KICK THE KILOS
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A MOTHER and daughter have joined forces to empower Townsville women through fitness.
Hiit-em Fitness owners Debbie Papageorge and Danielle Kaurila have modelled their business to attract women of all ages, reflecting the stages of life they’re also at.
Ms Kaurila said being 22 weeks pregnant with her second child has allowed her to relate to other mothers and share their fitness journeys.
“We have lots of post pregnant women and those trying to fall pregnant come to us and cater to a mother’s changing body,” she said.
“We’ve successfully helped women with abdominal separation, for example. Mum attracts more people her own age and I can cater to people my own age because we all have different things in common.”
Ms Papageorge said a lot of women like the idea of training with a mother-and-daughter team.
“I think it’s because we’re relatable, I guess. I have more than 25 years in the fitness industry and it’s the person themselves that means the most to me,” she said.
“I’m so passionate about fitness and seeing the change in people as they achieve their goals.”
The fit duo have plenty of reasons to boast after happy clients short-listed them for a recent competition to find Townsville’s best personal trainer. Ms Kaurila said their point of difference was their high intensity interval training (HIIT) style of training but also how invested they were in their clients.
“It’s small group training because we just find it’s easier to monitor people’s form and personalise the exercises, we don’t want them being just a number,” she said.
“The care factor mum has for clients has rubbed off on me too because she’ll always take extra time. I think people feel like they’re paying not just for the session but for the person as well.”
■ The Townsville Bulletin has launched a six-week campaign, shining a light on Townsville’s best personal trainers, dietitians and health experts and delivering advice on how to kick the kilos. To join the Kick the Kilos stepping challenge, download the Strava smartphone app and search for the Townsville Bulletin club, or visit www. strava. com/ clubs/ townsvillebulletin.