One of my *Babies*

I want to share a story about the woman with me in the photo...

About 9 years ago I worked for the biggest fitness group in South Africa as the Aerobic Manager...

One of my talents was to identify a member with potential and approach them about becoming aerobic/step/etc instructors.

Not very often did I observe a member with this talent, most time members would approach me about doing the course and me training them up.

There was something about this girl...her body, her style in the class...the way she moved that caught my eye. She was not a very friendly member, she came, did her class and left....One day I plucked up the courage to stop her as she rushed out of a class as she had just had a baby and asked her if she was interested in becoming an instructor.

I was a tutor and the fitness body who trained up the instructors and I would then I give her one on one training to get her to teach the way I liked....

She was stunned at first that I asked her, then started to wonder if she would be good enough....gave it some thought and came back to say she was interested so I got her signed up and her training began.

For a while she did my warm up's, then my warm ups and cool downs...slowly I allowed her to teach a combo in my lesson until she was good enough to team teach with me....and then she was off on her own.

I saw her today, I try and meet up with her whenever I am in Cape Town

She had taught a class this morning...hence the gym outfit she was still wearing...

She has had another baby since and is currently 9 weeks pregnant.

She says with the last baby she taught right up to the day before she gave birth

A Preggy Belly class...and intends to do so with this pregnancy as well...

She's 37 years old, a mom of nearly 3 and so fit and a motivation to everyone.

I am very proud of her...she is one of my *babies* someone I took from scratch and molded...she has been teaching every since..

I know had I never stopped her and suggested this path for her she would never have gone this route ( and she tells me this ) as she didn't have the confidence or belief in herself...

She is the most popular instructor at the gym she teaches at...

More proud I could not be.