At 5:30am every weekday morning, you will find an exciting buzz fizzing out of an old sturdy building nestled in the middle of a cul-de-sac, lined up with old industrial buildings on Lormond Crescent in Pakuranga, East Auckland.
High tempo music sifts through the doors, as you go closer, you hear a high-pitched male’s voice calling the next sets. Enter. Astounded. An indoor sports gym with two courts lighted and filled with a crowd of maybe give or take 40 or 50 people at the most. White and brown, European and Islanders, all in different shapes, sizes, and colours, but all had one thing in common. They are all hyped up with what I presume to be endorphins and something else, a sparkle…, a twinkle…, a glow… no, it is a VIBE! Excitement. Men and women, all different ethnic backgrounds, but unified in one thing – Exercise! And the man with the high-pitched voice directing all this? Let me introduce you to Alesio Petelo Vili. He is known to many as Coach, Captain, Alycio (palagi pronunciation) or to some of his closer friends – Da Man! He sees me from inside the court, where 20 or so men and women are on the floor putting in 30 sets of mountain climbers. “Jo, jump in now,” he calls out, clapping his hands, in silent speak it means, ‘pronto you’re late!’ Alesio turned 39 on Boxing Day 2020. To someone who does not know him at all, he could be easily mistaken for an 18 or even 20-year-old young man. At about 4’5, chiselled (as in the full six abs ladies) Alesio is in good form. As much as this may be pleasing to the physical eye appeal, there is deeper testament this holds to his lived journey. Fitness and Exercise Trainer, director and founder of Fit Family NZ or more commonly known as FitLife NZ. Alesio lives, eats, walks, breathe and consistently promotes fitness and healthy lifestyle living and wellbeing. With a track history of 20 years professional experience in fitness and swimming coaching – he is a reminder of living life purposefully to achieve one’s dreams and live out one’s passion. Alesio has worked through King’s Prep School in Auckland, Allnation Sports and Recreation, as Swimming Coach and Gym Instructor. In 2014 he held Fitness Instructor and Boxing Trainer roles with Les Mills in Meadowlands, Auckland, and Vili’s Boxing Gym in Takanini. In 2018 he was a fitness Instructor at Snap Fitness Lunn Ave, Auckland. Above all else, his main grit in life is his family. Alesio and his partner Hazel Matthes have four beautiful children, three boys and one girl. In 2003, Alesio was an active hands-on father to his children. Taking them to their rugby games, and swimming lessons. In between car rides and supporting training sessions and matches, Alesio, who had always been an athlete in his college and primary school years, felt that his calling was in physical training. A couple of years later and he emerged himself a certified Swimming Coach and Fitness Trainer. He also dabbled a lot in rugby club coaching – hence his nick name – Coach! You only need to be around Alesio – to pick up an infectious vibe of unbeknownst excitement! A buzz, a vibe and energy that is all hyped up in positivity, excitement and bursting with optimism! I often ask him during many of our personal training sessions, “How do you stay so excited all the time?” then just for further elaboration, “Do you ever get down in the dumps?” He throws his head back and laughs out loud. A strong, hearty, happy all rolled in sunshine and oats kind a laugh! “Mindset is everything!” he says pointing to his forehead. “I’ve gone through my time in the dumps too, especially when I was a younger father, didn’t know any better, trying to figure out everything, of course, but we have to keep getting back up and keep going,” he said. Alesio hails from the villages of Alasopo, in Lotofaga Aleipata, Faleapuna in Falefa, and Lotopa. Born and raised in Samoa for the most part of his young adult life, Alesio, recalls growing up around the beaches of Lotofaga, and going fishing and to the plantation with his father in the weekends. “We were always active, we were always moving, always doing something that gave us physical output of energy,” he said. “My parents always raised us to do our best in life and to believe in ourselves, that we could do anything we set our hearts out to do and do it well,” he said. FitLife NZ now recently rebranded to become Fit Family NZ is just two years shy of its 20 years of operation. It is a milestone Alesio and his family are taking in stride. “I wanted to rebrand in order to reflect a direction that my classes and fitness challenges have taken in the last five years or so,” he said. “We have slowly and gradually moved shifted helping individuals come together to transform their fitness goals under our banner, towards families all coming together to transform their overall health and wellbeing in a holistic approach and it was important that our branding reflected that,” said Alesio. Alesio and his partner Hazel and their children are all interactively involved in running the daily fitness classes out of Lormond Crescent Action Indoor Sports gym, to the infamous “8 Weeks Challenge” that he runs throughout the year, and the community Exercise and Fitness classes he runs in local Auckland Samoan community churches in Mangere, Otahuhu, East Tamaki as well as other community groups. This is one busy family. “My aim is for my family to live the talk and lead by example, although I must give them all the credit, Hazel and the kids are my main motivation and without their support and help with me running all this, I couldn’t do it. “Teamwork makes the dream work!” he laughs out loud. “On a serious note, it is literally what we do every day, aside from our day jobs, this is what we do, and it is our life, and we want to share that with anyone who needs help with their health. “If it works for my family, it can work for them too,” said Alesio. I asked him, “What would you say to someone reading this article and has either tried to get fit, lose weight, live a healthy lifestyle and failed, or someone who wants to start?” “Discipline beats motivation. If you keep waiting to feel motivated, it may or may never happen. No one can do it for you but you!”
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FITFAMILYFitFamily accepts you as you are - any size, body shape or form. Whether you have had experience in fitness or a straight beginner, here at FitFamily, it doesn't matter how or where you start. What matters to us is that WE HELP YOU and YOUR FAMILY to get your journey to wellbeing to get STARTED! ArchivesCategories |