Testimonials

 

Carol and I have known each other for over 30 years when we worked together in Bangor.   I moved away from Wales when I got married in 1980 and our paths crossed very rarely after that although we always wrote at Christmas and met very occasionally.  When I began regular visits back to Beaumaris to visit my aunt, Carol was always the one to text and say ‘what happened to that coffee we were going to have?’; well  that turned into a lunch and good old catch up almost two years ago now.  At that time I knew I was becoming over-weight and wasn’t feeling fit.  Carol gave me the most amazing spark to do something I have never in my life done before; join a gym and get a personal trainer (sadly not Carol as I live in England).  Her advice to me on my diet, nutritional in-take and life-style has, in fact, changed my life.  I now work out a minimum of 4 times a week at my local gym and have a regular personal trainer to ensure I don’t ‘get in a rut’ with my work outs (I love the weights and do the cardio because I have to)!   Carol and her husband, Glyn, and my husband, Bob, and I recently met for a meal – Carol had not seen me since her poetry book launch last summer, although we keep in touch via texts/emails etc.  Suffice to say she was bowled over by the new look Donna.  It is Carol who has given me and continues to give me that absolute motivation to get to where I am and continue the fitness life-style I have adopted.  Thank you Carol.

Donna Hargreaves / 2010

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"I have just read all your blog and enjoyed it thoroughly....really interesting, informative and quirky!"

Jayne / February 2010

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On my 30th birthday my family decided a good surprise gift would be 12 weeks with Carol as my personal trainer. I had tried diets and working out on my own before but I just couldn’t stick to it. I was resigned to maybe losing a pound or two every now and then but really never seeing much of a difference in my health or fitness levels.
I go to see Carol once a week now and so far I have lost 19kg in just over 3 months. I am now able to take part in sports and forms of exercise I never thought I would be healthy enough or confident enough to do. It feels great being able to play a game of football with friends and not feeling like the unhealthiest person there.
Carols expertise and support really has made all the difference for me. And the great thing is I think the changes Carol has helped me make will stick, I can’t imagine going back to the way I was. After the first 12 weeks I had no reservations about signing up for another 12 weeks.  A really good 30th birthday present.

 
Tim / February 2010

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Having just finished my first 12 set of one-to-one sessions with Carol the results have far exceeded my expectations and I barely resemble the quiet, self conscious, very large and unfit person who first walked into Carol's studio feeling nervous and apprehensive.
 
As early as the first fitness assessment Carol began to work her magic on me, without me even realising it, by building my confidence.  With her constant positivity and patience,  and not forgetting that wicked sense of humour, our one-to-one sessions began to be fun but at the same time achieving steady weight loss and getting healthier and fitter. To date am now at a place i never thought I would see and looking forward to my next set of 12 x one-to-one session's with Carol,  and going on our past success i think our achievements are going to be amazing.
 
You always had faith in me, the hard part was me believing in me, and you made that happen too.
Thank you.

Liz Edwards/November 2009

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Carol's classes are great fun. What I really like is that we are working hard while having a good laugh. Just what you need after a long day at work! She also explains every movement very well. You end up addicted!

Gaelle/July 2009

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I started with Carol in March 2009, I knew I was overweight, unfit and knew I had to change my life around. I could have started going to the gym like I had done many times before but knew that after a short period of time I would stop going! This time I was going to do something different, something that I couldn't make an excuse up or miss when I felt like being lazy.
    I found Carol was local and convenient and decided to contact her. After the first session all the test results confirmed what I already knew but which also shocked me a little into realising I had to change. Carol worked out what I was eating, when I was eating and it didn't take her very long to find out where I was going wrong. She devised me an eating and an exercise plan.
    Over the coming weeks I started to lose weight steadily and was enjoying all the different foods and exercises I was doing. To date I've lost 11 kilos and I feel a lot healthier and so much fitter. Thanks to Carol for helping me change my life around and become more healthy and fit.
    I will always be very grateful and look forward to carrying on working with Carol to achieve more of my goals. Thank you Carol :- )

Aled/July 2009

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I first started going to Carol's Circuits class when I had just turned 15, but even though I was the youngest in the class, I always felt welcome. The class really helped with my fitness - my rugby coach even commented on the visible difference! Over the past two years or more, I've tried various classes and loved them all, the best thing about them being that there are always different levels and options available. I always feel like I've had a great workout, but never worry about injury because individual needs are taken into consideration. A group of us from different classes even went for a meal together at Christmas - it was lovely to think that I had made friends as well as improving my fitness. I really will miss Carol and her classes when I go to University this year, and I'm sure I'll be attending when I come home on holiday!
 
