Mel Kirk is loving every minute of running her own fitness studio, two years after taking on the challenge.
Kirk is the sole person behind M.K. Fitness, where she runs women’s bootcamp and group fitness classes which are held from her room at Wingatui Racecourse.
‘‘I have always loved fitness,’’ she said.
‘‘But mostly it’s about the women. It’s about empowering women . . . to realise how strong and capable they are.’’
Having worked at gyms and having taught aerobics on and off for the past 15 years, she started running bootcamps about four years ago.
Now the former teacher runs six-week bootcamps throughout the year and teaches classes every day.
She said her classes appealed to a range of women, including 15-year-olds and new mums.
‘‘Age doesn’t matter because they’re all in here, doing it together.’’
Kirk takes a hands-on approach in her classes — she knows all the women by name and gives them tips to improve their technique.
‘‘It’s a personal trainer in a group-fitness environment.’’
‘‘I love the group fitness vibe. It’s like a party where you get to work out.’’
Women set goals at the start of bootcamp and Kirk loved seeing them come to fruition.
‘‘I want them to be achieving their goals and feeling amazing.
‘‘People love the camaraderie, the focus and the sense of accomplishment.’’
Despite a busy schedule, the hours suited Kirk and her family, as it allowed her to spend time with her two daughters, aged 12 and 15.
‘‘One of the main reasons why I love what I do, apart from actually what I do, is that I can drop my kids at school and I can pick them up from school.’’
She made M.K. Fitness her fulltime job when she ‘‘got to an age where I had the experience and the kids were old enough that I could give 100% to this’’.
‘‘Life’s too short to not go after my dream.’’
