Hey! Im Ellie and I am a co-founder and coach at Valesco. I have been coaching and developing people for most of my adult life in one way or another and in 2015 my passion for coaching and a love of Functional Fitness collided when we opened our doors. I haven’t always been a fan of fitness but finding Functional Fitness in 2012, thanks to my brother, my whole outlook changed. It  gave me so much more than a way of keeping fit. It gave me a goal and reason to go to the gym that reached far beyond what I saw in the mirror and ticking that ‘I should go to the gym today’ box! It showed me fitness comes in all shapes and sizes, that learning new things is fun and that challenging myself was something to be embraced not feared.

Working with people and showing them what they are capable of achieving, even when they don’t think it possible, is something I am hugely passionate about and feel incredibly lucky to be in a position to do. There is no better or more rewarding feeling seeing someone go from ‘I can’t’ to ‘I can’, both in the gym and when that new found confidence reaches beyond the walls of the gym.

The thing about Functional Fitness is it isn’t just about lifting weights and running around. Its about investing time in yourself, valuing your health and most importantly it’s about about community. And, I feel humbled by the amazing community we have at Valesco and watching it grow fills me with joy! How lucky I am to be surrounded by such joy.

I have been coaching Functional Fitness since 2014, and among other qualifications I hold my British Weightlifting Club Coach Qualification.

When I am not coaching or training I can mostly be found baking, with my head buried in a good book or trying out one of the many great restaurants in Bristol with friends. People and food are my 2 greatest passions in life so combining the 2 is something I love to do!

”We are all a product of the past and present. We are the ones who will shape the future; our legacy is in our hands”.