Melissa

Biography:

I was born in 1990, grew up in Johannesburg and relocated to Mossel bay to complete grade 11 and matric which was 2008. I studied at ETA (Exercise teachers academy and completed my certificate in personal training in 2010. I started coaching at the age of 16, I took kids and adults classes when I reached brown belt in 2007.

I was extremely sporty at school and played almost every sport there was available each term from netball, soccer, cricket, swimming, soft ball and chess. I was selected sportswomen of the year in Grade 10 and received and honoury award in grade 11 and matric for achieving at martial arts on a national level.

I started martial arts (traditional karata Tenshinkan) at Tiger Kia at the age of 15 in 2006. I graded for my 1^st Degree Black belt in 2008 for Sport contact karate and mixed martial arts at Tiger Kia in MosselBay.

This became my passion, I lived, breathed and spoke martial arts!

We relocated to Port Elizabeth, this is where myself and my husband got married.

I knew I wanted to do personal training and had to take the risk, I started as a personal trainer at Virgin Active Lorraine in June 2013 with R5000 in the bank which was donated to me by Desmond as a gift to say thank you, this was his prize money he had won at the competition and I knew I was either going to make this or fail this!

My passion for the fitness industry boomed, Success story after the next, my clients are role models, my clients inspire me and together anything is possible!!

“If it’s important to you, you will find a way, if not, you will find an excuse”.

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My sensei entered me into my first Eastern Gauteng championships in March 2006 after only doing karate 2 weeks, I placed 1^st in the Kumite (points fighting division), Placed 1^st on Kata & Kumite

Boland Tenshinkan championships on 29^th September 2007 & 2008 as well as entered the black belt open division (I was orange and then blue belt at the time) placed 1^st

1 year later 13^th October 2007, I entered South African national championships and placed 1^st in both Kumite & Kata divisions.

A year later I entered South African national championships as a purple belt and placed 1^st in both Kumite and Kata, My Sensei asked them to have me fight in the senior black belt open division, which they do not normally allow easily and I placed 1^st in Kata and Kumite

I also started kickboxing (NMA-ISKA) and graded a separate belt in 2007, I graded for brown belt 3 in 2008.

I entered the SWD championships in March 2008, 2009 & 2010 and placed 1^st in Continuous fighting, Points fighting and Kata division as well as in open senior black belt divisions. I fought my first full contact fight at Destiny 2009 and placed 2^nd.

I entered NMA-ISKA Destiny in 2008, 2009 & 2010 and placed first in Contineous, Points and kata divisions as well as 1 st in black belt open division. I fought my first full contact fight at Destiny 2009 and placed 2^nd.

Full contact became my new passion in fighting, I fought SASCA Mauythai and placed 2^nd in Pretoria, I fought George Cape classic, full contact in George in 2008 & 2009 and placed 1^st.

We travelled to Thailand in 2010 and trained with Masters in Mauythai, this as an experience of a lifetime, I will never forget.

I must thank my Sensei’s, they made me realize anything is possible if you put your mind to it!

I believe martial arts sculpted me into who I have become today and created my love and passion for exercise.

While completing my studies, I coached kids & adult martial arts classes as well as completed 365 practical hours at Virgin Active George in 2009 & 2010.

I started my first job in the fitness industry at Wellness World in George in 2011 where I became the branch manager and later started personal training.

Wellness world had a 6 month weight loss challenge nationwide, as a personal trainer I entered 2 clients (Desmond & Jene), out of +- 60 clients, Desmond & Jene Colyn placed 1^st and 2^nd. Desmond sent me an email “testimonial’’ thanking me for having changed him and his wives lives! This is where I realized personal training was what I wanted to do full time and wanted to HELP more people achieve success.

I competed in the IFBB body building provincial show in August 2014 and placed 3^rd in the fitness bikini division.

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