AGE:  37

PROFESSION:  Special Education Coordinator/Teacher

HOMETOWN:  Leyland, Lancashire, England

COLLEGE:  Lancaster University, UK and CSUDH

FAVORITE FOOD:  Probably cheese…in any form

FAVORITE PLACE VISITED:  Kauai, Hawaii

PLACE YOU WANT TO VISIT:  The rest of the world

FAVORITE MOVIE:  Harry Potter (all of them!)

FAVORITE SINGER:  Don’t have one, but I am a huge 80’s and 90’s fan.

HOBBIES:  Reading and working out.

BACKGROUND:  My husband passed away from brain cancer in August, 2016. After his death, I was miserable, stressed, gaining weight, and felt terrible about myself. While on a girls’ weekend outing at the end of October, my friend Andrea suggested we do something different…so we joined Sonki Fitness. My first class was extremely challenging to say the least. I was sick, couldn’t breathe and barely made a run around the block before feeling like I was going to collapse. Fast forward one year, here I am stronger than I’ve ever been, feeling great, a few pounds lighter, and so much more self-confident about myself. The results from Sonki Fitness are so much more than I ever expected.

What is your current exercise routine?  Sonki Fitness 3 times a week. spin and yoga when I can (although I used to do this 6 times a week but Sonki Fitness took over), and walking with my Welsh Terrier, Colin whenever I can.

What is your motivation to stay in shape?  Living longer, fitting into my clothes, never developing what my late husband would describe as a “mum bum,” and feeling better about myself.

What is your greatest challenge to staying in shape?  My only challenge is making sure I don’t work late and miss Sonki Fitness classes!

What is your key to success?  Just deciding that I am going to do this and not lose focus. It’s ok to be selfish and make time for yourself, do something you enjoy, and not feel guilty about it. Also, even when I don’t feel like going to class or taking a walk, I do it anyway because I know I will feel better. The real key to my success is my friends and all the support I have around me, the new friends I’ve made in Sonki Fitness, the instructors who kick my arse every single session, and the sheer British determination that is in my nature (thanks mum!).

What do you like about Sonki Fitness and how has it affected your life?  I love that it’s a group fitness class and everyone has different fitness levels, but I never feel like I can’t do the workout and should give up (well, I may have felt that way during my first class). Sonki Fitness has given me structure, routine and something to look forward to three times a week. If I could, I would probably take a class every day because it makes me feel so much better about myself. In terms of how it has affected me, well, I can run now which I have never done before. I actually ran a mile the other day for no other reason than I felt like it. I’m not sure there are any marathons in my future, but just having the confidence to run along a busy street is amazing enough.

What advice would you give to others about fitness?  Do it! Get off the sofa, you are not fat, you are not lazy, you are not worthless….get out there and workout because life is for living and is far too short not to enjoy it.

Any other comments?  I would like to say THANK YOU – to Andrea for forcing me to join Sonki Fitness in the first place and to Brad for tagging along! To my fellow Sonki Fitness Playa Vista Evening Crazies – for the laughs, the fun and the whining. To Eve and Brianna, for kicking my arse and pushing me when I want to give up and telling me I am capable of so much more. And to Sonki – for sharing this with us all!