May's Writer Showcase: Tonia Trainer

Tonia Trainer

Our fourth showcase of 2024 turns the spotlight on writer Tonia Trainer.  She is a writer of fiction and non-fiction who studied for an MA in Creative Writing with the Open University, graduating in 2022, and subsequently became a valued member of our alumni writing group, The 20-20 Club - though sadly she has recently had to leave, at least for a while, due to lack of time. As you will find from the material below, she is a highly creative person who packs so much into her life that I’m amazed she manages it. Her creative writing is excellent, but at the moment she is focusing on writing non-fiction as part of her online business.

Tonia Trainer

 Biography

Tonia was born at the tail end of the 1970's and grew up in the Midlands. She has happy memories of spending time in childhood with her sister, parents, grandparents, and her large extended family.  She initially went to an all-girls grammar school but left after a matter of weeks, deciding that it wasn’t the right environment for her. Instead, she moved to the local secondary school instead.

        She enjoyed thinking of money-making enterprises as a child, and would open ‘art galleries’ and sell entry tickets and paintings to relatives for a few pennies. She would also hold regular table top sales, as well as car washing around the neighbourhood. In her teen years, she worked as a babysitter, and also on the burger stand at Aston Villa (although she wasn’t allowed to flip the burgers, only to serve the drinks, but did get to watch the second half of the match for free). She also worked as a waitress at the greyhound racing stadium, and in the local Wacky Warehouse play centre. She also spent some time working at Cadbury World as an exhibition guide. 

        After A Levels, at a time when many of her friends were going to university, Tonia decided to take a different path and trained to become a croupier. She spent some time working nights dealing blackjack, roulette and stud poker, before retraining as a barista. It was during time spent serving cappuccinos  in a fancy coffee bar in a Waterstone’s bookstore that Tonia realised that she really wanted to return to study - but she was torn because she loved both English and maths, and was not sure which to choose.  It was an unusual combination, but she managed to locate a course at Chester University, and was accepted.

        However, the course did not turn out to be what Tonia had hoped for, with the maths element being disorganised and classes being constantly rearranged. Homesick and fed up, Tonia went to see the dean of the university to complain, and to request that she be allowed to focus solely on English but her request was declined, so she decided to leave.

        Tonia found herself back home in the Midlands with no job and no course. She went to the UCE and they offered her a place to start the following week. She studied English Language and Literature for the remainder of the first year, choosing to focus on Literature for the duration of the course.

      During university, Tonia worked as a temp for NatWest, and in the office of the local Labour councillor. She also worked as a mystery shopper for several companies, including  Benetton, worked for Toyota at the Motor Show, at the Good Food Show, Crufts, and was a passenger tester for Virgin tilting trains.

        After university, Tonia became self-employed, doing various promotional work for brands such as Tizer, Whirlpool, Nescafe and the National Trust, as well as becoming a ‘fun casino’ croupier (where casino tables are hired for parties and events, and guests play for fun rather than money).

        Tonia had posted her CV online with a recruitment company and was headhunted by a global ‘Big Pharma’ company looking for temporary staff for a short-term project liaising with community pharmacists. The interview process was long-winded and daunting and Tonia was up against science and pharmaceutical graduates, but she was offered the role. After completing the short-term project, she applied for a permanent role in the company (having to go through the recruitment process again) and was successful. The role involved liaising with dieticians, community nurses, care homes, GPs and hospital departments, providing training and education around medical nutrition, nutritional supplements, enteral feeding and feeding devices.

        When Tonia became a mum in 2006, the CEO’s attitude toward part time work was ‘you either stay at home and be a mum, or come to work. You can’t do both’. The alternative was leaving a one-year-old in twelve hours' of childcare Monday-Friday, so Tonia decided to leave the pharmaceutical industry.

        Tonia and her family relocated to the south east for a few years, and then spent a decade living in the south west.

