Influence Kaikohe is officially open - you will be pushed to your limits, but you will never be left behind!

Rhonda Zielinski-Toki is the proud owner of Influence Kaikohe, a 24/7 women’s gym. Her inspiration comes from a gentleman called Doug Healey - the man that learned to walk again.

The story starts with Doug courageously pushing a work mate out of the way of a large steel pole and in doing so he took the full impact, breaking his back. He was told it would be unlikely he would walk again, however Doug’s grit and determination manifested into a daily, excruciatingly painful slow walk to visit his granddaughter in hospital. This not only had him walking again, but now he participates and arranges marathons around the world for his supporters.

Rhonda, a trained nurse, is one of those supporters, and while there is no doubt that Doug has helped inspire her, the women of Northland are also her inspiration for the new gym. Her aim is to provide a safe environment for all women to workout regardless of their shape, age or level of fitness. She strongly believes that being active contributes to whānau wellbeing both mentally and physically.

Here’s what Tania had to say:

I went to the opening of Influence Gym in July. There was great anticipation as a crowd of women gathered outside the gym, waiting for it to open. Once the doors opened, we eagerly went upstairs, and arrived to a warm welcome. On first observation, the brand-new equipment looked most impressive (I was personally intrigued by the lime green and orange weights) and you could smell the freshly painted walls.

After the introductions, they set up the gym for a circuit class. I had decided to take part in the class. I was somewhat nervous, as they kept jokingly saying “be prepared to work the hardest you have ever worked.” Many a true word said in jest! The goal was to work out on each piece of equipment for 30-40 seconds at a set pace then move on to the next piece of equipment. We continued to do this for about 40 minutes, then we did some Pilates and finished with meditation.

We were cheered on by the crowd, and I worked so hard that I didn’t think I was going to complete it, but wow what a sense of achievement at the end of the training! I can honestly vouch for their philosophy. ‘You will be pushed to your physical limits, but you will never be left behind!’ If you join them, you will be part of the whānau.

For more information you can go on their Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/influencekaikohe/