By Susan Ciancio
When you picture someone on dialysis, you probably don’t picture that person working out at an F45 gym or running a triathlon. But you don’t know Emmy!
This incredible woman serves as an inspiration for all members in the F45 community in Camp Hill, Australia—a suburb of Brisbane. Gym owners Katie and Luke concur. In a new F45 Unleashed video, the couple describes the devotion they have to their studio members, and though Emmy is special, the couple is quick to admit that all members of the F45 community are special.
Katie explains that the members “mean the world” to them, saying that one once described the studio like the set of Cheers—it’s a place where “everyone knows your name.” They pride themselves on making the gym inclusive so that everyone feels comfortable and welcomed.
While all members do feel included, Emmy in particular stands out as an inspiration to others. In 2019, she joined the F45 community. Like all members, she was quickly welcomed into the gym and began making friends. But unlike other members, Emmy was facing a unique challenge. She was on dialysis and awaiting a new kidney.
F45 is known for adapting its workouts to the individual needs of its members—especially those with different abilities or limitations. Indeed, the F45 website explains: “Our training program is designed to work and deliver results for everyone, regardless of where you’re at in your fitness journey.” Because of this, Emmy fit right in, never feeling inadequate or incapable of performing well.
In 2020, Emmy received a kidney transplant and returned to the F45 gym as soon as she could. She built up her strength by swimming and running, and then she signed up to do a triathlon!
Three years later she took another huge step and participated in the World Transplant Games in both swimming and triathlon.
Not only have the F45 workouts increased her physical strength, but they have increased her self-esteem and confidence, helping her see that she can do anything she sets her mind to. And she says she could never have achieved any of her goals without the F45 workouts and its community.
Emmy’s accomplishments are truly a testament to hard work, devotion, and tenacity. And it all began on that first day she walked into F45 Camp Hill not knowing much about fitness or any of the routines. She simply had the desire and the drive to forge ahead. She explains that on that first day she “felt so supported by all the trainers in the class,” and she never looked back.
Taking that first step and refusing to be intimidated is the advice she hopes to impart to others. She wants everyone to know how amazing the F45 community is, how much better they will feel after the workouts, and how the workouts will lead to increased stamina and better health. She advises, “If you are sitting on the fence, just give it a go because you will have such a great time.”
You may ask, “A great time? How can you have a great time while working out?” You’ll just have to come into an F45 gym and see. The workouts aren’t easy, but they are rewarding, and the experience is life changing.
If you’re ready for the life-changing experience of F45 gyms, you can find one near you at f45training.com/find-a-studio.
