- Written by Shannon Eustace
- BBC News, Suffolk
A Suffolk woman has said she plans to start a fitness business after appearing on BBC One’s Gladiators.
Natasha Lawrence, a nurse from Ipswich, reached the quarter-finals of the 2024 series.
She said the show inspired her to build a career in fitness, and she works part-time as a personal trainer.
“We’d love to host a fitness event for a lot of people in Ipswich and Suffolk…it would be really great,” Ms Lawrence said.
The show was pre-recorded in June last year following tryouts and three days of training in Sheffield.
Lawrence finished as the fastest runner-up in his heat, earning him a spot in the quarterfinals.
Unfortunately, she was eliminated after six attempts against fellow contestant Bronte Jones.
“It doesn’t matter whether you win or lose, as long as you do your best,” she said.
Ms. Lawrence, who just completed her Level 1 Artistic Gymnastics Coach Certification, said many students recognized her at the show and that she has been asked to speak about determination at local elementary schools.
“I’m so overwhelmed by everyone’s response,” she added.
“It’s really nice to be recognized for that and be able to offer advice and support to others.”
Following her elimination from the show on Saturday, Lawrence said: “I want to start a fitness business…I want to get a property, do fitness classes, something like that.”
After the episode aired, Lawrence said her interest in personal training sessions peaked.
“We’ve received a lot of messages of interest, so we’d like to make that even more exciting.”