1REBEL ICONS: VICKY

What were you like before fitness became a part of your life?

I was always very sociable and into performing, singing, and acting but after studying Advertising & Marketing at University, I thought I was destined for a corporate life like the rest of my peers. Corporate life never really suited me because I could never sit still and I was constantly floating around the office, distracting everyone. Fitness was never really part of my life when I was younger. 

Before coaching, what were you doing?

I was working as Head of Marketing for a supplements brand and I was very bored. 

Can you remember a moment when movement started to feel like more than just training?

Although I was very sociable and always out with friends, I suffered with horrendous anxiety issues. When I started to go to the gym regularly to attempt to make myself as small as possible, I noticed that I became more interested in what I was actually able to do and how much I was able to lift, and in turn the endorphins would relieve my anxiety issues and I felt 100x more confident. That was the moment I realised I wanted to do that for other people. I also felt that movement made me feel like “me” again after having my baby in 2022. 

What did fitness give you that you didn’t have before?

It sounds cliche but fitness gave me a tonne of confidence that I didn’t have before, but it’s also given me mental resilience and as someone who grew up with multiple chronic illnesses, I’ve been able to feel more grateful for my body in other ways.  

How do you think where you grew up shaped who you are now?

I grew up on the outskirts of London but I went to a very posh school in Surrey so I didn’t get a chance to meet different types of people. So I feel like I now have a hunger to expand my horizons, to meet different demographics of people and to learn about culture in a way I maybe wouldn’t have appreciated in my youth. 

How do you want people to feel when they walk out of your class?

I always want people to feel like they’ve had fun and I always want them to learn something about themselves. Mentally or Physically. I’m always trying to drop a little knowledge bomb into my sessions. 

When do you feel most in your element, inside or outside the studio?

I feel most in my element while I’m teaching. Even on a bad day outside of work. I feel fully immersed in the studio, the lights and the music just brings me so much life. 

What keeps you coming back to coach, even on the harder days?

I know that even if I’m having a really hard day, especially when I’m dealing with a flare up, I’m responsible for improving someone’s day by being present, motivating and friendly, so they can leave the room feeling amazing about themselves. That alone, makes it worth it.

If you had to describe the power of committing to one hour in your own words, what would you say?

There is one thing that connects all of us in this life, and that is our limited time on this earth. There’s so much value in giving yourself time to gift yourself health, freedom, movement and lifelong strength. We spend a huge portion of our time working for someone else, caring for someone, maintaining our homes, raising little humans and sometimes we forget to fill our own cup. So I think there’s infinite power in allowing yourself to use your time for YOU.