Expat | Brazilian trainer calls for change from body

“I came to Shenzhen with my husband who was employed by Shenzhen Airlines from Brazil in 2006. I have been a trainer for 14 years. I started out by working as a trainer in another gym for three years, and then I started my own gym,” the Brazilian, who would like to go by Dani, said.

Danielle Klein. Courtey of the interviewee

Dani closed her previous gym and opened Daniklein Maxam Studio in January to give clients a better training environment.

“In Brazil, I was a professional swimmer, but I stopped swimming because I broke my shoulder ligaments. One year after I came to Shenzhen, I found a professional Australian trainer to teach me training, and I started my coaching career when I was 38 years old. Now I am 53,” Dani added.

When it comes to whether she will continue to be a trainer, Dani said that “if I can, that is for sure. I love what I am doing, not just for myself, but also for my clients. Each of my clients is different, because they have different goals. Their goals are my goals. It’s not just about business. It is my passion, it is a way of life.”

Dani believed that exercise is not only about the body, but also about mind, ego, self-confidence and happiness. “When you start exercising, it means change — not just about the body but about everything, and you will love yourself more and more. Many clients just want to lose weight at first, but when they see the changes in their bodies, they begin to increase the frequency of their exercises, from once a week to three or four times and even every day.”

“For example, when work was not satisfactory, clients said that they were not ready for training that day, but I pushed them to exercise, even just doing light training. Actually, once you start exercising, negative emotions will gradually dissipate, and everyone feels better after exercising. So let us start exercising which will make differences.”

Daniklein Maxam Studio not only provides one-on-one training guidance, but also online training guidance which makes the gym still operational.

Dani said that Shenzhen is safe and convenient, adding that “Shenzhen is a safe place to raise kids, and to walk around. When I was in Brazil, I didn’t have that freedom to walk around with a phone in my hand, with money in wallet. Life here is also very convenient because I can meet most of my needs in Shekou instead of going far away. This is why I have been in China for 16 years.”

Editor/Chen Siqi

WeChat Editors/Claudia, Helen