“My name is Linda Baxter. I’m 57 years old with two grown-up children – one at uni, the other living at home after coming back from uni, and I work long hours in a demanding job in NHS Procurement.
I‘ve always struggled with my weight and am a classic yo-yo dieter, losing weight and then piling it back on and more. I used to go cycling regularly and played a lot of racquet sports but after having my first baby I had spinal surgery which left me with a drop-foot i.e. my left foot was paralysed.
I had to wait two years to see if the damaged nerve would re-grow but it didn’t… I had to learn to walk again – I still can’t run and missed out on being able to run around with the children as well as not being able to play my favourite sports.
I totally lost my self-confidence, becoming very self-conscious of the way I walked and I struggled even more with my weight through not being able to exercise like I used to. I thought I would be able to do some exercises at a gym but they simply weren’t for me – apart from feeling intimidated by the lithe beauties and body-builders. And so I became a couch potato.
I was approaching 55 and was at my heaviest weight ever. I didn’t like what I saw in the mirror and my body creaked. I thought if I didn’t do something to improve my health and fitness now then I never would and that simply wasn’t an option. I saw the DVCC on Facebook after a couple of friends “liked” it. I did the trial and have been hooked ever since. That was nearly two years ago.
Since then I have seen SO many benefits! The quickest difference was that my knees no longer hurt going up and down stairs and I could get up more easily after kneeling when doing the gardening. I can also garden all day without my back hurting. I’ve continued to lose weight – 4 stone so far, give or take!
I have far more energy. My body shape has changed completely and I have much more self-confidence. It also helps me mentally and gives me some “me” time – going training in the week makes me stop working and de-stresses me because when training I can’t think about anything other than what I’m doing and I always leave on a high.
Everyone is made to feel so welcome. All the trainers know your name and say hello to you when you walk in. There is no judgement – it doesn’t matter what shape or size you are, or what level of fitness you have. We all want to improve and everyone encourages one another. There are no mirrors which means you don’t have to be self-conscious of how you look and can concentrate instead on what you’re doing.
I don’t in the least feel intimidated training with others who have a higher level of fitness than me – the trainers make sure everyone is pushed to their limit. And talking of the trainers, they are brilliant! They are so friendly, encouraging, knowledgeable and professional. They constantly watch what you’re doing to make sure you’re exercising correctly so you don’t hurt yourself and to ensure you gain the maximum benefit.
If you have a weakness or injury, they will adapt the exercises / training schedule to suit you, so you don’t miss out. And their enthusiasm is both boundless and infectious – as they say, you may not always want to go but you’re always glad you’ve been!
When I joined the DVCC I was hoping to go to Australia and one of my ambitions was to climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge but I needed to lose weight so I could fit into their jumpsuits and get fitter so I could manage the climb. I achieved that ambition in January and felt absolutely on top of the world!
It was an amazing experience! I felt so proud of myself and probably wouldn’t have made it without the DVCC.”
