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26 Years Later… I'm So Glad I Said Yes

A newspaper clipping, an accidental first class and the decision that changed everything.


People often ask me how long I've been teaching aqua.

The answer usually surprises them.


Twenty-six years.


The funny thing is I never planned on becoming an aqua instructor. When I first started in the fitness industry I was working on the gym floor. Helping people use equipment, writing exercise programs, teaching land-based classes like step, aerobics and bar classes. I loved it. Thought that was the direction my career would always take.


Then one day everything changed.


The aqua instructor couldn't make it.

My manager looked at me and said "Kellie, you're teaching aqua today."


There wasn't much discussion.



I Had Absolutely No Idea What I Was Doing


Back then our fitness qualifications were a little different and honestly, I was completely winging it. I think I spent half the class doing water running because it was about the only exercise I could confidently lead without giving myself away.


The whole time I was thinking, I really hope everyone leaves thinking "well, that wasn't too bad."

They seemed to enjoy it.


So, I kept teaching.


I started reading more, learning more, discovering just how much you could do in the water. Before long I was teaching more and more aqua classes and genuinely loving it. One unexpected session had quietly redirected the whole course of my career.



Then Came 2020


Twenty years after that accidental first class, I made one of the biggest decisions of my career.


I left my coordinator role to go back to doing what I loved most. Working directly with people. Teaching again.


It sounds straightforward looking back. It wasn't. Walking into a new pool where nobody knows you is genuinely daunting. My classes were small. I was nervous before every session. I questioned the decision more than once.


Then one day a lady came up to me after class and told me she didn't like my music.


I'll admit that one stung.


I drove home wondering if I'd made the wrong call. Maybe I'd left the security of my previous role for nothing. Maybe this wasn't going to work.


But I kept turning up.



What Happened Next


Not long after, another lady came over after class and told me how much she loved what I was doing. She started telling other people. Those people told more people. Slowly, week by week, the classes grew.


Today most of my classes are full.



One of my favourite things is that a lovely couple who came to one of my very first classes when I returned in 2020 still show up regularly today. Moments like that mean more to me than they'll probably ever know.



What Teaching Has Really Been About

People often assume I teach aqua because I love exercise. And I do. But that's not the biggest reason.


It's the friendships I watch grow over time. The confidence people build without even realising it. The laughter that echoes around the pool. Watching someone arrive carrying the weight of their day and leave smiling.


That's what fills my cup.


Twenty-six years in I've realised this story was never really about teaching aqua. It was about saying yes to something I never expected. Backing myself when I wasn't sure. Continuing even when I doubted the decision.


We're all going to have moments where we wonder if we've made the right choice. Someone won't understand your path. Someone won't like your music. And that's okay.


Keep showing up. Keep learning. Keep being yourself.

Because sometimes the opportunity that changes your life is the one you never planned to say yes to.


And if you're at one of those crossroads right now, wondering whether to keep going or take a chance on something new, I'd love to have a chat.


👉 Book a free initial coaching call here — I'd love to hear from you.




With love and twenty-six years of wet hair,

Kellie 🌿






 
 
 
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