Meet our Team

Chloe

Founder + Head Coach

People always ask me why did I start a gym that is about self care?

In 2012 I completed a clinical pilot trial at Newcastle University called “Healthy Bodies, Healthy minds”. It was an exercise physiology program for women w/ mild/moderate depression. We did strength training & conditioning 3 x per week. I was a broke uni student & we got gift cards for attending - sign me up!

What I was NOT prepared for was for it to literally CHANGE MY LIFE!😳 . . .

How have I gone my entire life never being taught how to get stronger?

Why as a woman have I never been taught this?

I learnt how to weight lift, mobilise, how to use all the gym equipment and it was like a veil had lifted.

I never knew how AMAZING my body and mind could feel from regular exercise…

I was able to move through my depression & anxiety through movement. I had another tool in my toolkit that I could use whenever I needed it (alongside psychology and meds).

And so I harassed Adri our trainer with every single question I could!

How do you use a barbell?

What’s a deadlift?

What is a core exercise?

What do reps & sets mean?

How do I do single leg exercises?

Luckily Adri had all the answers & one day planted the seed “have you ever thought of going into training or exercise physiology?”I laughed at her suggestion.

But years later my life imploded - I was bed bound w/ migraine & endometriosis for 2 years. Every part of me screamed to be able to move- to feel strong! To feel capable!

My mental health took a turn for the worst & I’m very lucky to still be here today. Then we moved house & I found my old training journal from Adri & it inspired me to consider teaching in a different way.

Surely there were women like me who needed access to fitness? Who didn’t feel like they belonged at mainstream gyms? Who wanted to feel strong but were terrified of the grunting gym bros & mean girl culture?

So I became a PT in 2017. It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done (post 2 years bedbound!) I was the slowest one there 🤪

But I did it! And that’s how The SCS was born!

Chloe x

Toni (she/her)

Personal Trainer

Classes I teach:

Strong, Boogie aerobics, Boogie moves, Bend + Stretch

What does “Moving for your Mind” mean to you?

Moving for my mind means choosing a movement style, pace, and intensity that will suit and benefit my current energy levels, stress levels in life, and keep me moving forwards. So often movement can be bogged down by external reasons or validations, but moving for my mind keeps me in my own lane which, for me, is the key to happiness.

What does self care mean to you?

Self care begins, for me, with feeling all the feelings. Personally I've spent a long time muting them so I can just push through, leading to burnout and fatigue. So the ultimate self care is allowing and welcoming all my feelings, and building a toolbox of support strategies to process them, rather than shoving them aside.

What role do you have at the SCS?

I'm a Personal Trainer and Group coach and am thrilled to be working with incredible people in their quest to support their minds and bodies through all stages of their lives.

What made you want to train as a movement instructor?

It has always come from a place of wanting to be the person I once needed in my life. Once I saw how my life could transform by shifting my focus from what my body looked like to what my body was able to achieve, from the tiniest goal to the wildest, I was hooked and desperate to help others in their own lives.

Why do you like being a part of team SCS?

In such a short time I have felt so welcomed, as though I was already a member of the team and am simply coming home. I feel so lucky to be a part of the SCS and cannot wait to work with our amazing team to continue helping more and more people!

Qualifications:

Certificate 3 + 4 in Fitness

Pre- and Post-Natal Exercise Course

PunchFit Boxing: Level 1 and Group X Combat Level 1

Becky (she/her)

Studio Manager

What does “Moving for your Mind” mean to you?

I used to see exercise as something I 'should' do, rather than something I 'can' do - and as a result I never really enjoyed it or wanted to do it! Over the last few years, I've rediscovered the joy of movement, and focused on movements that I actually have fun doing and make me feel good in my body. I also like to focus on how I feel (physically and mentally) after moving - sometimes my mental illness makes it really hard to get going, but I know that afterwards I'll get that serotonin/endorphin hit that will make it worth it!

What does self care mean to you?

I often think of self care as 'mothering' myself, or looking after myself the way I would care for a friend, which means looking after myself with compassion and without judgement (sometimes easier said than done!). I struggle with depression and anxiety which affects many aspects of my life, so a lot of the time my self care is pretty 'boring': making sure I eat and drink enough, getting to sleep on time, going to the psychologist and taking my meds. A really important aspect of self care for me is also rest and boundaries - knowing when I need to say 'no' to things (again, easier said than done!).

What role do you have at the SCS?

I'm in charge of admin, so I basically do all the behind-the-scenes stuff to keep things running smoothly! I also do content creation, so you’ll often hear from me via email or in our weekly texts

Why do you like being a part of team SCS?

It's incredible to work at a place that has such similar values to mine. The whole concept of the SCS really resonated with me when I first started coming along - it felt like a little oasis of safety within the classic 'gym culture' of hustle and focus on weight loss. It's such an honour to be able to help our members find freedom and joy in movement.

Mikeala (she/her)

Yoga + Pilates teacher

What does “Moving for your Mind” mean to you?

Coming from a yoga background, moving for your mind to me is a moving meditation. It can be so hard to find the space between your thoughts when still, but I find that when I begin to move, connecting my movements with the breath, my mind quiets. It gives me a chance to connect movement and mind, to notice the thoughts and reactions of my monkey mind.

What does self care mean to you?

To me self care is the act of taking a step back from craziness of everyday life to better acknowledge my needs and support my body in that given moment. To me self care is a continuous effort to connect with body and provide it support.. that could look different each day, perhaps it’s attending a yoga class, taking a walk in nature, cooking a nourishing meal, talking with a friend or even dancing around my living room.

What made you want to train as a movement instructor?

Noticing the benefits of a regular yoga practice inspired me to be able to help other move in a way that suits their body and mind on any particular day. I really love that I can teach a class to such a group while inspire each person individually to move according to their body and needs, to offer a safe space to drop away from the ego and drop into their heart, body and mind.

Why do you like being a part of team SCS?

I love the sisterhood, the community at SCS. From the moment I walked in to teach I noticed a completely judgement free space where each member and staff welcomed me with open hearts.