        She has done a variety of jobs, (often simultaneously), including a decade as a wedding photographer (after taking a photography course with the Open University), associate college lecturer (maths), mystery shopper for McDonald’s, KFC and Pizza Hut, fun casino croupier for an exclusive wedding venue, property inspector, plus a return to the pharma industry (selling mental health drugs and dermatology products when a part time role became available, in 2018).  The more children she had, the more flexible and innovative she had to be about getting paid work.

        Tonia completed the MA in Creative Writing with the Open University in 2022.

       She relocated back to the Midlands a few years ago. The lack of available childcare meant that she became unemployed for a while, deciding to retrain as a personal trainer. Tonia set up Live Yourself Better, a personal training business with a focus on the promotion of health and prevention of disease over aesthetics and numbers on a scale. Tonia has completed additional qualifications in training perimenopausal and menopausal women, pregnancy and postnatal, training older adults, mindfulness, and type 2 diabetes prevention.

 

The Habit-Changer Challenges for 2024

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Tonia has sent us two examples of her non-fiction writing, which is always a nice change of pace for this column which generally focuses on prose fiction or poetry.

Barriers

We all have them.

In the case of personal fitness, there are usually multiple barriers; multiple reasons we tell ourselves we can’t possibly be fitter or healthier than we are. Nope. Not possible.

After all, we might have cost barriers, family commitments, lack of time, lack of access to facilities, lack of fitness motivation, lack of family support, peer pressure, job commitments, lack of self-belief, lack of desire to give up the things we love…plus we experience the constant bombardment with advertisements from Big Food, who have little interest in the shape of our waistline.

The commercial fitness industry, to some extent, relies upon these barriers. Why? Because it’s easier to sell to people who are personally disempowered. We have been sold the idea that we can only get fitter and healthier if we either buy a “quick fix” in the form of a fad diet or DVD or exercise plan. Unless we have the money and time for a flash gym membership and access to 24/7 coaching, as well as a nutritionist and a chef, that we probably shouldn’t bother even trying, because it’s never going to happen otherwise.

I would just like to call bullshit on all of the above. Whatever our circumstances; life, work, family, financial, emotional, physical, I firmly believe that we are each empowered to improve our health, wellbeing and fitness. With motivation, and accurate health and fitness information, we can each make changes in our lives. Truthfully, these changes do not need to involve unrealistic sacrifices.

Improvements do not need to be vast. They should never be unreachable, and they should always be measurable.

The NHS website has some great free exercise resources. There are also free exercise schemes running in some areas of the UK. For example, there is the Be Active scheme in Birmingham, where all local residents who are registered for council tax (or council tax relief) can access free gym and swim sessions throughout the day at several locations.

 

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Primal Movements: The Foundation of Functional Fitness

In the modern world, where we spend countless hours sitting at desks, driving cars, and interacting with screens, our bodies have become accustomed to a sedentary lifestyle. This lack of movement has led to a rise in chronic health conditions, such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease.

Remember, you are not lazy – our modern lifestyles simply don’t place the physical demands upon us that our ancestors had to endure in order to survive. The challenges and stresses in our daily lives take different forms. Therefore, it’s important to understand that we require a conscious effort to incorporate exercise into our daily routines, in a way that our ancestors simply didn’t have to.

Traditional exercise routines often focus on isolation movements, which target specific muscles without engaging the entire body. While isolation movements can be beneficial for muscle development, they often neglect the natural movement patterns that our bodies are designed to perform.

Enter primal movements, the fundamental building blocks of human movement. These movements are ingrained in our DNA, having been essential for survival throughout our evolutionary history. They include:

·  Squat: The act of lowering the body toward the ground, as if sitting on a chair. You can squat using your bodyweight or carrying additional weight such as a kettlebell or dumbbell. You can use a chair if you prefer, sitting down on a chair and getting up again, without using your arms to assist.

·  Hinge: The act of flexing the spine, such as when picking up an object from the floor. You can practise this ‘hinge’ movement by touching your toes, either standing or seated. Or you can use weights, bending to lift from the ground.

