Loren Finnikin: Sports and Exercise Science graduate is working towards owning her own gym

Loren studied Sports and Exercise Science at Christ the King Sixth Form College. She is now a Gym Manager at Thamesmead Gym.

Here’s what she had to say to our Alumni Team about her time at CTK and finding her talents in the Health and Fitness industry.

Moving from College to work

“College definitely helped me,” she said. “It made me more responsible as my college teacher, Mr. Nevin, was always on my case for my punctuation and lateness. As I’ve got older I understand that I needed that.

“He also helped me gain confidence as he had us do presentations in the class and have a fake job interview which helped prepare me for adult life.”

“I always wanted to be a Sports Therapist but whilst studying at CTK I found that instructing and managing was more for me,” she said.

“My job involves managing the gym, instructing customers, designing diet and exercise plans for customers, opening and closing the gym, sorting and selling stock, cleaning the gym and risk assessments of the gym.

“One of my proudest moments was successfully starting my own Legs, Bums and Tums class for women,” she said.

Loren has also recruited an average of fifty new participants to the gym each month, showing a determination which is reflected in her advice to others:

“Never give up on your dream,” she said. “If times get hard, keep pushing through because the only thing that can ever stop you is yourself.”

Future plans

“My ultimate career goal is to have a few businesses. One is owning my own gym and my other is owning my own accounting agency as I have just started studying accounting. In a few years’ time I will be hopefully working within an accounting company saving to open my own gym.”