Member spotlight – Meet Andrea Flanagan

Member Andrea Flanagan

Meet member Andrea Flanagan, who shares her journey with us and who according to the fitness team, makes the most amazing cakes for everyone!

‘Hi I’m Andrea, and I joined Swinton & Pendlebury Leisure Centre in 2017. I wanted to do something on a regular basis that would get me out of the house and give me something to do. I have congenital heart disease which means the structure of my heart, when I was born, wasn’t as it should be.

During my childhood, medical advice had been restrictive of a number of things, including exercise.  I was quite nervous about joining the gym and the impact it would have on my heart. I didn’t need to worry at all because the support and encouragement I received, and still receive, is incredible!

My fitness journey started with a Sunday class, gaining a bit more confidence to do Metafit. I decided to try another class and met instructor Danielle Kelly.  Danielle’s encouragement to try more classes and give them a go at my pace was unbelievable.   This led to me getting to know many other instructors and members, trying classes I’d never dreamed of.

Covid lockdowns were a scary time and I couldn’t live without my classes, they helped my mental health so much! I was so pleased when Danielle and the SCL instructors came to the rescue!

Online zoom classes will stay with me forever, I can still hear Danielle now saying ‘we might be on zoom, but I can still see you!’

My fitness levels now continue to surprise me. I’m stronger and fitter than I ever imagined I could be and that’s thanks to everyone at Swinton & Pendlebury LC.  I’ve made the best friends, we have so much fun together and we are a fantastic team! I’ll always be grateful for all the encouragement and guidance from everyone, showing me I can do whatever I want to and achieve my fitness goals!!

Danielle Kelly says:

‘I first met Andrea before Covid hit, she would come to HIIT step on a Friday morning, she was extremely shy and apologised all the time for not being able to do much, then Covid struck and taught online where I watched Andrea’s confidence grow so much, she tried every single class and when we eventually got back I saw a massive change in Andrea, she had got so much stronger and gained so much confidence and was joining in all the classes, she’s the first one to help and encourage new members in the class and is genuinely one of the nicest people I’ve met’.

Andrea is also amazing at baking cakes and constantly bakes the best chocolate cakes for myself and Dave Parkin (she knows how to influence her instructors). It’s been amazing watching you flourish and I’m so delighted to have been part of your journey’.