Gabrielle Chisholm

I first met Nathan and the team from Personal best in April 2004 following a recommendation from a friend. I found the sessions challenging but soon I was surprised at the different victories I achieved. I can run! I can skip! I can bench press! I have a particularly stressful job (don't we all) and I really enjoy leaving work and having a good boxing session. I just pretend the focus pads are my husband / brother / boss / cranky client or all of the above.  My biggest achievement was participating in the Bridge to Brisbane last year and I even managed to run about half of the 12 km course. (Thanks to Nathan and his encouragement).

My husband, Pete, has never been a person to go to a gym – he’s more the “Go for a run” sort of bloke. But Pete was facing the challenge of playing in the Golden Oldies cricket tournament in Sri Lanka that was held in April this year, and he wanted to be in peak condition (or as much as you can be at 46)! He knew how much I enjoyed my sessions with Glenn and Nathan, and I finally got him to have a go.

We knew that the conditions for the cricket tournament in Colombo would be horrendous as it was being played at the hottest time of the year in a country not far from the Equator. So Glenn focussed Pete's training on cardio fitness, soon he was training more than me, running faster than me and enjoying the sessions more than me. Glenn paid particular attention in Pete’s strength in the leg that has had recurring problems since Pete broke his ankle as a young 18 year old.

Well the Sri Lankan campaign was a success – but not so much in the bowling department. Pete surprisingly opened the batting for a couple of the matches (as he usually bats well down the order) and in two of the games he top scored.

Often we are too busy to fit fitness into our lives, but I know that every time I go, I walk out feeling a lot better than I did when I walked in and I always manage to have a laugh with Glenn and Nathan. A psychologist friend of mine tells her clients that if you’re feeling a bit down, exercise is the easiest and most effective way to feel happier – and it’s good for you!

Gabrielle Chisholm