JHB West - Feb 22
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fabulous<br />
Age is just a number. Which is a very<br />
easy thing to say when you’re still in<br />
your 30s or entering your 40s. But at<br />
50, society says you are supposed to<br />
slow down as you enter the so-called<br />
middle-age years? Oh, heck no! That<br />
couldn’t be further from the truth. Well,<br />
not for Marna Grobler, business owner,<br />
avid athlete and now also a qualified<br />
health and wellness coach.<br />
“So many women I talk to see turning<br />
50 as an ending. Almost like you’ve<br />
reached your sell-by date. But I believe<br />
50 is just the beginning. Now, after<br />
years of putting family and children<br />
first, it is your time. Time to get your<br />
mojo back! Pursue your passions. You<br />
really don’t have to fit into the mould<br />
of others’ opinions or the fluctuating<br />
standards of society.”<br />
It was during lockdown when Marna<br />
could not work that she decided to<br />
keep her mind busy and generate<br />
some sort of an income by going back<br />
to studying.<br />
“With my teaching background and<br />
love for sport and people, it made<br />
perfect sense to study health and<br />
wellness coaching, combining these<br />
two passions. Since then, I’ve launched<br />
Body in Bloom Health and Wellness<br />
Coaching. We focus on fitness, weight<br />
loss, reducing stress, achieving a better<br />
work-life balance, prioritising self-care<br />
and how to practise a positive mindset.<br />
There are various programs, from a<br />
motivator package to meditation and<br />
even one for menopause.”<br />
That’s not all. Soon after hitting the<br />
half-century mark, Marna launched a<br />
50andMe lifestyle concept website. She<br />
You are never too old to start something new. And<br />
Marna Grobler proves it. When she turned the big<br />
5 - 0, she refused to allow her worth to have a use-by<br />
date. Instead, she reinvented herself, her life and career.<br />
And she is happier than ever.<br />
felt there was a need for a platform<br />
where women could connect, interact,<br />
and find everything they might need<br />
to help them grow older, while feeling<br />
fabulous and not being overwhelmed.<br />
On the site you’ll find health, wellness<br />
and lifestyle articles and tips, shared by<br />
Marna and professionals that are part<br />
of the 50andMe family. And there is no<br />
stopping Marna yet.<br />
“It’s still a fairly new brand ... I have<br />
so many plans that I’m permanently<br />
starry-eyed. There are plans for a FitFlo<br />
Fitness for a cause event, our NPO<br />
that gives back to the community<br />
by means of fitness events. Then<br />
our newly launched Pink Ribbon Ink<br />
campaign that will run throughout the<br />
year, assisting breast cancer survivors.”<br />
In between meeting clients and<br />
bride-to-be appointments, doing<br />
one-on-one fitness sessions Marna<br />
also manages to fit in time to train six<br />
days every week ... be it cycling, open<br />
water swimming, running or strength<br />
training. There’s even talks about<br />
running the Comrades Marathon and<br />
doing the Ironman 70.3 in Mosselbay<br />
later this year. Now that’s #goals!<br />
“Funny enough, I was never really a<br />
sporty kind of girl when I was younger.<br />
I did a bit of netball at school and of<br />
course the compulsory PE classes<br />
where I was always back of the pack<br />
and trudged through the classes.<br />
After school, I started studying for<br />
my teacher’s degree. I became a fullblown<br />
student with loads of takeaway<br />
food and no exercise. The most I<br />
would exert myself was a fast walk to a<br />
class when I was late. But some health<br />
issues, later on, made me realise I need<br />
to make a change.”<br />
And she did just that. She started<br />
to run, and today she is the proud<br />
owner of a Comrades marathon<br />
green number and has four half<br />
Ironman triathlons under her belt. So<br />
it comes as no surprise that Marna is<br />
also a finalist in the Woman in Sports<br />
category for the Woman of Stature<br />
Awards in March.<br />
“Yes, I am passionate about sport and<br />
healthy living, but that doesn’t mean<br />
I don’t enjoy a good glass of wine or<br />
bubbly with my girlfriends.”<br />
At home, Marna is the no-makeupno-shoes<br />
kind of woman, who loves<br />
to spend time with friends and family<br />
and play board games. Living life to<br />
the max is what she is all about.<br />
From solo jumping out of an<br />
aeroplane, skinning dipping after<br />
a long run to aiming to become a<br />
contestant on Survivor, one thing is for<br />
sure, for Marna life is mind over matter<br />
... never allowing stereotypes and age<br />
to limit her potential or what she can<br />
achieve. Cheers to that!<br />
Details: 50andme.co.za, info@50andme.<br />
co.za or follow @marnafitat50 on<br />
Facebook and @marna_fitat50 on Insta.<br />
12 Get It Magazine <strong>Feb</strong>ruary 20<strong>22</strong>