Ballymoney Gym wins Gym of the Year!

By Grace SmithContributor
Published 1st May 2024, 12:23 BST
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Forge Female Fitness in Ballymoney were awarded Best Gym of the Year at the second annual Local Women Sport awards at the Europa Hotel on Saturday 27th April. Nominated by Helen Logan, who as a wheelchair user had difficulty finding a gym who would coach her as a disabled athlete, until she found Forge last August.

Since then Helen has flourished in a non-judgemental environment that inspires and motivates her. Helen has now been selected for the Commonwealth Games 3x3 Basketball Team, with the help of Head Coach Grace, and her team, the Causeway Giants, as Helen said in her nomination: "Forge just encapsulates moving women's sport forward, after trying unsuccessfully to find a gym, when I met Head Coach Grace and the team at Forge, they did not hesitate, this to me deserves special recognition, because sport and fitness is for all shapes, all sizes, all sizes, all, full stop."

Led by visionary Head Coach Grace, who shed an inspiring 156 lbs and earned the accolade of Best Female Personal Trainer in Northern Ireland twice, the studio has stood over the past 8 years as a beacon of women's empowerment and transformation, and this was recognised with their win of Gym of the Year.

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Alongside Head Coach Grace are Senior Coach JoJo and Nutrition and Mindset Coach Sarah, whose combined weight loss exceeds 250lbs, as founder and Head Coach Grace has fostered a supportive environment for women of all ages, abilities and backgrounds, within their custom-built ladies-only studio and through their online coaching platform.

Forge Female Fitness Coaches Grace, JoJo and SarahForge Female Fitness Coaches Grace, JoJo and Sarah
Forge Female Fitness Coaches Grace, JoJo and Sarah

With over two decades of collective coaching experience and a first hand understanding of the fitness journey, the Forge Coaches guide women toward their health and wellness goals with unwavering dedication.

Each member receives personalised attention and coaching on all aspects of their health. Within the Forge community, camaraderie flourishes, friendships form, and empowerment reigns supreme. Through their signature classes, limited in number for optimal coaching, women build strength and find joy and belonging. Whether in-person or online, Forge members are welcomed into a tribe where lifting each other up is not just a motto, but a way of life.