Fitness junkie Lizzie de Jager will get you moving

One could go so far as to call Lizzie de Jager the Duracell bunny, even at the age of 62.

Fitness in all forms has always been Lizzie’s main passion and as her mother once told her, she was born to run right from the first time she stood up.

Having competed and qualified internationally in a variety of sporting disciplines and even doing choreography work for big brands such as Nike, Lizzie moved from Johannesburg to Ballito last year to pursue her dream of opening a freestyle gymnastic and sports academy.

This plan may come to fruition soon, in partnership with a new gym in town.

Lizzie discovered her absolute passion for fitness at the age of 6, enrolling in ballet classes which she continued for some 21 years, becoming a ballet teacher.

But ballet was just the start for this powerhouse of energy and vitality, with a total of 2 gyms under her belt, qualifications in personal training and much more, including becoming an international sports aerobics judge.

Lizzie says she has big plans not only for young people, but also for older residents who are unaware of what their bodies are still capable of.

“Age does not define me. I define myself and this is true for everyone out there,” she said.

A former Miss Physique and Miss Fitness coach, Lizzie is a proficient teacher in yoga, pilates, boxing and even weightlifting.

Her inspiration comes from her father, Brian Wallett, a former South African weightlifting champion.

Tragedy struck at the age of 12 when Lizzie’s mom passed away and she struggled to understand why her father immediately took to training.

“I asked him: ‘Daddy, why are you training while sad?’ And I’ll never forget what he said to me: ‘Because, my lambchop, when I am sad and unhappy I need to push that out by training.’ The words have stuck with me throughout my life and are so true.”

“I have a love for movement,” she says, having also trained people who suffered from mental, physical and spiritual issues, right through to addiction.

Lizzie will be offering training at the Fit24 gym in Ballito once it opens, contact her at 078 638 1054.

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