My first introduction to the Health & Fitness
Industry was at age eighteen, when my parents decided to purchase a Squash
& Fitness Centre on the Central Coast of Australia. I was the second
youngest of six children, all of us having been very active with school sports
& keen squash players at the time. I loved participating in any style of
Aerobic classes (now know as Group Fitness) until oneday, when one of our
Instructors did not turn up for a double class…..my father marched onto the
squash court & told me I had to teach! Well, I took to teaching like a duck
to water & subsequently trotted off to Sydney to become a certified Fitness
Instructor with ACHPER (Australian Council for Health & Physical Educational
Recreation).
Now, 25 years later, after two unsuccessful marriages,
two children & experiencing major depression throughout, I discovered that
my only saving grace was my training. Apart from being a great way to release
my stress & anxiety, it helped me deal with my depression by altering my
moods so I felt happy again & able to cope. I also had that much needed
time out from my children, which I now refer to as “mummy time.” As most of my
clients will agree, this time is imperative for mothers as we always put
ourselves last on the list & have very little down time.
One thing I had always dreamt of doing since being in
the Industry, was to work with someone individually & show them how
training could change their lives in a hugely positive, powerful way & to
give them control back over their life again. Primarily, I was focused on
assisting someone with weight loss, but my own personal experiences taught me
that people need to exercise for many different reasons.
After being involved in many different areas of the
Fitness Industry, I decided that Personal Training was what I really wanted to
focus on. So, 4 years ago, I began as a Personal Trainer with a dream to have
my own PT business. During the past 4 years, I have helped many of my clients to
lose weight, rehabilitate, deal with depression, find their confidence again,
improve their self esteem & just truly realise their potential as
individuals. I have such a passion for what I do, that being a Personal Trainer
for me is a rewarding & fulfilling career. I have met so many wonderful
& interesting people along the way, who have become dear friends & I
feel honoured to have been given the opportunity to share in their lives. To
sum things up, I think I have the best job in the world because to me, it isn’t
a job….it’s a way of life & I love it!
Fiona Friend
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