Hi Guys Gemma at Function Fitness here again. I’m going to have a quick chat with Pauline today just about her journey and some of the achievements she’s made and get to know her a bit more.

So just talk to me Pauline, what brought you to function fitness?

Two years ago, I had a mild stroke that affected the left hand side of my body, and I have always been reasonably fit. And it was very frightening so I was just determined I wanted to get fit again. So, I thought as I live in Petrockstowe I would join the gym.

Perfect, what were your first impressions when you came to the gym?

When I first came to Petrockstowe I would say I would be 62. I was a little bit in awe of the gym, and I had that image of lots of young people and lots of make-up and lots of lycra. And I thought no that’s not for me. Yet when I came in I just wasn’t like that,  it was something that was going to be important for my health and that was important.

That leads me to my next question: has your first impression changed?

Yes, immensely to the guys I’ve met to you, to Charlie, working with Mike and some of the other people I have met actually doing the weights and some of those really big muscly guys have been lovely, really nice to talk to. They’re not as intimidating as you first think.

So, when you joined us two years ago and I know we have had a lockdown, what were you hoping to achieve?

 Do you know in a way I’m not really too sure. I had lost some/had some weakness on the left-hand side. I wanted to get back as much strength as I could, and I had lost a huge amount of confidence and I thought if I can achieve something through coming to the gym that will help me with my confidence and it has.

Has it impacted your daily life?

Yes it has, it’s made me feel confident it has made me determined to say. I can achieve things no matter what has happened. I have thoroughly, I’ve so enjoyed meeting people I have worked with here. It’s made me think of some of the things I do at home.

Have you got anything you are looking forward to working on next?

Yep, instead of coming once a week I’m now coming to two sessions of personal fitness (training) and a training session with you. And I am going to be doing some weightlifting and I want to get some; I’d lost quite a lot of weight and I want to put back some body tone. I don’t want to feel skinny anymore.

Tell me something that makes you really proud of yourself?

I can lift 80kgs (Pauline- “I might have made a mistake here”)  Which I wouldn’t have been able to do. I can do press ups which I’ve not been able to do before. Proper ones off the floor.  I can keep up with some of the sessions, I’m knackered afterwards but I can keep up.

What would you say to somebody who was thinking about joining but perhaps didn’t have that push to do it? Didn’t know whether they should or not?

I would say it’s like everything that happens inside is not necessarily what it looks like or what you feel about it, or what your opinions are. It’s a very very friendly gym, the website says that, and it absolutely is. People are kind and people are generous and they’re very sincere in everything they do. and that is the bit that has got me hooked into here.

Thanks Pauline it’s been lovely to get to know you a bit more and learn a little bit about your journey, and we will be back soon.