Sharna Dominish

Sometimes the hardest part of change is simply walking back through the door. After years away from the gym and feeling ready for something different, Sharna's journey begun with a conversation and grew into a consistent, confidence-building routine. Check out their story below:

What first brought you to Vision, and how were you feeling about your health and fitness back then?
It had been about seven years since I’d stepped into a gym, and I was the heaviest I’d ever been. I really was thinking and feeling “enough is enough,” and being in my early 40s, I was concerned that if I didn’t do something sooner rather than later, it would only get harder to tackle.

I had been thinking about joining Vision for a few years, as I liked the idea of the setup - it seemed a lot more welcoming and less daunting than other gyms. It was a timely message from Guy the week before my 42nd birthday that got me in the door for an initial conversation.

What’s one thing you’ve achieved here that still surprises you when you think about it?
My number one achievement is the consistency and falling back in love with exercising again! A 10kg weight loss in my first year is a close second!!

Can you describe what your journey has looked like since joining Vision – the highs, the hard bits, and what kept you going?
I started with two PT sessions a week, slowly getting reacquainted with exercising in front of others and rebuilding my confidence in a gym environment. With the support and encouragement of my trainer, Nic, I introduced one or two classes a week after the first month.

Initially, I struggled with consistency - some weeks I did no classes, other weeks I did three - and I found the results really slow to show up at first. I attended a few of the great educational sessions the gym runs on a variety of topics, and a more holistic approach to my health started to form. The goal sessions are also an awesome way to reflect on achievements and set new goals to ensure I keep pushing myself.

The encouragement of Nic and the other trainers kept bringing me back each week, and I’m now doing three to four classes a week. I actually notice a difference in my energy and focus when I don’t make it to a class. I can’t remember the last time I was this strong, or when my cardio fitness was this good.

How has being part of the Vision community made a difference for you?
The number of times people have told me in the last few months that “you carry yourself differently” or “you seem so happy” is a direct result of the confidence I’ve gained through my health journey over the past 12 months.

The Vision Gladesville community is incredibly welcoming. Each and every trainer genuinely makes me feel supported and encourages me to push myself further each week.

What would you say to someone who’s in the same shoes you were in when you started?
I get it - it’s so daunting! The hardest part is deciding to make the change and committing to yourself. It gets easier from there.

What’s next for you?
I’m super focused now on building on my first year and getting stronger and fitter. Now that I’ve found consistency and fallen back in love with exercise, I want to challenge myself to lose another 10kg over the next 12 months and maybe (maybe) do a 5km run.