real mag

Growing up I'd always been sporty. I loved rock

climbing and skiing, and did regular yoga and aerobics

classes, so it was a logical step for me to move into

the fitness industry.

When I started, in the mid-90s, my timing was perfect.

The health and fitness industry was just beginning to

boom, and I had already built up a good professional

reputation.

My foray into celebrity training was purely a case of

being in the right place at the right time. I was

working for a health club near Pinewood Studios and

was standing in the reception area when a call came

in. The James Bond movie 'The World is not Enough' was

being filmed and they were looking for someone to

train the actors and film crew.

I'd been a huge James Bond fan as a child, so I

immediately volunteered. I started off training the

producer's assistants. From their recommendations my

reputation grew and during filming of Die Another Day

I was asked to train Pierce Brosnan and his wife

Keeley Shaye at their home in Hampstead.

I always get nervous before meeting a new client,

whether they are famous or not., but it can definitely

be more intimidating to meet a celebrity client. That

feeling never lasts long though. When you've seen

someone sweaty and out of breath you quickly realise

they are just human beings, like the rest of us.

Most of the time they don't behave as they do when

they are in the limelight. I get to see the normal,

every day side of them, not the showbiz persona they

put on for the cameras. I've been lucky enough to work

for some really lovely, down-to-earth people like

Pierce and Keeley, Kerry McFadden, Dougray Scott,

lastminute.com founder Martha Lane-Fox and even some

Bollywood stars.

There are definitely considerations to be made with

celebrity clients. Powerful people are used to being

the ones giving orders, but during a training session

I'm the one making demands and telling them what to

do. There's a careful balance I have to strike -

getting them to take direction without feeling like

they are out of control.

You need to be an excellent judge of character, as

every client responds differently on different days

and it's important to know when to be gently

supportive and when to be a hard taskmaster.

Depending on what the client wants to achieve, I

charge between £55 and £75 per session. That's pretty

standard in the industry, I don't use my celebrity

contacts as an excuse to hike up my fees.

There are definite benefits to being a celebrity

personal trainer. Occasionally I get invited to movie

premieres and wrap parties. It's great to be able to

get out of my usual uniform of a ponytail and

tracksuits, and get dressed up in a glamorous evening

gown. Some parties are fantastic, and at others I've

had people look me up and down, as if to say 'Who are

you?' The entertainment industry can be shallow, so I

don't take it too seriously.

I love the buzz of working on a movie and getting to

walk around all the sets, but on the flipside a shoot

can take months at a time. Often it's a case of

waiting around in case anyone needs you, and it's a

juggling act to make sure my regular clients don't

suffer. After all, they are the ones who are still

there when the film crew has packed up and gone home.

As I became more well known as a personal trainer, I

found other opportunities opened up for me. I was

approached to write a column for a local newpaper, and

then for a variety of national health and fitness

magazines. I was then asked to present a regular five

minute exercise slot in a 13-part health-based

television series. I've since completed a television

presenting course to give me a better understanding of

the industry.

I also teach yoga and aerobics classes, and have just

released a workout video and dvd. People can visit

www.designerworkout.com and fill out a comprehensive

survey, and a personalised workout routine is selected

from 3000 different variations depending on their

fitness level, body shape and goals. It's like

receiving a celebrity personal trainer at a fraction

of the normal cost.

I don't know whether my friends and family are envious

of my Hollywood connections. I certainly don't go on

about who I've met, or where I've been. I'm very

conscious of client confidentiality, and I'm not that

sort of person anyway.

Every one of my clients is equally important, whether

they're a housewife or a movie star.