Sport & Fitness graduate on her gym success

Earlier this month we celebrated the graduation of the Class of 2020, and now we re-visit a former Student of the Year prizewinner from the Class of 2018, Linzi Noble, to find out how things have worked out for her since graduating from HND Applied Sports and Exercise Science.

Linzi came to Ayrshire College in 2016, when she was running a successful candle business. However, her true passion was fitness and she had dreams of opening her own gym one day, so decided to enrol in HNC Fitness, Health and Exercise.

Fast forward four years and she’s now a personal trainer, qualified in pre- and post-natal fitness and nutrition, and the proud owner of Ayr’s Livfit Training Academy – alongside her partner, also a former Ayrshire College student. (She also continues to run her candle business seasonally on the side and has just started a stationery business to help others keep on top of mindfulness, organisation, and fitness!)

Here Linzi tells us all about her progression in the fitness world, starting with what motivated her to sign up for a Sport & Fitness course at Ayrshire College.

Linzi said: “I had only stepped foot within a gym for the first time in November 2014 after having my daughter. It became clear quite quickly that this was something I wanted to delve into further as I improved my own health and fitness, and by doing so I dropped three dress sizes.

“I didn't focus on dropping those dress sizes, but rather I focused on nutrition and getting fitter which gave me a healthier looking body as a result. I wanted to help others see this and find this new lifestyle over fad dieting, poor nutrition and not understanding the importance of nutrient count over calorie count.

“I found so many could get themselves into a poor mental state by wanting results too quickly and constantly comparing themselves to others on social media. This drove me to apply for Ayrshire College so that I could gain the qualifications to help others.

“The sector needs more people with the passion to promote the right method and message which isn't just about calorie deficit, but more the quality within those calories, alongside tailoring exercise for each individual over cookie cutter plans.

“All-round wellness needs to be considered more within the sector. Especially with a year like 2020, where the importance of fitness and health for mental health and our immune systems has really been highlighted. The more individuals that come into the sector and focus on true health along with fitness, the better state our country will be in.

“I feel those within the fitness and health industry really do have an ever-growing responsibility to promote the right message, more so now than ever before.”

Owning her own gym was always the ambition for Linzi.

She said: “I did feel that my true goal was to own a gym where I could have a platform to promote true health and fitness to as many people as possible and tackle the issues our country faces with obesity, mental health and promoting the right message. It was for this reason I left university and pursued my dream of running my own gym.

“I felt I had learnt above and beyond at Ayrshire College, which gave me the drive to constantly learn and give my best possible service to all of my clients and our members.”

One of Linzi’s lecturers at college, Colin Wilson, popped into Livfit Training Academy recently to catch up with Linzi.

Linzi said about Colin, and Ayrshire College in general: “Colin truly is an inspiration to me and is a lecturer that is beyond qualified. Any student that is lucky enough to get Colin as a lecturer should soak in everything he teaches you, as this knowledge will become a great tool throughout your career.

“He was way more than just a lecturer; the way he would explain things to make sense of complex lessons has helped me so much in my career.

“Not only did he teach Sports Science in a way that blew our minds, but the man himself is an athlete, completing many triathlon and ironman events which are insane achievements. When I signed up to my ultra-marathon three years ago, he was the one to give me a look at what his training plan was like – giving me an insight into the kind of hours of training I’d need to put in. He encouraged me and reassured me I was going to be able to take the challenge head on.

“Both my partner and I feel that without Ayrshire College, we would not have gained the drive to constantly learn and improve within the industry and we cannot recommend the courses and the lecturers enough.

“If you are truly passionate about the industry then Ayrshire College really does give you a great platform to start with and grow from. I still look back on my notes, and my graded units, as references and to refresh my memory. Studying should not stop when you leave college, as there is always so much to learn and always ways to improve yourself. The more you focus on improving yourself, the better position you are in to help others.”