'I had a credit card and a dream': Mum who suffers extreme daily agony defies odds with gym business

Alanna Park has vowed not to let her fibromyalgia get in the way of her dreams after being diagnosed with the incurable condition following an operation to remove her fallopian tube and ovary.

It causes extreme pain all over the body as well as fatigue and doctors aren't sure what causes it, but it can be triggered by an injury or stress.

Now the 41-year-old, from Kirkintilloch, is celebrating scooping the award for her women-only gym, Miss Fit, at the Scottish Health and Fitness Awards.

Alanna with her children

Alanna never saw herself running a business or even working in the fitness industry but after the death of her dad in 2010 she turned to exercise to cope with the grief.

Alanna said: “Some days the pain can be horrendous and I can hardly get out of bed but having the gym and PT clients forces me to and it's really kept me going.

“Exercise really helps me with my fibromyalgia and lets me take less of the pain relief, which is just as well as the strong medication sends me flying.

“I was really close to my dad and his death hit me hard.

“I was overcome with grief and ended up turning to exercise to get through it. And it saved me, and got me through some really dark days.”

Alanna's client Kate who has lost 35 lbs

Alanna quit her job in sales, went back to college and qualified as a personal trainer and nutrition coach while also raising Callum, 15, and Carla, 14.

After working in male-dominated gyms for years decided to open her own female-only gym in her hometown.

She wanted a women-only space after hearing from PT clients that they found working out with men intimidating and made them anxious about lifting weights or not being carefully made up.

Alanna loves working out

She added: “I didn't know the first thing about business and had no money behind me, but I had a credit card and a dream.

“My mum also gave me a loan to pay for the lease and somehow it all worked out.

“Miss Fit opened in 2018, only to be faced with Covid and lockdown restrictions and more health problems.”

Alanna had an emergency operation to remove endometriosis - a painful condition that causes tissue similar to womb lining to grows in other parts of the body - after opening the gym but had no choice but to get straight back to work.

Then Covid followed, with gyms facing some of the strictest lockdown measurements and closing for months over 2020 and 2021 so Miss Fit moved online.

Alanna said: "I am not technically minded at all but created an app using YouTube tutorials and the members were amazing at adapting to online workouts.

“We were doing classes every single day using things like cans of beans as weights.

"Doing the classes as normal was a great motivation for members and lots said it got them through lockdown and gave them that slither of me time.

"Being a female-only gym, lots of members are busy mums so it was something they could do for themselves in between work and home schooling.

"I had members completely transform their bodies during lockdown but all said it also kept them mentally strong during a really terrible couple of years for everyone.

"Winning Best Female Gym at the Scottish Health and Fitness Awards was special but nothing beats the feedback from members. I love what I do and when I have really painful days and think I can't get to work, it pushes me on.

“I've had two clients that had to lose weight to get IVF so they could become parents. Both now have beautiful babies and I couldn't be happier for them.

“It just makes me feel like I've got the best job in the world.”