Samantha Barlow

Samantha of Caringbah, aged 36, is a mother of 2 and a NSW Police Officer. In May 2009, while walking to work in Kings Cross, she was attacked by a man wielding a brick who robbed her and left her to die. Samantha was placed in an induced coma for 12 days and was in intensive care for a month. She suffered horrific injuries including multiple skull fractures, fractured fingers, a total loss of smell and taste, severe vertigo and psychological trauma. After narrowly escaping with her life, Samantha faced years of intensive rehabilitation and therapy. Among the long list of people who facilitated her recovery were the team at Fitness First Cronulla. Samantha says: "exercise has been the cornerstone of my recovery on two equally important levels, physical and psychological." Returning to fitness after almost being killed presented a way for Samantha to reclaim her life. After her attack, Samantha's doctors were doubtful that she would ever be able to return to work or enjoy an active lifestyle. 22 months later, Samantha was again a sergeant in the police force. Her PT Glen Pilcher has stated she has the fitness levels of a professional athlete, and she has participated in several prestigious athletic events. "I have a renewed appreciation for the gift of life. I live for today and never take anything for granted, especially my health and fitness. People often tell me that when they are faced with something hard they think of me as an inspiration to overcome their problems, which is incredibly humbling, satisfying and the greatest compliment of all."

Stephen Bock

Stephen, aged 40, of Vaucluse NSW, was out of shape and almost 100kg when he was invited to join a Mount Everest climbing expedition in 2010. At the time, Stephen was involved in 2 years of divorce proceedings and had lost a lot of personal confidence. "I was at rock bottom", he admitted. Yet Stephen had dreamed of climbing Mt Everest since childhood, and when his climbing friends made a "massive leap of faith" by offering him the team slot, Stephen was determined not to disappoint them, or himself. He immediately contacted Fitness First instructor Joe Bonington, who had an excellent reputation for training mountaineers. Stephen had just 10 months to prepare for the summit. Each morning, Stephen would get up at 3:50 and train for 2 hours before work. Stephen worked 6 days a week so Sundays were reserved for 50km hiking sessions. 10 months later, Stephen weighed 83kg, was fitter than ever and on May 23, 2010 became the 61st Australian to summit Mt Everest. Says Stephen: "This experience has re-shaped and re-energised my life going forward. I guess I was an unlikely candidate but I learnt that your background and circumstances are not relevant. We can achieve anything in life - we just need to want it bad enough and have self-belief." Once terrified of public speaking, Stephen now runs a public speaking business and travels Australia and New Zealand sharing his inspiring story with others. He has just released his documentary and has a book in the works. "I feel like I have been 'released'. It's like my life had been a dress rehearsal and now it's game on!".

Ester Cincotta

Ester, aged 37 from Knoxfield, VIC, has struggled with weight issues since her teenage years. In the years after her marriage she had 3 children, and with each pregnancy she found herself piling on more and more weight. By the time she'd had her third child, she weighed 114kg. With 3 young children to take care of, and a history of heart problems in her family, Ester realised she needed to make a change. Ester joined Fitness First Knox City and started doing group exercise. She then decided to take things a step further and started training with Personal Trainer Michael Cichocki. After 12 life changing months of Monday to Friday cardio and resistance training, Ester managed to shed over 60 kilos. Ester underwent surgery to reconstruct her abdominal muscles which had separated during the birth of her children and also to remove excess skin. The recovery process stopped her from training for four months. Nevertheless, Ester returned to training as soon as she was well enough and Michael through exercise has helped the recovery process and has managed to keep the weight off as well. She's now excited about wearing a bikini in summer for the first time since childhood. Determined to set a healthy example for her children, Ester continues to train regularly, spending as much time outdoors with her family as possible. Next year, Ester intends to start studying to become a personal trainer, "to help other girls like me realise that dreams come true if you stick to your guns. It's a lot of hard work but worth it in the end."

George Nitis

George Nitis, aged 47, of Chatswood NSW, recently claimed first place in the Mens Masters at the South Coast and Sydney ANB National Physique Championships. Before he embarked on his bodybuilding journey, George was physically active but was still an overweight 120kg. George was inspired to make a lifestyle change after his father was crippled by prostate cancer and a series of strokes. His decision to step up his training at Fitness First re-ignited his passion for bodybuilding, and he dedicated himself to an intensive 7 day a week schedule involving strength training and cardio workouts. Working towards the championships gave George clear goals and motivation, although he admits there were times he felt almost defeated by the amount of physical and mental discipline required. Having achieved his competitive goals, George says he feels fitter and stronger than ever before. He now believes age is no barrier to physique and fitness and he has more energy and tenacity than many of the younger members of the club! George is now looking forward to competing in the national titles in October.

Lucy Hegarty

Rob Bebrouth

Malcolm Buckley

Melissa Calvaresi

Adrian Andrews

Shaan Gresser

Sarah Nelson-Douhadji

Sarah Taylor