·  Lunge: The act of stepping forward with one leg, bending both knees. You can perform a forward lunge, backward lunge, and add a weight using a dumbbell in each hand. Hill walking is also a great exercise.

·  Push: The act of extending the arms to press against an object, such as when opening a door. You can perform a floor press up, on all fours, or a full press-up. Or you can perform a wall press-up. The pushing action can also be achieved using weights, a chest press, for example.

·  Pull: The act of drawing the arms towards the body, such as when rowing a boat. You can simply draw your arms back and forth, or you can add weights, for example, a dumbbell row.

·  Rotate: The act of twisting the torso, such as when turning to look behind you. This plane of movement is frequently ignored, and yet we use the action in our daily lives as we twist or turn to reach something. You can perform body twists, either standing or seated, or weighted movements, such as a wood chop, or a Russian twist using a dumbbell or kettlebell.

·  Locomote: The act of moving the body from one place to another, such as walking, running, or climbing. You can simply go for a walk, speed walk, jog or run. You can add weight using a weighted vest or ankle weights.

The suggestions I have given above are by no means exhaustive; there are many exercises that can be performed to incorporate the primal movements. Ensure that your environment is safe, and that you are performing the movements correctly, and, if using weights, ensure that your lifting technique is correct, to avoid injury.

Remember, consistency is key. Aim to incorporate primal movements into your exercise routine at least 2-3 times per week. With regular practice, you’ll notice a significant improvement in your strength, flexibility, and overall wellbeing.

You can incorporate primal movements into your daily routine through movement snacking. This is where we add short bursts of movement into our day. The best way to create new habits is to ‘stack’ them onto existing ones. So, for example, whilst you are waiting for the kettle to boil, use the opportunity to perform a few squats, or lunges, if it is safe to do so.

 

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Links

Website Live Yourself Better | personal trainer (liveyoubetter.biz)

Blog Blog | Live Yourself Better (liveyoubetter.biz)

Podcast Podcast | Live Yourself Better (liveyoubetter.biz)

 

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And finally we come to The Big

 Interview, in which Tonia kindly

 answers writing-related 

questions and lets us into 

some of her writing secrets...

How old were you when you first knew you wanted to be a writer, and what set you off down that journey?

I remember being seven or eight years old and staying with my grandparents during one summer. It was in the 1980s. As children, we often entertained ourselves. One day, I was bored and decided to write a book. I made a tiny book, and filled it with a fairy story (I think it was a version of Cinderella). Then I kept going and by the end of the day, I had made a pile of little books. I recall my Nana saying ‘you could be a writer one day, love’ and I thought that sounded like a good job to have, but had no idea how a person might go about becoming a writer. I recall at that age being fascinated by dinosaurs and collecting fossils, and really wanted to be either a paleontologist or a doctor.

Tell us about the books and writers that have shaped your life and your writing career.

I’ve always been a reader. I would read everything I could get my hands on. My parents had a variety of books, and one of my favourites was the Reader’s Digest A-Z medical dictionary. It had some excellent anatomical drawings to accompany the writing and I was always really fascinated by the human body. In fact, I also loved reading the Guinness Book of Records, especially the feats of human endurance. As a child, I loved reading books by Enid Blyton, Roald Dahl, the Worst Witch series (I still wonder whether this series inspired the creation of Harry Potter), and humorous books such as The Headteacher Went Splat, The Batty Book Book, How to Be Topp. 

In my teens, I moved into UFOs, aliens and conspiracy theories, as well as some Jilly Cooper thrown into the mix.   My mum ran a reading group and I would often read the books they chose – including work by Paulo Coelho, Graham Swift, Arundhati Roy, Hanif Kureishi, Yann Martel, Jim Crace, Zadie Smith, Bill Bryson, Kazuo Ishiguro. I was also able to take part in the group discussions about the books (which was a real lesson in life as the group comprised of an eclectic mix of people with strong points of view and a lot of life experience). It was a fantastic opportunity to learn debating skills, and how to hold my own in a discussion.

