“Thanks for the opportunity to let people know about what I do. It’s a small piece in our massive community, but we all do our bit to make that [the community] up, hey.”
Personal trainer and owner of West Gippsland’s Revive Health and Fitness Studio, Rebecca ‘Bek’ Norman, sent the above line near the close of a solid email conversation. In preparing for this story, Bek had written nearly 2000 words about herself, her passion for training others and the valuable lessons she’s gained in operating her business, especially in the past two years. This line above delivered extra punch. So much said, in so few words.
—
Not all hustle is loud.
Sometimes hustle is quiet.
Not talking about how bad ass you are.
Letting your work speak for you.
"...we all do our bit to make the community up, hey."
This is the post that grabbed the attention of one of Gippslandia’s amazing contributors, who added, “She’s such a positive, straight-shooting, get-up-and-go sort of person who really deserves the recognition… and has repeatedly reinvented her business and herself throughout the pandemic.” Similar praise came from other contributors and before long we were enjoying a chat with Bek.
Bek describes herself as “a wife to an amazing man, Dave (my best friend). Mother to three incredible kids – Kaylee (14), Skye (11), Tyler (8) – who teach me more about life each day.
“I’m passionate about finding people's potential and having fun while doing that! I encourage people to get out of their comfort zones and explore what they’re capable of. I listen to their concerns and work with it. I make sure they are moving correctly and help them understand their bodies.”
Bek trains her clients with her ‘no excuses’ approach to life, as she believes there’s always a way.
It’s this outlook that has driven Bek to continuing Revive through some of the toughest operating conditions over the past couple of years, as the pandemic restrictions decimated many in the fitness industry.
Revive is almost eight years old, launched when Tyler was 16 months old. The seeds of the business were sown when Bek started boxing at a small studio when Skye was a year old.
“[Exercising] instilled a passion that I didn’t know I was craving, and nearly 11 years later, I still have it!” says Bek.
Before becoming a personal trainer, Bek was a massage therapist who worked closely with chiropractors and osteopaths.
“I became qualified [in training] quite quickly because of my prior education and experience. Dave and I set up the garage at home with some mats and equipment, and, of course, a room for the kids to hang out in, and there you have Revive Health and Fitness.
“My youngest was by my side at classes right up until his school started! I have never had to use childcare because I created a workspace that suited what I needed. I think that’s the beauty of being self-employed and why Revive is so accommodating to mums.
“I will always have a passion for training mums. Those women are stronger than they know!”
Bek says that while training women she’s noticed that many of them haven’t developed foundations in exercise in their youth.
“This made me passionate about creating a great atmosphere for young women to exercise and enjoy moving their bodies. I’m excited to be the Fitness Coach and Assistant Coach for the Drouin Hawks Netball Club.”
Returning to the operations side of Revive, Bek explains that it’s a taxing industry and not “all protein shakes and catch-ups at the squat rack!”
“It’s constant work that requires you to be on the ball with each person that walks in, as well as cleaning, lease agreements, bookkeeping, social media and phone calls with new clients – the list goes on.
“Recently, I’ve learnt it’s so easy to get burnt out. Personal and professional boundaries are needed – this took about six years to sink in… Our time in lockdown helped me work on this and I’m so much stronger now with my boundaries.
While sharing the challenges of the pandemic, Bek adds, “The fitness industry copped it so bad! Every personal trainer was put in the same category, and being a small business, it hit me hard. I had to adapt on the spot and created a platform for online training. I had four employees at the time and we cycled through a timetable to suit most people… No way were we about to stop during a health-related pandemic. We showed up daily with energy and new ideas for at-home workouts and got our clients through some tough times. It was the best thing for us too!
“Since then I have taken Revive outdoors. Training in the fresh air and sunshine – incredible! Revive is not defined by four walls. Wherever I go, Revive will be there adapting and kicking goals. My plan is that Revive lives on. That it thrives for those who need it.”
Still looking towards the future, Bek shares that she’d love to become a physical education teacher one day, to “get into schools and build a great relationship with the girls. Teach them that movement is vital”.
No matter where Bek heads next, you get the feeling a strong, vibrant and passionate community will be springing up around her.