Catherine: "I have the courage to focus on my health, I've lost 12kg, taken up cycling and become stronger than I ever thought possible"

I have been coaching Catherine in one-on-one coaching and the Powherful classes, and am so proud of her progress!

She has osteoarthritis in her ankle but that sure isn’t stopping her! She has made incredible progress with her strength and fitness and can now enjoy hiking, gardening and cycling again. She has also been working on her nutrition and has dropped 12kg to date!

Here is what she has to say:

“My name is Catherine Walker, I am 54 years old, and I have been coming to SMA and training with Kirsty for 18 months.

My initial goal was to regain some fitness, build up my strength, and return to running, hiking and swimming following a series of health challenges. In the 18 months since I started I have definitely fulfilled most of those goals and more.

From attending one-to-one training sessions, I have gained confidence to attending the Powherful classes as well, and to my surprise finding myself actually enjoying the training sessions, and missing it when I’m not able to attend.

From someone who has never really been into exercise or fitness that’s pretty huge! It has also given me courage to focus on other changes such as diet and well-being activities – this year I have taken up cycling as an alternative to running (no longer possible due to arthritis in my ankles), and am participating in a weight-loss challenge and have lost 12kg.

I love the mix of people at SMA, the encouragement even from strangers, the positive environment and the comraderie in the team, as well as the members. I love knowing that if I’m having a bad week, there’s no judgement, and Kirsty will adjust the program to suit how I’m feeling, and push me that bit further when I’m feeling strong.

When I started coming to SMA I thought it would be for a short time only, but now I can see it being a regular part of my life and exercise routine. For anyone thinking about it, I would definitely recommend Kirsty and the Powherful program.”