I subsequently took part in some public speaking debates, competing against other schools whilst I was still in sixth form. I had been a shy and anxious child and I am certain that my confidence had been improved not only by reading widely, but also through having cultural debates and discussions with the adults around me throughout my childhood.

I also love comedy, and have fond memories of watching Monty Python, The Two Ronnies, Russ Abbott, Spitting Image amongst many others. Laughter is also a way I have coped with some of the more challenging moments in my own life, and I try to include some lighthearted relief in my own writing and day-to-day work. It is often said that laughter is a great medicine and I do find that this adage to be true.

I studied English Literature at uni, and modules included Irish Writing, Film, Renaissance Drama, Romantic Poets, Gender, Sex and Writing, Post-WW2 Writing, amongst many others.  I really wanted to continue studying and complete my MA at the time, but finances were not available, and I entered the workplace instead, always imagining that one day I would complete the MA somehow, just not quite sure how.

During my childbearing years, I became very interested in the work of birth writers, especially after having a traumatic hospital experience. I read everything I could get my hands on by writers such as Sheila Kitzinger, Ina May Gaskin, Milli Hill and Grantly Dick Read. I volunteered as a breastfeeding peer supporter after receiving NHS training, and I wrote an article for the local magazine about the breastfeeding group.

More recently, I have been inspired by the work of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. I love the way that her writing fully immerses me in the world of character, dialogue, setting. Other favourite writers include Jeanette Winterson, Sylvia Plath, Alice Munro, Maya Angelou, Tennessee Williams and Spike Milligan.

I have always enjoyed reading nonfiction. Simon Singh’s Fermat’s Last Theorem, and Ian Stewart’s Flatterland hold great appeal as they combine my two favourite subjects; English and maths. I also really enjoy medical nonfiction by writers such as Henry Marsh.

I love self-help and self-discovery books such as those by Brené Brown, Gabor Maté, M. Scott Peck, Allen Carr, Bessell van der Kolk.  I am also really interested in digital health, and deliver workshops on this subject, amongst many others. I recently spoke at a local business networking event about how we can take care of our digital health. It’s a topic that is really gaining traction, as we realise the impacts of excessive time spent online, and how the compelling algorithms designed to keep us online and change our behaviour can actually be detrimental to productivity, wellbeing and happiness.

Recipe from ;Juice Me January' - tomato juice with balsamic vinegar

  

Have your children, other family members, friends or teachers inspired any of your writing?

Yes, some of my creative writing has been inspired by real-life events. I find that I write creatively when I am unhappy, struggling or experiencing some kind of trauma. When things are going well, my flair for creative writing is diminished, so perhaps for me, it’s a tool to process emotions.  Having said that, I kept a diary through my teen years. Unbearable and cringeworthy as it is to read over, it might inspire something one day, who knows! I did love reading My Fat Mad Teenage Diary by Rae Earl.

 

How would you describe your own writing?

I tend to write nonfiction, blogs, recipes, copywriting, and marketing slogans for my business. I also write and produce a podcast called Live Yourself Better. II have recently written for a construction company (both case studies, and award entry submissions), and for a careers education partnership (an article to be published on their website in the near future).

I have, for the time being, put creative writing as such, to one side. I do plan to return to it one day. For starters, I have a good stock of unpublished stories, which have never been entered for competitions. They are just really sitting in wait. For what, I do not know - perhaps it will become clear over time.

Having said that, I use language creatively in my every day work, in the promotion of my health and fitness business, and through attempting to write engaging and interesting social media and blog posts.  Storytelling is a vital part of any business promotion. I designed the Habit Changer Challenges 2024, which are a set of free challenges for subscribers to my website, and I really enjoyed creating the different challenges and naming them. I wrote and designed my own website (Live Yourself Better | personal trainer (liveyoubetter.biz) which also has links to other blogs I have written and to my social media channels and podcasts. I love designing materials in Canva, and it gives me the opportunity to use artistic skills as well.

