PAIN DRIVES MARKS TO HELP OTHERS
IT took terrible sadness for Brett and Carol Marks to discover the best versions of themselves.
The couple will on Saturday open Fitstop gym at Tweed Heads Shopping Centre, becoming the 50th location for the multimillion dollar fitness empire headed by Peter Hull.
Yet the celebration of that occasion comes after the sadness of the Marks losing their middle son Lachlan at 15 months in 2013 due to Sudden Unexplained Death of an Infant (SUDI).
That pain ultimately drove a change in thinking, culminating in Tweed’s Fitstop franchise.
“It was a time of absolute overwhelming grief and sadness which never fully goes away,” Carol said of their loss.
“We completely re-evaluated our priorities at that time, things that seemed important paled in comparison to losing a child.”
Fuelled by the love of sons Samuel, 6, and Mitchell, 11, the Marks now aim to help others make positive change.
“I have two reasons for doing what I do. The first is my kids and my family. They inspire me every day to try to be the best version of me,” Carol said.
“The second is you. I truly believe exercise and physical health is critical in promoting a
balanced life, both in mind and body.
“Having overcome great loss in recent years I relied heavily on the community around me, the friends I made in the gym – I realised that without this support I would have been completely lost.”
Brett said his family has been
“waiting for this day for a very long time”. “All my life I’ve had a love of exercise,” he said. “I grew up playing football and raced motocross for 12-plus years.
“About three years ago I discovered Fitstop and I knew right away this was what I wanted to do with my life.”