LET ME TELL MY STORY
“I enjoy helping people get fit, teaching and witnessing their transformation. The way they feel when they have achieved a target is my biggest reward”
- Ron, Strong Tribe Fitness -
According to one Scottish Reporter, I come from a Strong Tribe of people – this is how he described my Uncle as he ran a marathon at the age of 60! Both my father and uncle were incredibly fit and motivated – I guess the fitness gene runs deep in my family, but to me, strength is not just about building muscles, its about being strong as a person; in mind, body and spirit.
As a kid I looked up and admired my Fathers strength and motivation. I have fond memories of my Mum telling me that my dad tried on a suit at the tailors and ripped the back from collar to tail trying to move his arms. Through a child’s eyes he was a giant amongst men, awe-inspiring, indestructible, my hero - and little did I know it then - my inspiration for the rest of my working life. Growing up in Canada I was always active, getting into ice hockey, basketball, baseball, American football, yoga, tai chi, pilates and competed in track and field, volleyball and table tennis tournaments. Anything to do with the body and movement always held an attraction.
I got into fitness instruction when I joined the YMCA and took some classes with a friend of mine (who wanted to meet girls!) Aerobics was just coming into fashion, I got swept up in the craze, became an aerobics and step box teacher. I haven't looked back since – progressing within the fitness field to becoming Daley Thompson’s Head Trainer, working with some of the UK's top athletes using the latest research trends and exercise techniques to personally tailor fitness plans, helping my clients meet their goals.
Working at the Balance Performance Physiotherapy Clinic, I get to work with people across the age spectrum, form 12 - 80. Helping them get back into shape and maintain their fitness. Most of my clients have ongoing injuries that I help them overcome during exercise.
I can relate to my older clients and I hope I inspire them. Just because we’re over fifty that doesn’t mean we have to look and act like that stereotypical version of an old person hunched over with a walking stick!
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I think you’ll agree that we all know the importance of being fit but how many of us really know what it’s like to be fit, what does it really mean and more importantly how does it feel?
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As we get older our priorities change, we don’t necessarily have anything to prove to anybody else but being fit helps us live longer, healthier lives. I am now 60 and the heart of the Strong Tribe to which I belong still beats inside me with a passion for fitness and empowering others to achieve their fitness goals, whatever they may be.