Ballymoney all-female gym wins Best Gym of the Year title in awards

Forge Female Fitness in Ballymoney were awarded Best Gym of the Year at the second annual Local Women Sport awards at the Europa Hotel on Saturday, April 27. The gym was nominated by Helen Logan who, as a wheelchair user had difficulty finding a gym who would coach her as a disabled athlete, until she found Forge last August.

Since then Helen has flourished in what she describes as “a non-judgemental environment that inspires and motivates her”. Helen has now been selected for the Commonwealth Games 3x3 Basketball Team, with the help of Head Coach Grace, and her team, the Causeway Giants.

Helen said in her nomination: "Forge just encapsulates moving women's sport forward, after trying unsuccessfully to find a gym, when I met Head Coach Grace and the team at Forge, they did not hesitate, this to me deserves special recognition, because sport and fitness is for all shapes, all sizes, all sizes, all, full stop."

Led by Head Coach Grace, who shed an inspiring 156 lbs and earned the accolade of Best Female Personal Trainer in Northern Ireland twice, the studio has "stood over the past eight years as a beacon of women's empowerment and transformation”, and this was recognised with their win of Gym of the Year.

Alongside Head Coach Grace are Senior Coach JoJo and Nutrition and Mindset Coach Sarah, whose combined weight loss exceeds 250lbs. The gym was recognised for its supportive environment for women of all ages, abilities and backgrounds, in their custom-built ladies-only studio and online coaching platform.