Phillipa on her journey in the Health and Fitness Industry
R – Reality
I – Integrity
S – Sincerity
K – Kindness
I have been in the health and fitness industry for over 25 years – quite amazing considering I was the one at school who avoided anything to do with exercise. It was only after I had my third child, Matthew (who is now 27) that I found an aerobics class locally and realised that this is what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. With a young baby on my hands, I would be up early every morning studying for my ‘Exercise to Music’ qualification, so determined was I to start teaching as soon as I could. I have since acquired many more qualifications.
Soon after starting classes in the community, my dream was to own and manage my own gym. I have never had an athletic build, quite the contrary, but I was determined to encourage people of any shape and size to realise that exercise isn’t just for people who look the part and are comfortable in their bodies. I wanted to demonstrate that the benefits of exercise are available to everyone and if I can do it so can anyone else.
My life has been all about taking risks. I’ve never been satisfied with going along with the status quo and after my fourth child had started school, I pursued the hard work of making my dream a reality. The time between receiving the dream and it coming to fruition in 2007 when I finally opened my own gym, Curves for women, was around 14 years. It was quite a journey of faith, but as the Lord promises, our faith is always rewarded. I had the privilege of seeing thousands of women achieve their health and fitness goals over the 10 years I worked with Curves.
The exciting thing for me is that I am back in the Maidstone Community working as a Leisure Club Manager at Audley Mote Park, where I continue to have an impact supporting and encouraging the over 55’s in their health and fitness.
As my acronym above shows – these are the four things that I live by while taking risks to step out and trust the Lord with every step I take. You get close to people working in my industry and people soon learn whether you are genuine or not. My heart is to demonstrate the reality of my faith in Jesus whilst keeping it real, being a woman of integrity, being sincere in everything I do and say, and treating all people with kindness.
I am so thankful to the Lord for the doors He continues to open for me to share His love and my faith and love for Him in the industry He has called me to serve in.
Phillipa
Photo by Meghan Holmes on Unsplash