Rebecca began her journey on our Traineeship programme and she is now excelling on our Level 3 Diploma in Fitness Instructing and Personal Training. She kindly took time out her lunch to speak to me about her life, and her experiences with Focus Fitness UK so far.
Hi Rebecca, nice seeing you today. Tell me a little bit about yourself
My name is Rebecca Merrifield, I’m 24 years old and I would describe myself as bubbly, outgoing, spontaneous and very sporty!
You describe yourself as very sporty, what sports have you played before?
I started playing sports back in school, I always used to play with the boys, and scored a lot of goals against them! The teacher saw me, the only girl playing with the boys, and took me to Arsenal ladies to have a trial. I ended up playing for Arsenal from the age of 14 until 16 when my life plans took me in another direction.
What football team do you support?
Guess!
Erm the greatest team in London, Crystal Palace?
Crystal Palace are a great club, but no Newcastle United! I love an underdog, and as a striker myself, I was obsessed with Alan Shearer.
What else?
I used to love boxing! I started boxing when I was 10 years old because I was told I had a punch on me haha. Boxing really helped me release any stresses that I had and allowed me to get into my zone where I felt most at ease.
I also did a bit of running at Mile End Stadium, where I competed in the 100m.
What were you up to before joining our Traineeship programme?
I completed my Active IQ Level 1, and at the weekends I was doing sports coaching with 6 to 9 year olds, and I found it very rewarding.
What was the most enjoyable aspect of our Traineeship programme?
The work experience. I was working in a personal training gym called PT Workspace in Hoxton where I was shadowing other personal trainers. I helped conduct demonstrations to clients and I really loved it! Working with experienced personal trainers who had a lot of knowledge to offer was great. I really learnt a lot from them.
How was your experience with Focus Fitness UK?
I really like the company, and not just because they gave us a goody bag when we signed up! Focus Fitness has given me the best experience I could have asked for. They took time out to work on individual people so I was able to get that one on one time that not many companies offer. And I was comfortable enough to know that I could ask as many questions as I wanted, knowing that I would get a helpful response.
What made you decide to progress onto the Level 3 Diploma in Fitness Instructing and Personal Training?
I had completed the Level 1 course a couple years previously, and after getting involved in the Traineeship programme, I really felt like I wanted to, and was ready to progress onto the next level. I have always found sport and fitness interesting as you can probably tell, so I think it was about time to learn a bit more about it.
How are you finding the course so far?
It isn’t easy! But I am enjoying it, and willing to put in the hard work. And being able to message Darren (Morton, one of Focus Fitness UK’s excellent tutors) at any time, and being able to double check our work using the online platform has really kept me at ease and on the path to success!
What has been your favourite part of the course?
Preparing a session plan for a client. We have to plan a full body workout session for a client that lasts an hour and it has to consist of the client’s goals and aims. As I said before, I am very sporty and active so I enjoy the practical element of the course.
Have you had a chance to think about what you want to do after the course finishes and in the future?
Yes. What is great about Focus Fitness UK is that they sit you down to really think about your future goals and then help you to achieve them. At first, apart from wanting to be a personal trainer, I wasn’t sure what else I could do, or would be able to do. But now, I have had a lot of support and the work experience really helped so I have decided that I want to own my own personal training and nutrition business for all sexes and ages. I want to achieve this goal in the next 5 years, and Focus Fitness UK has given me the confidence and the support to know that I can reach that goal.
It was great speaking to you today Rebecca, do you have any final thoughts?
Overall, I loved my overall experience with Focus Fitness UK, starting with the Traineeship, and now with the Level 3 Diploma. There have been no negative experiences. And my confidence and communication has improved which I am grateful for.
If you want to be like Rebecca and start your journey on our Traineeship programme, please contact Ewelina at Ewelina.Pietka@focusfitnessuk.com for more information!