Char Borley, 40, used to be a compeтιтive bodybuilder and in recent years qualified as a personal trainer, sports therapist and nutritionist. But her fitness career nearly shattered
A personal trainer who hits the gym every day almost quit her fitness career due to men constantly harᴀssing her.
Char Borley used to be a compeтιтive bodybuilder and recently qualified as a PT, sports therapist and nutritionist.
But the 40-year-old’s dreams of a fitness career nearly shattered after experiencing unwanted attention at the gym.
The London-based mum used to offer one-to-one PT sessions but was forced to stop due to inappropriate behaviour.
Some lads would ask her to “squat” for them, while others would demand for her number to go out on dates.
Now the beauty, who boasts 522,000 Instagram followers, is earning a fortune from online coaching.
She said: “I have always loved fitness and becoming a qualified personal trainer was a dream of mine.
“When I offered one-to-one classes, men would say that they wanted ᴀssistance and motivation.
“But all they really wanted was some fun. I only lasted a month.
“All of the men made advances – it was so inappropriate.
“The last straw was when one of them asked me to train privately at their house.”
Char eventually turned to female-only pole dancing and burlesque classes at her local gym.
But sadly for the mum, even this didn’t stop the annoying creeps from flooding in.
She added: “For three years, a man used to wait outside the gym for me and cry at the door as he wouldn’t be let in.
“If he did get in with a pᴀss, he wouldn’t come into the studio and instead watch from outside.
“But he never actually spoke to me, he was too scared.
“Another guy stalked me for about eight years, as he found me online after spotting me doing television work.
“After finding out I was a personal trainer, tried to hire me all the time with different names.
“In the end, I had to leave my job at the gym. It honestly drove me to breaking point.”
Determined to find a way to enjoy fitness, Char now offers classes and personal training online.
She claims to earn £2,000 per hour and over the past two years pulled in £200,000 so far.
But she has her doubts about returning to a gym as a teacher.
Char admitted: “I still get guys coming up to me and asking if I’m a PT where they try to give me their number.
“I’ve had a few men approach me and ask if I need help taking off any weights.
“I respond saying: ‘I’m probably lifting more than you love’ and the look on their face is hilarious.
“Often, I tell them it’s just my warm up, so they’ll back off.
“All of them watch me in disbelief as I press or lift more than them, they can’t seem to believe it.
“They usually get quite embarrᴀssed and walk away, but some have filmed me before without consent.
“By the time they’re done, I’m gone, so I don’t say anything – but one of my friends did once.
“I don’t think they really cared though and it’s a shame I can’t go to the gym without getting harᴀssed.”