As a teenager, and in my first few years of university, I was very active – I swam, I rowed, I ran – you name it, I did it. As I progressed further into my studies, and pressure began to mount, I became much more sedentary and began to find less time to stay active. In 2016, after finishing university, I moved to London where I worked for six months. The impermanence of my life in London, and knowing that I would be there for a short time, meant that I adopted a dangerous ‘treat yourself’ mentality. A sweet treat every now and then became everyday, and a number of full glasses of wine, added some very unnecessary empty calories. Before I knew it, I had gained about 20 kilos.

When I arrived back in Perth, I knew it was time to buckle down and get the weight off. In March 2017, I started training with Lauren once a week. From my first session, I knew Lauren was the right PT for me. She took the time to ask about me – not just my weight and fitness goals, but my motivations, apprehensions and emotions going into training. This has been endlessly beneficial as it means not only does Lauren know my physical boundaries, she also knows my mental ones.

Throughout my life I have dabbled in various different types of training, none of which I have been able to commit to in the long term. Initially I was petrified that having a PT meant someone screaming in your face to RUN FASTER. To my absolute delight, none of my training has involved running (unless I have chosen to do so). My program designed by Lauren consisted of three days of weights training and three days of steady state cardio (walking on a treadmill). The variety of the training was a key part of my success. I get bored very easily, but Lauren’s personalized approach means that I get a new program about every six weeks. This frequency also means that it is easier to see results. Each time my program changed, I felt my body getting stronger and got great satisfaction from seeing my body do things I never thought it could.

Now, 10 months later, and 25kg lighter, I can’t think of my life without my training, especially my sessions with Lauren. My physical and mental health are better than ever. Throughout this ‘transformation’, Lauren has been an unwavering supporter, motivator and friend. I cannot articulate how grateful I am to have met Lauren and urge anyone who is looking to make a change, however big or small, to reach out to her. Your results will amaze you.