I'm Donna - 40/mother of two/wife/accountant. My life is pretty full.

I joined the DVCC two and a half years ago. Before then I'd dabbled with running and had had intermittent stints with various London gyms, but l lacked focus and got bored quickly. It was very easy to use my hectic work schedule as an excuse not to exercise.

After having two children, I'd lost body confidence and had pretty much abandoned hope of getting back to my 'old self'. I was finally prompted to give the DVCC a try after seeing a few friends achieve great results from training there. I signed up for a year and haven't looked back.

I find it hard to convey exactly how or why I have gone from a reluctant gym goer to someone who is willing to get up at the crack of dawn four days a week to train, however I think it comes down to one simple truth - I enjoy it.

The DVCC is very different to a conventional gym; the nutritional advice and personalised approach to training setting it apart. The trainer-led sessions are challenging and varied, I never feel bored or disengaged. The trainers are exceptional motivators, they understand what I am capable of (often better than I do) and know which buttons to press to unleash my competitive streak(!) The client community is welcoming, diverse and inclusive - when I go to train I know I'll be amongst friends.

I'd say I've changed as much on the inside as the outside since joining the DVCC. Physically, I'm certainly stronger, leaner, and fitter. However, more fundamentally, my mindset has changed - I now recognise that exercise is central to my physical and mental wellbeing and that progression rather than perfection is the real goal, and I'm much happier for it.