“I think it’s important to share my story for all the ‘normal people’ out there. I don’t run marathons. I’m not a bodybuilder. I’m not a size 36 or any of those things. I hope my story will motivate people who now don’t feel represented in the fitness community and I want to tackle some misconceptions they might have. 

I’ve always struggled with my weight and I never was really into sports. ‘The girls’ were quite big which caused me a lot of discomfort and back pain working out.Until I had a breast reduction a few years ago. And finally I could move again. Having no excuses left, I carefully started my fitness journey.
A Personal Trainer advised me to try out some group classes. I immediately liked the BBB and Boxing workouts. It was a real struggle at first though. I would be out of breath before I even reached the floor where the classes took place. But it was totally worth it. 

People who don’t go to the gym think it’s filled with intimidating machos, but that’s totally not the case. There are all different kinds of people participating in the classes and I always felt very comfortable.
After every workout I’m completely empty. Physically as well as mentally. It’s hard to explain. You can leave all of your frustrations, stress and worries at the gym. You’re exhausted but a good kind of exhaustion. I would sleep like a baby and wake up feeling way more rested than usual.
Another thing that really surprised me was the energy you get out of it. Of course I had heard about it before, but never thought it was a real thing, you know? Endorphins do exist and they do work!

I love how much progress I made. I’ve gotten stronger and gained endurance. And on top of that I lost 10 kilos in my first three months of training. When Lockdown 1 happened I decided to stay active and take a lot of walks. Combined with the outdoor classes I lost another 7 kilos. I really look forward to the gym opening up and getting back in there.”