◆ Scotland’s Sabre tells Emma Newlands of her ‘double life’ as part of popular TV show and a successful business owner

Scotland's Sheli Mccoy is an Olympic weightlifter, Crossfit athlete, and has been starring as Sabre in revived BBC TV show Gladiators – while she has also combined her fitness skills with business acumen in her role as co-owner of the Sweatbox gym in Dundee.

Now she is also keen to share her insights into how lessons from exercise can translate into the world of entrepreneurship, and has teamed up with not-for-profit, governmentbacked campaign Smart Energy GB to show how – sometimes controversial – smart meters can help small businesses. A Scottish entrepreneur to have been active in related fields is Steve Timoney, who in 1995 founded Smart Metering Systems, and in 2022 along with wife Alison bought the East Kilbride-based basketball team Caledonia Gladiators. Sheli, can you explain how you came to co-found Sweatbox, and give details on your career as an athlete?

I always wanted to open a facility that would allow me to combine my range of skills and offer a well-rounded service, so I began to mentally build my dream health hub, now affectionately known as Sweatbox, which is home to both Crossfit Dundee, a registered affiliate of Crossfit, and the Scottish Weightlifting Club, a registered affiliate of British weightlifting.

I have worked as a personal trainer for more than 13 years, and have ten years’ experience as a Crossfit coach. I have a real passion for working with others to form habits for a healthy and happy lifestyle, and enjoy using my coaching skills and motivating my members and clients to achieve their goals.

I’ve been competing in Crossfit for ten years and as an Olympic weightlifter for about eight. I only started going to the gym to lose weight and feel healthier and happier, but I fell in love with pushing my abilities and the feeling of personal accomplishment each day gave. I’ve competed in teams, individually and internationally. I feel I owe a lot to these sports as they really gave me purpose at a time I felt I had none.

How can sporting concepts such as marginal gains, goal-setting, perseverance, and teamwork also be applied to achieve success in business? What do you like best about running a company?

Every day is an opportunity to better yourself, your business, and the potential outcomes of your efforts. Something I find helpful is using the concept of marginal gains – incremental improvements that build to significantly boost performance – and the way I apply this in the sporting world can be applied to small businesses too.

For us, this looks like using technology

Sheli Mccoy is co-owner of Dundee’s Sweat Boxgym–anda star of BBC TV show Gladiators as Sabre, right these endeavours, and I think I’m a prime example of never giving up, even when the going gets rough.

A survey commissioned by Smart Energy GB found that two-thirds of Scottish small business-owners say they want to make changes to the way they run their company, but aren’t sure where to start. What other advice would you give them?

There are so many business support networks in Scotland that small company-owners can look to for help or to get started. For example, in Dundee, the university has its own entrepreneurs hub where you can talk over ideas and plans, and get advice. I would also suggest talking to your customers to gain insight into what they actually want and need, and how you can better deliver that product or service.

The impacts that perimenopause and menopause can have on women’s lives aren’t taken seriously enough. In the UK there are around 13 million people who are currently peri or menopausal according to research carried out by Wellbeing of Women. That number is set to increase globally by 2025, when the number of postmenopausal women worldwide is estimated to reach 1.1 billion. So it’s not a minor issue that is going to disappear anytime soon.

The drop in oestrogen hormone levels associated with menopause can bring with it a whole range of symptoms, which include; hot flushes, night sweats, joint pain, bladder issues, insomnia, changes to heart rate and bone density and issues with dry hair and skin, low mood and anxiety, poor concentration levels and low libido.

The British Standards Institution recently published a report to provide organisations with guidelines about what they can and should be doing in relation to menstrual and peri/menopausal health policy. If these practices were adopted more widely they would go a long way to making the work environment more suitable for everyone.

There is also a strong financial and business case for a better understanding of menstrual and peri/menopausal health. The average age for perimenopause and menopause symptoms to begin is between 45 and 55. It often coincides with other significant mid-life challenges and responsibilities and those increased stress levels can lead to greater severity