Ffion Thomas/June 2009

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I started with Carol in September 2008, overweight, unfit and realizing that I had to do something about these issues. I couldn’t face a gym (all those lithe bodies in Lycra) and even if I could have, I knew that it would be too easy to miss a session here and there due to work , appointments and any other excuse I could think of.

So, with some trepidation I came to Carol. I found a well-equipped and conveniently located studio and a sympathetic ear. All the tests and assessments confirmed what I knew. I needed to lose weight for my health and my confidence. Carol worked out a diet for me and once a week she devised different routines in the gym and an exercise regime for me to follow at home.

To date I have lost 12 kilos and I feel so much fitter. No aching knees or breathlessness and I look forward to the hourly sessions as ‘my time’. Carol ‘s professional yet friendly approach has been a real factor in the changes that I have made. I will be eternally grateful for her support and encouragement: ("just one more –you can do it - you’re enjoying it really!"                                                                                                                          

Aleks Brain/January 2009

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If you, like me, felt that work, family, social life etc. have consistently taken precedence over personal fitness, then a plan of action is called for. A forthcoming "big holiday " focused my mind on the need to get fit. I therefore enrolled with Carol for a course of 12 one-to-one sessions, following a friend's recommendation.

First of all, Carol managed to motivate me to carry out my plan in a positive and structured way. The exercises were safely graded to just push me safely above my working capacity. There were no strange, quirky ideas - only solid reality based on her extensive experience in this field. I always had total confidence in her approach.

I inadvertently managed to string out the course over many more weeks than I gather is normal. This suited me well in that I am regarding this as a slow, life-changing experience rather than a quick fix. I have changed my diet considerably under Carol's guidance (maybe not quite as much as Carol would have liked me to!). This has been a rewarding exercise, without any cravings for various foods. I have also managed to incorporate it into the family's daily diet without any major complaints!

I have now finished my one-to-one sessions and continue to attend various fitness classes with Carol at the David Hughes Sports Centre, Menai Bridge as well as tolerate more arduous walks with my husband. The greatest result for me though is that I feel so much more energetic and sleep so much better, therefore, I would not hesitate to recommend this approach to anyone else.

I am very grateful for the opportunity to have done this. Many thanks Carol :-)

 

Shan Macvicar/February 2009

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Roeddwn wedi clywed fod yna stiwdio ffitrwydd newydd wedi agor ym Mhorthaethwy gan Carol ac roeddwn wedi clywed llawer amdani gan ffrindiau oedd yn ei hadnobod.

Penderfynais gysylltu a gwenud apwyntiad i gael asesiad ffitrwydd, ond fel roedd yr amser yn agosau bu bron iawn i mi a pheidio mynd. Roeddwn yn meddwl yn sicr na allwn fynd, ac yn meddwl am bob math o esgusodion.

Toedd dim angen imi fod wedi poeni o gwbl, oherwydd pan roeddwn yn y stiwdio roedd Carol yn hynod broffesiynnol a chyfeillgar. Mae'r stiwdio yn cynnwys offer modern a chyda cyfarwyddyd Carol a'i ffordd unigryw o roi hyder i rhywyn fel fi, oedd ddim wedi bod yn ymarfer am flynyddoedd maith, roedd popeth yn iawn.

Tydwi heb edrych yn ol, rwyf yn hynod o ddiolchgar i Carol am roi hyder a chefnogaeth imi hefo fy ffitrwydd. Mae wedi bod yn brofiad arbennig i mi yn bersonol ac rwyf yn hynod o ddiolchgar fy mod wedi cymeryd y cam cyntaf a mynd i'r stiwdio.

                                                                                                                        Yvonne Owen/Chwefror 2009

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