My fitness story from a calisthenics girl

As I look back over my life, it now becomes apparent that for as long as I can remember, exercise has been a big part of it. It’s no surprise then that I turned it into a full-time career and it has become my passion.

I started exercising at five years of age when my mother signed me up at the local calisthenics club. I loved moving my body, I loved being a part of something bigger (our club included over 200 mums and girls), and I loved the discipline and challenges of learning routines and performing them in unison. I progressed each year, working hard at my craft. By my early teens when I should have been studying, I confess now that I was easily distracted and spent much of my time practicing calisthenics routines in my head or in my lounge room. Perhaps this is why I did not achieve my full potential at school.

Being part of the calisthenics club through my teen years and into my early twenties was a wonderful opportunity for me - learning how to work with others in a team, building confidence to stand up in front of an audience and perform, and understanding what dedication and commitment looks like week in and week out. But more importantly it taught me how I should look after my body with regular exercise and stretching, and it is only now when I look back I realize that my mother taking me along to that first class started building a basis and structure for my whole life.

I loved performing on stage, but when I was 16 I also became a teacher at the club, eager for a new challenge. This brought more distraction as I planned routines, designed costumes, and choreographed places on stage for the 16 girls in my group.

I was sad to say goodbye when I later married and moved to New Zealand, but it wasn't long before I began the country’s first calisthenics class there and this brought a whole new set of challenges to overcome. I had to be creative with costumes and equipment, as they did not have the things usually required for the discipline like clubs, rods and fancy dress costumes.

Again, these were very good learning times where I could push myself and see how far I could reach towards my own goals. It was also a chance to help inspire others to have their own goals and help them towards theirs, improving their bodies and living healthier lives.

After six years I moved back to Melbourne with two small children, and I entered a new phase with new challenges. Things became a little more difficult with so many time constraints. After I had my third child I went along to my local YMCA, keen to get back into a fitness regime that suited this new season. They had an exercise program with class times that worked around my family commitments so I signed up immediately. Every week I was one of a hundred people in a gymnasium exercising and I loved the energy and organised chaos of those big classes - it was the early 1980’s so we had different rules back then. We’d never be allowed to do that again today, but those were simpler times!

I’ve always been open to new things, and often find myself looking for a new challenge. I was also keen to get back into my teaching, so before long I became a qualified teacher and moved into the jazz ballet program at the YMCA. I began taking classes, harking back to my early dance roots in calisthenics, and got my children involved in the program too. The end of year concerts were a real family affair with my son pulling the curtain, my husband at the time working the sound desk, my daughters on stage, and me trying to manage the dancers, mothers, teachers, and everything else back stage!

A few years later I was still enjoying it all but I was hearing a new word popping up more and more - that word was ‘aerobics’. I could see that it was going to be big and I wanted to be a part of it, so I told my boss at the YMCA that I wanted to try it. I started my official fitness career with no official qualification - it hadn’t been invented yet - but before long 50 older adults were turning up to my class every week and boy, did we have lots of fun. It was my boss who taught me that exercise should be fun and that I shouldn’t get too serious, as participants want to have fun just as much as they want to exercise.

What has happened in the 40 years since those humble beginnings still amazes me. My mind boggles at the number of classes I’ve taught, the number of instructors I’ve had the opportunity to mentor, and the number of participants I have had the privilege of walking alongside, encouraging and advising and helping them along in their fitness journey. If I can inspire someone to keep coming to class, or keep working out at home, or keep trying that new exercise, then it’s been a good day for me.

After teaching older adults classes for so many decades, I moved to a community-based leisure centre as the Older Adults Program Co-ordinator, where I still am today. I have been so happy to see that program grow and grow, and see so many people totally embrace different styles of exercise. I’ve also been able to couple that together with a large social program to give participants opportunities to connect and try new things, which for me is just as important as the exercise. I am fortunate to have my two daughters, Kayte and Trudi, still working alongside me at the leisure centre, and they have been an integral part of shaping this program.

Commencing Third Age Fitness in 2020 with my youngest daughter Trudi is another step forward in my journey. It has given me an opportunity to reach even more people worldwide now, with members in England and older adults buying DVDs in the USA.

Through our business not only are we able to give older adults an opportunity to keep exercising at home, but we can also assist the fitness industry in training up qualified older adults fitness professionals who understand and engage in a caring and relevant way.

Being able to mentor and train up the next generation of older adults instructors is also an honour. I love it when I get an email from someone in Auckland asking how to adapt an exercise, or an instructor in Spain asking for help with a dementia client. I am thrilled to be able to pass on all that I have learnt over so many years, and it’s an influence I never imagined I would have.

I continue to push myself each year, coming up with new routines, new exercises, new challenges, and new ways for my participants to have fun - I can’t imagine I will ever stop doing this. I often think of the influence my mother has had on my life and I am grateful for the example she set first, valuing exercise and fitness. And I’m forever grateful to her for taking me to that first calisthenics class - if she was still alive she too would be astounded as to where it has taken me. 

As I head through my 70’s my passion is stronger than ever to see as many people keep moving and active, whatever that might look like for them. I can’t imagine doing it any other way.