Ann Morgan

At the age of 48, Ann Morgan set herself the goal that by the time she reached her 50th birthday she would be doing exactly what she wanted to do, a job that she was both good at and enjoyed.

With her 50th birthday now only a month away, Ann has achieved her aim and is thoroughly enjoying the new directions her life is taking. She is about to complete a Diploma in Personal Training with Lifetime and has recently launched her own business, Ann Morgan Personal Trainer.

Raised in the Outer Hebrides, the environment in which Ann grew up was not very sport orientated and she was always a reluctant participant at school. However, she developed an interest in fitness in her late 20s and has continued to exercise ever since. Her enjoyment and enthusiasm for fitness together with her ability to inspire and motivate others meant that Personal Training was an obvious choice for Ann as she considered different career options.

Ann explains: "I have worked in administration since the age of 16, so it has been a major career change for me. I researched a number of training companies and felt that Lifetime was streets ahead. They were very friendly and approachable when I made my enquiries, as well as being professional, courteous and efficient. The courses were reasonably priced too - they were neither the cheapest nor the most expensive, but I felt it was good value for money."

Determined to give this new challenge her full commitment, Ann gave up working full time to concentrate on her studies. The course she chose with Lifetime is a Diploma in Personal Training with referred populations, which includes modules about ante and post natal exercise, seniors, obesity and GP Referral programmes.

Ann continues: "The courses have been really interesting. The tutors are very knowledgeable and reflect Lifetime's commitment to training its students to the highest level."

Ann's interest in fitness also extends to the psychology of exercise, particularly what motivates and de-motivates people to participate. As a trained counsellor, Ann takes a holistic approach with her clients by incorporating both their physical and mental wellbeing into her training programmes.

Ann's story demonstrates that age and years of doing the same thing need not be barriers to achieving what you really enjoy or want to do in life. All it takes is a little confidence, some self-belief and a huge leap of faith.