Lagos - Oyinkansola Talabi
Oyinkansola Talabi runs the Bodyworks Fitness Studio in Lagos Nigeria. Here she is with a great insight into the emerging fitness industry in Lagos.
“I have been a fitness enthusiast for over 10 years. I started working out to lose weight and then got to the stage of working out just because I liked it. I started out running round our house then built up to running up and down our flight of stairs. My friends thought I was crazy because I was always in my workout gear ready to break into a skip or crunches and I remember saying to them, one day, you will pay me to tell you want to do. Little did I know...
Fast forward 5 years down the line, I was in the UK studying for my MBA (Masters in Business) friends in Nigeria and in the UK were always asking me for work out tips and basically what to do. I decided to take the next step and train in it, so did a Weight Management course with FIT (Fitness industry Training) then I did a Kick boxing (level 1) certification with Ian Fox Training. I tried out Pilates and fell in love with it. So also did a Mat work course with Stott Pilates.”
“I moved back to Nigeria with a total gym, some dumbbells, flexi-bands,
a couple of workout mats, and a truck load of enthusiasm. I started personal training, with a dream to open a Female only studio where women can be women and workout like men, focused and dedicated. Was I in for a shock!!! I Did I mention that I hardly had any money? So I converted my bedroom into my studio, and had clients coming to the house AM & PM ( my mum wondering what was happening to her house). In the afternoons, I wrote my business plan and started looking for investors as the banks in Nigeria don’t like to loan money to start-up businesses."
Photos: Oyinkan’s trainers conducting busy classes at the studio
"Later in the year I started running group classes from the conference room of a hotel. I then got an investor, and was able to pay for a space for the studio in Lekki Phase 1, an up and coming residential area in Lagos. We were able to raise some money to renovate (make rooms bigger, add showers etc) and though I only had a treadmill and 2 air conditioners (if you have been to Africa you’ll know air conditioning is very essential) I started servicing the clients I had from there. I offered personal training, group Cardio & Pilates classes. I had a team of just ME!"
“My clients stared telling friends and we grew from there and have grown to about 45 active ladies (and a sprinkling of husbands), 5 other trainers and yes, more air conditioners and equipment. We have fierce competitors who have loads of money to fully equip their gyms and sometimes I feel sad because I see where I want us to be, however, I remember where we are coming from and the ladies we have touched and are touching and I am so grateful to God for the journey so far and for where we are headed cause I know we’ll get there. Our ladies love us and we are like a family, every one encouraging each other and even hanging out together outside the studio. “
Photo: Oyinkan (front, middle) with the participants and facilitators at a recent Energy 4 Performance workshop in Lagos.