Women’s Only Gym Drives Empowerment & Education
Farah Fonseca is no stranger to the gym. She began strongwoman training at 21, and hasn’t looked back since. Now 28, she’s won Britain’s Strongest Woman three times, World’s Strongest Woman once and has recently opened a female-only gym.
After years of dreaming and hard graft, Farah finally opened the gym in Basingstoke, where she lives, in February 2022, having wanted to create a safe space where she lives for women to meet and train for some time. Female wellness is in the building’s foundations, and community and empowerment is ingrained in the space.
“It's how your body can perform, not what it looks like.”
As a strongwoman, Farah uses her body for its strength and embraces it, choosing not to prioritise aesthetics at the cost of function. She doesn’t work to make herself look a certain way, she works to build strength, and promotes this mindset to others. It's a particularly important message, given the influence images on social media can have on women.
She’s learned to ignore body standard expectations that are rife in the industry. And she’s working this mentality into the foundations of her gym.
“Women aren’t always that well educated in how their bodies work”
Education is one of the main purposes of Farah’s gym. It's easy for women to focus on their goals and forget about what their bodies and minds really need, to disregard their mental health and prioritise looking a certain way above everything else. Farah is a qualified PT, nutritionist, and an eating disorder practitioner, and sessions at the gym cover all sorts of topics. There's something to help everyone.
“Are you then saying that all other gyms are not safe for women to train in?”
Farah has faced a certain degree of scrutiny for opening a female only gym, with some people suggesting it’s sexist and divisive.
Farah has spotted a gap in the market for an educational environment. An environment that focuses support on a community of women otherwise overlooked — not just to help them reach their goals, but to develop in an environment where they are comfortable.
“I want to be able to get multiple sites without losing the culture”
Farah doesn’t plan to stop at one gym, though. She has nationwide expansion is in her sights, and a future of female-only gyms is on the cards. But there’s a few things to get straight first — the most important factor for Farah is building a far-reaching community without sacrificing its values.
Take Home Message
Empowerment, support and education. Those are words we can get behind to help foster a positive environment for women in the fitness industry and beyond. And an environment that helps to foster body confidence, positivity, freedom to talk openly, and all-round good vibes is the perfect place to start for so many women.
READ MORE HERE:
'Mentally I Feel Incredible' | PT Reviews Impact Of Yoga
She couldn't love it more!
#Ownyourspace | PT Reveals How To Feel Empowered In The Gym
"No one is entitled to be in there more than you"
Be An Ally And Break The Bias
"If you're not educating the people that need to be educated, we're not going to get very far."
