Nicola Smith

Two years ago I decided that I’d have to make a radical lifestyle change – no longer could I stuff my face and think that fat was beautiful, when in reality fat meant I couldn’t get up from the sofa and my knees hurt all the time, and even going up and down stairs was a chore – I felt miserable. So I found a voucher on Groupon and was then introduced to the unknown art of exercise in a gym and into my life came Dan. I must admit I did feel sorry for him as I’m sure he felt he’d drawn the short straw, when this vastly over weight middle aged woman walked in, but I was greeted with a cheeky grin and we had a reassuring chat about my goals and aims. He made me feel confident in his ability to coach me and that I wasn’t a lost cause.

Having survived the first session, and listened to what Dan had to say, I decided to give it a go. Dan set out a training programme and always made me feel that I could achieve any task in the gym that he set me. Every training session is varied and we work on different parts of the body. Over time and Dan’s expert guidance the levels of difficulty have progressed as my fitness levels have increased. I’m now doing things that I never imagined I’d be able to do in a million years. One thing I always said to Dan was ‘I’m never going on a treadmill, my body isn’t made for running’. It’s a testament to Dan’s training ability that over time he’s built up my confidence so much so that I actually look forward to running on the treadmill … without holding on!

Dan encouraged me to diet as well as exercise and so I took that on board and have now lost 4 stone!! (It’s still a work in progress but I’m getting there).

What a change one person can make to your life – I’ll never be able to thank Dan enough for what he’s done and actually making exercise enjoyable.

Nicky Thompson