The best journeys are the ones you never see coming

What a journey this has been so far for Becky Shirley – from a nervous overwhelmed gym member to (nearly) Coach.

Anyone who attends P4 will no doubt know Becky. But not everyone will be aware of her fitness journey. We wanted to take this opportunity to share just how far Becky has come and why she’s an inspiration to so many.

“It took a lot for me to walk through the door for the first time; not knowing anyone, not in a good place mentally, zero self worth and well let’s just say it’s the bravest and best decision I ever made! If someone would have told me when I first signed up to Lisa’s 12 week whip that I’d be coaching within 2 years I would have laughed in their face. Me? No way! I hated the gym! Well I did at first. But slowly as the weeks and months went by, I began to enjoy it. I made some friends and began to look forward to my sessions to see the girls.

I’ll never forget my coach saying: ‘Shirls I’ve been thinking this for a while now but I really think you should train to become a PT.’ I laughed at first, but the seed was well and truly planted. And what better place to do this than Project4 Fitness with the most supporting and encouraging coaches and members who I am so grateful for pushing me, week in week out. This gym quite literally saved me and changed my life, physically but more importantly mentally. It gave me a sense of purpose, self belief and inspired me. I feel back in control of my life.

Now I want to inspire, encourage and instil self belief in others, just like my coach did with me. Show people the gym is not a scary place but a place to feel empowered and in control. This is just the beginning.”

Coach Lisa, who has followed and supported Becky on her journey since day 1, said: “As Becky started to lose the weight, her confidence began to grow. She’s gone from hiding in the corner working out, hoping nobody would notice her, to being the biggest cheerleader for everyone else. Arguably, as a Coach and PT, I should be the one inspiring her. But she’s truly the inspiration. Now it’s her turn to take the baton and show the world what she’s capable of.”

We’re all very proud of Becky at P4 and it’s been a pleasure to be part of her journey. We look forward to welcoming her as one of the P4 coaches and we have no doubt she’ll be putting our members through their paces!!