As I was a photographer for ten years, the visual element of creativity is very appealing, and I incorporate this into my factual writing. I usually accompany Q&A blog posts with images I have taken. I have a waterproof camera which I bought so that I could take people wild swimming with me. It does look quite amusing when I am bobbing around in a lake with a camera attached to my head via a headband.

 

Have you ever been a member of any writing groups, online or face-to-face?

I have been a member of the 20-20 writing group [an online group set up and run by twenty people who graduated from the Open University’s MA in Creative Writing in 2020). It was wonderful to be part of a diverse group of writers, all with different experiences and viewpoints. My writing abilities developed as much, if not more, as a result of being part of the group than it did through the course of my MA in Creative Writing.  During the MA, I was focused on getting the assignments completed within deadlines and I feel as though I didn’t take a breath. The writing group provided the opportunity to reflect more, and to revisit some previous work and make changes.  I am sad to have had to leave the group for now, life has taken over, and my writing has pulled me in the direction of nonfiction for now. I do plan to return to creative writing in future.

 

What do you think about getting feedback on your work from other writers and/or non-writers?

I love receiving feedback from writers. This is something that has been so valuable through the MA and in the 20-20 group. It’s really important to me to have honest and constructive feedback. It’s interesting with non-writers because sometimes people will say ‘It’s good’ or ‘I love that’ or ‘That wasn’t so interesting’, but they don’t really explain why. I wonder sometimes if it is because people do not wish to offend, or whether it’s because people are not accustomed to feeding back in the way we do as writers. I used to find a similar thing when I was a photographer – people will generally express a liking or not for something, but maybe don’t articulate the reasons for their opinions – or perhaps don’t know them. Whereas from other creatives, especially photographers, the feedback would be more nuanced. 

 

If you have experience of self-publishing, what have been its challenges and rewards? 

I haven’t really delved into the world of self-publishing, although I did release an eBook at the end of last year. I designed it using Canva and then made it available as a free download for new subscribers to my website. At the end of this year, I am planning to release an eBook detailing the Habit Changer Challenges from 2024, including many of the juice and soup recipes from Juice me January and Souper February and exercise and health tips.

 

Tonia's recent e-book

Where do you get your ideas from?

Many of my ideas come from meeting people in the community, networking, seeing what exists locally. I am a great believer in supporting local businesses, and in knowing what we have on our doorstep.  I am driven by a passion for sharing knowledge, and ensuring that people have access to accurate and up to date health and fitness information. I am passionate about everyone having access to ways of improving their health and breaking down barriers. I would like to become a community interest company in the next few years (when my children are a bit older), in order to support people with significant barriers to exercise and health to be able to access fitness programmes.  I’ve recently completed a GP Exercise Referral qualification meaning I will be able to programme exercise for people with chronic diseases. I also recently obtained a grant to participate in a trauma-informed exercise CPD course. Trauma can create huge barriers when it comes to health and fitness, and I hope to collaborate with people who have experienced life trauma in future.

I also have a vision of one day combining writing and exercise, both of which I feel are really helpful to people processing trauma. I intend to put more thought into how to run a local or online course (or both) incorporating elements of trauma recovery. This might be something for the future when I become a CiC and apply for funding. I understand that people who have been through difficult life events do not always have the means to access such courses so I would like to do what I can to support people financially.

Cream of courgette soup with air-fryer courgettes. One of the soup recipes from Souper February

 

They say that successful writers need to be selfish. How far do you agree with this? 

When I have a deadline approaching, I have to really ringfence time to write. Even that can go quite badly wrong when something unexpected happens in the household (which is really quite often, to be honest). I do therefore have to make sure that I have contingency time available and really not leave things to the very last minute (although I do write more productively at the last minute).  I do sometimes feel like I am being selfish when in a flow state of writing, although perhaps that’s parental guilt. It’s not a choice between one thing or another, I sometimes write with my children in the room, perhaps I make a note in my notebook, or I often send myself an email when feeling inspired.

