People of Hastings & St Leonards
Naomi McMaster
This week Kathryn Sutter talked to Naomi McMaster about her work as a personal trainer.
Naomi grew up in a village just outside Hastings before moving into town in her teens. She eventually left for London and lived there for 12 years, enduring a difficult journey through illness. In the autumn of 2020, she came back for a new beginning, in a place that had become a bit of a seaside haven. She now runs fitness classes while still working her London day job.
Naomi McMaster (right)
CREDIT: Millie Bakewell
“It was about ten years ago that I got into exercise. I had always been sporty at school doing ballet and rugby, but when I was a teenager I lost interest in sport. A friend in London convinced me to do a Charity Moonwalk with her. That got me into walking, and then we did Zumba. Before long I started going to a gym and lifting weights. My personal trainer at this gym became my best friend and convinced me to do my PT qualification. I then started running classes, and training people one-to-one myself. I exercised all the way through my treatment for breast cancer and could see the difference it made to both my physical and mental symptoms.
“When I moved back to Hastings I had just finished my cancer treatment. A lot of my London life was associated with my illness. It felt like a fresh start as I didn’t have those memories or associations here.”
For Naomi, exercise is all about wellbeing and moving the body, not how you look:
“As a woman, all my life I have been exposed to diet culture and the idea of transforming the body. These days it’s less about getting thin, but getting strong. It’s just another pressure on people to do exercise ‘perfectly’. My classes, which include strength exercises and cardio, are not about transformation. I work hard to help everyone to work where they are at, encouraging people to see what they can do rather than what they can’t. Another great thing about the classes is the community that develops, different people come together who may never have met, it’s nice to think I have created that community.”
We went on to talk about the best parts of the town and the challenges it faces: “For me a massive draw to move back to Hastings was the sea and the chance to be outside more. I also like the laid-back feeling of the town. I swim most days in the sea and it’s helped a lot with PTSD from my cancer treatment and Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD). It’s amazing we have this great free resource (the sea) available to us!
So, what’s next for Naomi?
“I would love to eventually cut down my hours at my day job and increase my fitness classes and PT sessions. For now, I am really happy with the community I have developed and would encourage people to get involved!”
• Naomi runs classes at 6pm on Thursdays on the Westhill, and at 9.15am on Sunday at Grosvenor Gardens. You can find out more about Naomi and book a class at www.thebasespace.com and on Facebook via basespacehastigs
Read more in the series:
Simone Gosling, Manager of Bear’s House Nursery
Irina Lazareva, the force behind Sunshine Cafe
Kate Rosie, owner of Teddy Tinker’s
Millie Rowland, CEO of Boathouse Arts and founder of ‘Millie’s Nightclub’
Father David Hill, Rector of St John’s Church, Pevensey Road
Mike and Sue Shaw of Shaws Hair Stylists
Liz Coleman, member of the Hastings and Rother Interfaith
Gemma Cooksley and Kate Thwaites, Bluebell Ridge RSPCA Cat Rehoming Centre
Martin Symons, Community Volunteering Coordinator, St Michael’s Hospice
Rick Sciuriaga, owner of Number 46
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