When Cathleen Manuel began her fitness journey to claw her way out of depression, she never imagined that her coping mechanism would turn into a thriving fitness business.
Manuel owns Fitness Fanatics, a club in Malmesbury established in 2018.
Life was never easy for Manuel, who explained that she learnt to rely on herself from a young age when she was placed in foster care.
“I know what it’s like to have no one who has your back, and I always had to work hard to get something in life,” she said.
Using borrowed exercise DVDs, what started as a way to work out her frustration from a failed marriage is now a business with more than 80 active members and a growing online presence.
“I never thought that the love of fitness would also affect others. It’s amazing that something that once saved me can now do the same for others.
“In 2014, I just decided to start training. I was looking for something where I could (work out) my frustration and problems. I started exercising without my husband knowing.
“By 2015, I (found) the courage and strength to walk out of that marriage and that’s when I started my fitness journey at full steam. With each session, my personality, sparkle, and laugh, I got more of myself back.”
Two years later, Manuel said women started contacting her whenever they saw her at the gym. That same year she decided to do a course in personal training, and in 2018 Fitness Fanatics was born with 40 women and has since doubled its membership to include men.
“I am considering leaving my day job and focusing on my business 100%. That feeling you get when you see someone reaching their fitness goals, the confidence they gain and how they come out of their shell is truly exceptional,” said Manuel.
Manuel, who is now happily married again and is a mother to three children, said she dreams of expanding her studio into other cities and has already started with online classes to reach more people.
“No distance will stop me. We have the technology and anything is possible. You just need a willing spirit and the right attitude.”
One of the customers, Candice Pieters, joined the club in 2022 and said while she never considered herself a “gym” person, there was no going back now.
“I got an opportunity to do a one-on-one session with Cathleen (in the beginning). Soon after, our one-on-one session became a group session. And this group got bigger and bigger – and this is where I got that confidence to exercise among people. That was a big step for me, and I love it.
Pieters said she liked that their classes were a mixture of different routines and kept everyone on their toes.
“She surprises us with something different every evening. Classes are like a party pack – you don’t know what you’ll be getting. You just feel good when you step out of there – even if you are blood-red in the face, out of breath and drenched in sweat. You have that feeling of ‘I came and I conquered’. And that is an amazing feeling.
“With every class she brings the same commitment and energy. And she’s the same person every day. Fitness Fanatics provides us with so much more than just fitness.”
Weekend Argus