My best time for writing is the morning. I find it easier to just get on with it, once my children are at school and in childcare, I can sit at the laptop and there will be fewer interruptions (bar the odd delivery, or a relative popping in to say hi!).  I can always tell when I have had a lot of writing work because my house will look like something exploded, the washing basket will be overflowing, and there will be papers and notes strewn everywhere.  It’s always a balance, and I often find myself either binge cleaning or binge writing to catch up! Although if it comes to a choice, writing and cooking will always win over housework. I will never wish that I did more of that.

 

Beyond your family and your writing, what other things do you do?

I enjoy wild swimming and going on adventures. I adore rollercoasters and recently went on one that was just me hooked up to a pulley, no carriage. It’s strange because I really don’t like heights, am a terrible air passenger, and yet love a rollercoaster - perhaps because it’s quick and closer to the ground.

Tonia about to go for a wild swim

I work as a type 2 diabetes prevention health coach as well as being a personal trainer. This means that when people are referred by their GP (or self-referred) due to being at risk of developing type 2 diabetes they will have the opportunity to take part in a 9-month programme, which involves attending a series of workshops to support and encourage the necessary habit changes to help to prevent type 2 diabetes.

Until recently, I volunteered for St John Ambulance Youth Unit. I have always been involved in voluntary work in one way or another, whether it’s linked to my children’s hobbies or to my own interests. I feel that first aid is an essential skill and one that should be taught in schools as part of the curriculum, because we never know when we might need it.  I have used first aid myself on a few occasions now, and really appreciated having the knowledge to act quickly.

Tonia practicing yoga with a local yoga teacher, Maria Widdows 

 

Would you describe yourself as a ‘cultured’ person?

I’ve always been creative, and very much into the visual arts. I come from a creative family (my dad is great at woodwork and building dolls houses, and a strong creative writer, and my mum studied art at college and became a teacher, English & Art, a strong artist and also writer). I studied Art at A-level, and was fascinated by the work of Georges Seurat, in particular Bathers at Asnières (1884). I have seen the painting in person, and I recreated some elements of it using acrylic paint on giant canvases to accompany my final A-level project. 

I enjoyed Grayson Perry’s The Vanity of Small Differences tapestry exhibition in Bristol a few years ago. My friend and I felt like Patsy and Edina from Absolutely Fabolous visiting the evening show – it was a real treat to escape for an evening out as we both had young children at the time.  I love Bristol altogether, it’s a wonderful, vibrant city with creativity coursing through its veins. I used to take my children Banksy hunting around the city.

I love contemporary art – the kind of really divisive stuff that has some people baffled or outraged. I often go to the Ikon Gallery and used to go regularly to the Arnolfini when we lived nearer to Bristol. I love to visit the Tate Modern whenever we get the chance.  I am not sure where the interest in contemporary art came from, although I do recall viewing Damien Hirst’s Mother and Child Divided (1993) and being in awe, whilst simultaneously quite repulsed by the whole thing. Perhaps it’s because I like to inhabit complicated emotional spaces, and I feel that contemporary art is a reflection of where society is cuurently, and where we are going.

Rachel Whiteread’s Embankment (2005) comprised 14,000 translucent polyethylene boxes and was installed in the Tate Modern. It was quite awe-inspiring, the brilliant white of the cubes mimicking a gleaming mountain of sugar. You could wander in between the cubes. I believe it was inspired by the notion of negative spaces, following the death of her mother and a precious cardboard box of things left behind. After a while the box began to fall apart. Whiteread had the idea of making casts of the negative space within containers and thus Embankment was born. 

For Mother’s Day this year I was taken to Yorkshire Sculpture Park which was outstanding and a wonderful way to spend the day. You can see a photo of me hugging a giant hot water bottle by Erwin Wurm below:

Tonia at Yorkshire Sculpture Park with an Erwin Wurm artwork entitled 'Big Mutter' (2015).

In an ideal day, I would wander around a gallery and spend time looking at each exhibit, trying to figure out the meaning for myself and then reading every note, taking in the background details of each artist and the story of how their work evolved. Of course, when I take my children to galleries and exhibitions, it is not always possible to spend much time looking, but I feel it’s really important for them to have the opportunity.

