Hi - About Me
Hey there and welcome to my blog! I wanted to take this opportunity to introduce myself and tell you a little more about me and my life.
28th March, 2021
My aim in life
Hey! I’m Catherine. I’m an online personal trainer, sport and exercise scientist and fitness professional. I’m based in the beautiful city of Stirling, Scotland which I have called home for the last 10 years.
One of my main aims in life is to leave people better than I found them. I believe that in life we attract what we give out so my way of giving is to share positivity with others in the hope that I can make at least one person’s day a little better - I think we need more of that in the world.
Throughout the last year or two I’ve come to realise that some of the best things in my life have happened because of daring to be vulnerable, reaching for the things I want in life, and believing and investing in myself. As I take some time to reflect on my coaching style, I realise these are all things I instil in my wonderful clients.
Education
I moved from England to Scotland in 2011 to complete my four year degree in Sports and Exercise Science. I love science. I love exercise… perfect combination! When I graduated in 2014 I didn’t really know what I wanted to do as a career. I remember going through a period of time after university where I felt quite lost yet I knew sport and fitness were my passion to some capacity… I just needed to drill down to exactly what that was.
During uni I loved training and was passionate about keeping fit and sharing my passion with others, so naturally I completed my fitness qualifications in gym instructing, personal training and delivering various exercise classes. I loved applying my sports science knowledge to this area and showing people just how much of a benefit exercise could have on their health and happiness.
There was a point in time I thought I wanted to complete a Masters so I applied; unfortunately I wasn’t successful and although I felt disappointed I didn’t let that stop me from trying the next thing, and in a way it made me more determined than ever to go after the things I wanted in life. Back then I remember having this thought in the back of my mind to start my own personal training business but I was so afraid of getting it wrong and failing that I just never gave myself the chance to even start! I often wonder where I’d be now if I’d have started my business back then and been less fearful of things not being perfect.
We live and we learn and maybe a few years ago I wasn’t ready and maybe it wasn’t the right time. After 4-5 years experience in the gym industry, I feel ever ready and in fact more prepared and knowledgeable than I was before.
My training
As I write this blog post, my own fitness goals are centred around lifting weights, building muscle and feeling strong. When I was a child, I’d always be doing something that involved being active or playing sports; I swam, I played football, I ran, I competed in athletics (triple jump was my favourite… random but I was so springy), I loved PE and I was always outside with my friends. I guess what I’m trying to convey here is that I’ve always loved exercise.
A small part of why I train now is for vanity, to feel good, to improve my quality of life as I get older but more importantly and more recently I’ve come to realise this is just the tip of the iceberg for me. My real goals are wanting to feel better in myself, perform better and to feel a huge sense of self efficacy. I started working with an online coach last year and since then I realised that I could do anything I set my mind to, whether that was within or outside of fitness. And THAT is exactly how I want to make my clients feel.
Just do it
The global pandemic was an opportunity for me to slow down, to be introspective, and to figure out what I value in life. I still wanted to create my own personal training business, something that’s mine, from the ground up. I think it’s empowering to realise that the only limiting factor in building something that’s mine, is myself.
So, what good a time as any to start? In the middle of a pandemic, a time where people may need the help, support and reassurance of a coach more than ever. January 2021 wasn’t the perfect time to launch Catherine Kerr Fitness, but it was the right time.
One quote that rings true for me and that I’ve come to live by throughout the global pandemic and even in the months before that:
Maybe in a few year’s time I’ll look back at this quote and blog post and cringe at my cheesy-ness but for now I’m here for that quote and I hope you are too. I think that’s enough about me and my favourite quotes for now and I’ll probably do another one of these personal blogs some time in the not so distant future.
Feel free to follow me on social media where I offer loads of free fitness / mindset / nutritional advice intertwined with moderately good banter.