1. aug/sept 2010 | instructor diary | 3
Against all odds
Paul Connolly is now a hugely successful celebrity personal trainer, but
his life hasn’t always been glitz and glamour. Abandoned and abused at
a young age, Paul tells the story of his incredible journey.
instructor diary
Name: Paul Connolly
Occupation: Celebrity personal trainer
Location: Essex
Growing up
Put out with the rubbish at two weeks old
when my mum suffered a breakdown, it
was the beginning of a very tough and
unpredictable childhood.
When I was then moved to a children’s
home in East London just before my eight
birthday, things changed very dramatically
– it was run by a paedophile ring.
Suffering years of mental and physical
abuse, later in life I found out I was one of
the only survivors in the dormitory.
The wrong side of the law
As an angry young man, it was almost
inevitable I ended up on the wrong side of
the law. Having nothing to lose and being
bullied and abused my whole life, I just
started to fight back. Surviving being
stabbed for the first time, I lost all the fear
I’d grown up with and, after becoming an
amateur boxing champion, I began to
use my skills as a notorious street
fighter and doorman. Also coming to
the notice of powerful people, I became
a sought-after bodyguard for the rich
and famous.
Making the change
The turning point came when I narrowly
escaped a long prison sentence. Being
arrested on two counts of grievous bodily
harm after being attacked by five men, I
had to wait over a year to go to Crown
Court. A long week at court later, the jury
came back with a verdict of not guilty,
reasonable force and self-defence.
The relief of the verdict changed me
forever. The chips I had on both shoulders
fell away and I realised that there was
some justice in the world and everything
was not against me.
Fifteen years on, I have a loving wife,
two beautiful sons and have never and will
never be involved in violence ever again.
Big break
I was set to be a professional boxer, but it
all went wrong when I fell from a roof while
helping out a friend. It resulted in me
almost losing a hand and badly injuring
my right arm, so I was no good for close
protection and couldn’t pass a medical to
fight. I had to find another way to make a
living. As I rehabbed myself I became very
interested in the body, so I learnt to read
and write for the first time, passed a gym
instructor course and got a job in the city
of London.
My big break came when Pickwick
Pictures approached me to make the
pilots for The Body video with Elle
McPherson, as there was going to be a
strong boxing element. I then worked in
LA and San Francisco and for Le Sport
Health Spa in St Lucia.
More recently, I’ve just finished getting
Chantelle Houghton (Celebrity Big Brother
winner) in shape for various magazine
shoots. I’ve also filmed a Channel 4
programme called The Wager, on which
I’m the fitness expert. Another proud
moment was getting my first book,
Against All Odds, published.
I’m still as passionate as ever about
changing people’s lives every day and it’s
been exciting to watch the industry evolve
to a level I could never have imagined
back in the late 80s. But what still holds
true today, as much as it did back then, is
our clients’ reliance on our knowledge
and passion to help them with their
short-term and long-term goals. So,
whether you’re working with fitness
fanatics, athletes or rehabilitating
injuries, just enjoy the fact that you’re
the one educating and motivating
them to become fitter, healthier,
slimmer or ready for sport.
Turn to page 43 for a chance to win a
copy of Paul’s enchanting book,
Against All Odds
Do you have a story? Have you had a struggle getting to the top? Did something funny happen in your class?
Got some advice you want to pass on? Whatever it is, email it to publish@fitpro.com with a good-quality photo and you
could feature in a future instructor diary.
Paul with his book
Paul with client Chantelle Houghton
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