Horsham-based female personal trainer, Becky, is currently awaiting assessment results for the second Level 4 qualification she’s undertaken during her career to date. Three years on from completing the CanRehab course in cancer exercise, she found the experience very different this time, and reflects on the process…
I didn’t think much about it at the time, but 2021 was a bizarre time to be qualifying as a personal trainer, and immediately taking a step up to the next level. I was supposed to complete my Level 3 PT in November 2020, but COVID-19 had other plans, and I actually did really well to receive my certificate in January 2021. I squeaked my final practical assessments in during December 2020, and finished my last written pieces the following month – there was little else to do during that long, dark lockdown!
Cancer exercise specialist training
My intention after qualifying was always to take the Level 4 CanRehab course, but having self-funded my initial qualification and studied around a full-time job, I didn’t plan to move on straight away, I had wanted to take a break. But with the encouragement of a friend, I got impulsive: it quickly became clear that 2021 wasn’t going to be much different to 2020, and there were dates open for the CanRehab course to be completed via Zoom so… I signed up.
We kicked off in May, and several years later, I’ve dropped enough ego to admit that I felt out of my depth. Whilst much of my technical knowledge was in place – and I had the lived experience of cancer treatment that not everyone else did – my professional experience was seriously lacking. Programming was by no means natural for me yet, and I didn’t have an inherent knowledge of how to work with clients.
Nevertheless, I passed, and gained a lot from the experience. I appreciated having had to complete a viva, terrifying as it was, and pushing my anatomy and physiology knowledge to take cancer biology on board was also beneficial. I was also very happy to leave the books behind…
Level 4 Round 2
I had my eye on my next big training course for a while before I committed. It was again to be a remote learning experience, which is a little sad, but I really appreciate the inclusivity. The course I’ve studied is run by Loughborough College, which just isn’t a commutable distance for me!
This time, I’ve studied exercise for COPD – chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Respiratory rehabilitation really interests me, and dovetails nicely with my cancer qualification. I’m concerned about the ongoing impacts of both COVID-19 and vaping on public health, and whilst there are no good-quality sources of education on these things yet, I wanted to do something else in the meantime to take a step in that direction.
I began studying for this qualification in March 2024, and even the funding of it was gratifying – I didn’t have a business when I took my previous courses, so self-funded via my personal bank account, whereas this time, it went straight through as a business expense. Those who have set up their own business know the satisfaction of this, it’s something that’s hard to describe!
Having now been working with clients for over two years, I noticed a difference in my confidence straight away. I was surprised at how little practice it had taken – the PTs I was comparing myself before were all very experienced – and that I’ve quickly learned what does and doesn’t work in real terms… as well as how to adjust my approach to (hopefully!) pass a course.
My authority is different. I’m much less doubtful of myself. And that’s a great place to be.
Assessment nerves
Still, the anxiety did kick in. There was a lot to learn for this course, in terms of anatomy, treatment methods, and procedures for working with clients. One of the biggest challenges I find is that assessors don’t tend to look for creativity, whereas that’s really important in keeping real-life clients engaged. Assessors tend to want safety and efficacy, which are critical in my practice, but I also like to balance variety and preference in there too – no programme can succeed without adherence, and most people have a low tolerance for boredom.
At the time of writing, I’ve just got one assessment to go – an exam! My coursework and open book exams have been submitted, and I’ve met the other course criteria in terms of observing rehabilitation sessions with physios (a very interesting experience!). It’s time to study hard and hope for the best… fingers crossed I have some good news to share soon!