I recall a visit to The Louvre with my mum when I was about eleven. It was a baking hot day and my sister and I were thirsty and tired, but we kept going because Mum wanted us to see the Mona Lisa. I was a little bit baffled by it, as it was a lot smaller than I expected, and behind several layers of glass. It really wasn’t at all how I imagined.  We also went to the Museum of Egypt as children and saw Tutankhamun’s sarcophagus and death mask. We were very fortunate to have the opportunity and it was so much more powerful than seeing it in a book.

I also love food. Shopping for food, inventing recipes, talking about food, sharing food with friends. This is another creative outlet, and I enjoy putting together blog posts and short videos of recipes, many of which I have shared on my social media accounts, YouTube in particular as it lends itself well to this medium. I often have friends and family around and we share food together.  As a health coach, one of the main messages I hope to convey is that we do not have to live a miserable life when it comes to eating. Food is to be enjoyed and it’s possible to live a healthy and happy life when it comes to eating.

A recent mezze/tapas evening at home

Have any unexpected opportunities arisen as a result of your writing?

Years ago, whilst I was in sixth form, there was a callout for written submissions because there was a new reality TV show being made by Channel 5 (it was one of the first ever reality shows). The show would involve urban teens going to live and work on a farm. I wrote a humorous piece about my only bovine connection being the Bull Ring in Birmingham, and I was invited to meet producers in London who wanted me to be on the show, and said that the opportunity could lead to presenting roles etc, as they were really impressed with my writing and how I had come across on the phone interview.

The dilemma arose when the meeting was scheduled for the same day as my maths A-Level. I chose to sit the exam instead. Sadly, I didn’t do very well in my exam. A relative had passed away and I was in the midst of grief, a teen rebellion, and being annoyed at myself for turning down the chance to work in television. At the time, my career ambition was to be a television researcher, then a producer or director. The programme was called Girlz & Boys (1998) and, for many years, I wondered if I had made the wrong choice, but I now realise that it was right for me at the time, and I look back and admire my 17-year-old self, having the confidence to pursue what I felt was right.  Although admittedly, ever since then, I made a vow to say yes to opportunities.

More recently, I have been a guest on BBC Radio WM as a result of one of the producers having seen a blog and vlog I did about wild swimming, which I had shared on social media. I was first asked into the studio to talk about my memories of growing up in the city, and the evolution of my business Live Yourself Better. I was of course terrified but at the same time it was a brilliant opportunity. I have since been asked back, and have taken part in recent segments about the budget and the cost of food.

Also, I took part in the Our Future Health programme when I was training to be a personal trainer and I wrote a blog about it, which I shared on social media. Their media team read the blog and contacted me, and then they wrote an article about my experience, which was published on their website and social media channels.

Tonia chatting with Dr Sarah Ball at Health in Menopause for an interview on her blog.

I am not the biggest fan of social media, largely because of the time investment, and the way that the algorithms draw us in to spending ever more time on there. I do accept, however, that it has its advantages and can really open doors to opportunities that would otherwise have been inaccessible.

Tonia at her local gym - this was the image that was used for Our Future Health article 

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Thank you very much, Tonia, for such a detailed and insightful showcase. 

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In May, I will be showcasing 

another of the fabulous 20-20 Club writers: 

Mike Poyzer

Not to be missed!

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So far in this series, I’ve showcased the following writers: 

Ruth Loten – March 2023

Jane Langan – March 2023

BeckCollett – April 2023

Ron Hardwick – June 2023

L.N.Hunter – July 2023

Katherine Blessan – August 2023

Jill Saudek – September 2023

Colin Johnson – October 2023

Sue Davnall – November 2023

Alain Li Wan Po – December 2023

Lily Lawson – January 2024

Philip Badger – February 2024

Glen Lee – March 2024

DHL Hewa - April 2024

Tonia Trainer - May 2024

You can find all these showcases by scrolling back through the material on this blog.