NEWS IN DETAIL...
College course is a life changer
A MATURE student from Cornwall College St Austell has proved that at 49 you're never too old to change your life.
Andrew Marshall from Veryan enrolled onto the CYQ Level 2 Certificate in Fitness Instructing Gym Based Exercise and the CYQ Level 3 Certificate in Personal Training last September at the College after deciding that he wanted to completely change his life, get fit and help other people to do the same thing.
The father of nine had previously worked in security and as a baker before he suffered a long-term illness as a result of tragic trauma, in which he was unable to work and consequently he saw his weight balloon significantly.
Years later, Andrew decided to get his life back on track and got a job as a caretaker in a local primary school and joined the gym, where he discovered his passion for fitness.
“I really enjoyed the gym and saw my weight drop from 17 stone to 11 stone,” said Andrew. “It was then that I decided I wanted to learn about fitness and nutrition properly so that I could help others and made a decision to go back to college.
“I was really worried about returning to education as it had been so long since school and even then I didn’t do particularly well. I was also apprehensive about the younger people on the course and how they would react to me. However the whole experience was amazing; the lecturers went out of their way to support us all and I fitted in absolutely fine. I just can’t believe how much the college courses have helped me, both mentally and physical to change my lifestyle.”
The CYQ Level 2 Certificate in Fitness Instructing Gym Based Exercise teaches students about the body’s systems and how it all works, how to plan and teach safe and effective exercise sessions and how to motivate and support clients.
The CYQ Level 3 Certificate in Personal Training is the follow-on course to the Level 2 and students gain knowledge in anatomy and physiology and cardiovascular and resistance
training methods to be able to design and give advice on all areas of fitness, from
training programmes to nutritional advice on a one-to-one basis.
“Andrew has done brilliantly,” said Sam West, Sport and Public Services Lecturer at the College. “He has been committed throughout the course and loves his new found confidence and knowledge of how he can change people’s perceptions and opinions of nutrition and physical exercise.”
“I will be returning to the College in September to study the new CYQ Level 2 Award in Circuit Training and the new CYQ Level 3 Certificate in Exercise Referral for Specific Controlled Conditions as I would like to further increase my knowledge to support my clients. I’m currently setting up my insurance to be able to offer my personal training services and look forward to my future ahead.”
All the CYQ courses are nationally and internationally recognised. New for September 2012 is the CYQ Level 2 Award in Circuit Training and the CYQ Level 3 Certificate in Exercise Referral for Specific Controlled Conditions, which teaches students how to plan, deliver, manage and evaluate a safe, effective and progressive adapted physical activity programme for referred clients/patients with specific controlled conditions.
Dave Linnell, Principal of Cornwall College, said: “It’s great to see how Andrew has turned his life around; I’m very pleased for him and glad that Cornwall College could be part of his journey. We are always aware of the different barriers many of our students face when returning to education, but our outstanding lecturers have many different teaching styles that they adapt to ensure that transition is as smooth as possible and students feel settled.”
Cornwall College St Austell offers a wide range of sport and public services courses, with places still available for a September start. For further information about these courses, please contact the College on 0845 22 32 567, visit www.cornwall.ac.uk or find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/cornwallcollegeuk.
