Today we’d like to introduce you to Claire O’Neill.
Hi Claire, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I’m originally from Glasgow, Scotland and spent years working in events and communications. However, my passion for sports and fitness led me to pursue a career in personal training. I decided to formalize my passion by obtaining a fitness qualification. I enrolled in college to earn a certification that included group exercise and personal training. This was the beginning of my journey as a fitness instructor.
I started by teaching Zumba classes once or twice a week, which quickly grew into a full schedule and to add variety and challenge, I introduced a HIIT class, providing more diverse workout options for my clients.
Ten years ago, I moved to the U.S. and chose to continue my journey in fitness rather than returning to the events industry, where I’ve been able to share my passion and help others achieve their fitness goals.
Six years ago, I joined Spenga as one of the first instructors at the studio. I loved the workout so much that I decided to focus exclusively on Spenga, eventually becoming a part owner and general manager of the studio. Today, I run the studio and teach classes, and I’ve also added certified stretch therapy to our services, enhancing the support we offer to our members. We have a thriving community of amazing clients who have become family!
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Covid for us, like many businesses, was an extremely challenging time. I think it changed the way many people chose to work out, and honestly, I speak to many people who have never returned to where they left their fitness journey. My feeling on fitness is that it is just as important for the mind as for the body, if not more. A bad day is always made lighter when you get moving in a fun and welcoming group of people. We have worked tirelessly to provide a space where everyone is welcome and included and given so much competition around, we have managed to stand our ground. We have amazing instructors who support our members through all challenges and that helps us stand out from the crowd. All that said, working 7 days and always being in work mode can be tough, and always striving to find new members is not an easy task.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
We offer one hour sessions, which included 20 minutes of spinning, 20 minutes of strength training and 20 minutes of Yoga/stretch. It is a unique combination of the 3 pillars of fitness combining to give a killer total body workout. Our work out is high intensity but low impact and offers something for every level of fitness, from seasoned athlete to complete beginner. We offer InBody scanning to our members to help people see the importance of body composition, body fat percentage and lean muscle mass, as opposed to just focusing on weight loss or gain. We also offer assisted stretch therapy and one on one coaching to help everyone achieve their goals.
What makes you happy?
Helping people to be the best version of themselves gives so many rewards. It is a real pleasure to do a job where people leave your place feeling much better than when they walked in the door. I’m not sure I could ever have done another job where I have helped to change lives and had so many others change mine. The friendships I have made along this journey will be with me forever.
Pricing:
- Unlimited Membership $189 per month
- 8 x Membership $149 per month
- 4 x Membership $99 per month
Contact Info:
- Website: https://thewoodlandstx.spenga.com/
