesn’t matter. We reset every week and you can start again the following Monday. The workouts can be done anywhere in the world, at any time of day, by anyone. Everyone works at their own level and no one can see if you’re uncoordinated, if your clothes don’t match or if your hair’s a mess. It doesn’t matter! Just 20 minutes a day to get results. Not too much of a time commitment.

I love recording the workouts for everyone to follow. I didn’t start out meaning to do videos but Neil (again) was the one who said I needed to do them for you all to see. And he was right. I feel like you’re doing them along with me. And the best thing is the feedback and conversation from the Fit in 20 family. I love it when you check in to say how you’ve got on, the type of workouts you prefer, the ones that are a bit crazy. We’re all in it together. #strongertogether

Fitness and exercise are the best thing to help manage your mental health. They should be on prescription. Anti-depressants are not a long-term solution but the benefits of exercise and being physically fit are. Add to this good nutrition and a positive mindset, and you’re set.

There is no quick, overnight fix. But joining a community like Fit in 20 gives you the accountability, the check-ins and the encouragement. But only if you want them.

The workouts are designed to let you get whatever you want and need from them.

So now you know a little bit more about me, you can trust that I genuinely have been there. I would love you to join me and my Fit in 20 family. No judging, just support and encouragement. The journey is not over yet, and our story still has a long way to go.