If you live in Melbourne, you’ll know that the name Eliza Bingham, is synonymous with elite fitness. Having spent over fifteen years working with the body through Remedial Massage and Personal Training, Eliza is now at a level in her career and life, where the value of her experience’s lifts other women to find their true wellness potential.
Like any successful entrepreneur, Eliza has had her fair share of struggles in the past, but has NEVER given up on pursuing her dreams and living the life of her wildest imagination.
In 2010, she was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s disease, an autoimmune condition where the body attacks the thyroid, slowing down her metabolism and often left her feeling exhausted, full of aches and pains. She spent THREE years visiting Naturopaths and doctors, trying EVERYTHING they suggested to get into the best shape of her life – despite the fact they told her she should give up her dreams of competing in the fitness arena, and perhaps consider a career change.
Aside from running her successful PT business out of Fitness First Richmond, Eliza offers Online Coaching Programs, Corporate Events, Fitness Retreats and has just released a brand new book “BOSSWOMAN: Take back control of your body and life”. While that is her main focus, she’s always working hard on new collaborations, workshops, competitions, retreat planning, up-skilling and being a bad-ass brand ambassador for Eden Health Foods organic protein supplements!
Eliza in a relaxed start during her Bali #BOSSWOMAN retreat last year
In this interview, I talk to Eliza about her journey out of sickness, uplifting others, and what she has in store for the next 12 months.
M.E. “You’ve had an incredible journey in the health & fitness arena so far, including sculpting your own body despite having an autoimmune disease. How did you manage to find the strength to rise up to where you are now?”
E.B. “I felt constantly tired as my body tried to fight the illness. Originally I went to see the GP, who told me that the best solution was to stay on medication for the rest of my life, reconsider my career and accept the fact that I was going to continuously GAIN weight. They also told me I should give up my dream of wanting to compete [in body sculpting] as my body wouldn’t be able to handle the pressure. My intuition told me that I shouldn’t take that for an answer, that I shouldn’t ACCEPT that, so I looked for alternatives.
“Being in the health industry, there are always ways that you can improve and turn things around. Who’s to tell me what I can do with my body and my life?” – Eliza Bingham
When the GP told me that, I thought to myself, this is Bull****! I’m such a driven person, and I’m used to just go go go; I didn’t want to give up then and there and I searched for answers. I saw a Naturopath, and was then put onto an integrative specialist who I worked with for two years and constantly tried new approaches to fix it. During my research, I came across a book on Adrenal Fatigue and felt like that aligned so much more with what was going on in my body, so I took matters into my own hands and came out on top.
“Though not a medical practitioner, I became the CEO of my own body and was able to reverse my illness and the impact it was having on my lifestyle and freedom to live to my fullest potential.” – Eliza Bingham
M.E. “You’ve obviously been through a lot in your life, is there anyone in particular who inspires you to keep breaking new ground? ”
E.B. “To be honest, I feel like it’s a continuum of people that come into my life that I’m inspired by. It’s not like I actively go out and look for these people, but we just seem to cross paths in some way of another.
Some of the people that have inspired me most have been my business coach and my competition coach, but I guess my inspiration for continuously going and never stopping; that would be my parents. My Mum and my Dad. The inspiration comes from their belief in me.
“My inspiration for continuously going and never stopping; that would be my parents. My Mum and my Dad. The inspiration comes from their belief in me.” – Eliza Bingham
I’ve fallen over, and made some ridiculous mistakes, (money mistakes, business mistakes) that have cost me a lot in terms of either finances or where I was headed, and done some things that were completely wrong for me and it’s been great to always have their support. We have a very open relationship, so they know exactly who I am and what I’m all about.
They’ve never stopped being excited for me, they’ve never stopped believing in me, they’re always there for me when I need them. If there are ever times I doubt myself, they will help remind me who I am and where I came from, and remind me of how much I’ve done and achieved already. That kind of love and support just motives me.”
M.E. “Having been in the personal training industry for over a decade, from your experience, why do you think most people don’t go on to achieve the results they have set out to?
E.B. “Most people don’t spend enough time focusing on what they want, and might like their life to be, or what they want their body to look like. They don’t spend enough time getting specific with that, and when you don’t know where you’re going, you can’t map out the plan to get there.
“A lot of people talk about a want of being healthy and fit, but how can you get there if you don’t know specifically what that really means to you, or what it looks like in your life. Instead, so many people whinge, or b**** or moan about what they DON’T have in their life, or why they’re not where they want to be, yet they haven’t figured out exactly where they want to get to. ” – Eliza Bingham
I find some people just have lack of self-awareness of what they actually want to achieve. They might have a physical goal they want to achieve which is great, but often it goes deeper into the emotional and mental reasons behind that goal that are the ones we work on to truly achieve the first part.
The better you know your goal, the more you say it out loud; the more focused you can be. If you can become not only focused on WHAT you want, but WHY you want it – then you will be a lot more successful. Women are mentally and emotionally stimulated, so to just have a physical body goal, is often not enough.”
M.E. “What holds them back?”
E.B. “A lot of the time it comes down to self-love, self-worth and self-respect. Once they have figured out what they want, there’s often a massive gap between SAYING what they want, and then putting those steps toward it into action. People can often know what they want, SAY what they want, but prefer just talking about it and watching it grow further and further out of reach by not taking action – myself included!
M.E. “What is your best advice for achieving goals?”
E.B. “My best advice for achieving goals is to become self-aware of what you truly want, then get specific about how you’re going to get there, and TAKE ACTION.
“Its time to change, and I need someone to help me do this.” – Eliza Bingham
If you need help, don’t be afraid to seek it out or ask it. If the goal was easy, then you would have achieved it already. My personal training clients have ups and downs, and we get real with each other. We talk about things they are doing right and wrong, and I give them honest feedback in a supportive way. If they decide one day they want to have a chocolate bar, or stop in at Macca’s on the way home, they need to own that and not regret it. There’s no point in beating yourself up on something small like that, because tomorrow is a new day and you must have down’s, and setbacks to enjoy the success of a win. The roller-coaster ride is important.
“You can choose to focus on the one bad thing you did wrong and let it run your days, OR you can chose to own your s***, let it go, and move on. There’s a lot of power in owning your choice” – Eliza Bingham
Sometimes you just need to simplify your s***. You have to OWN all of your decisions and then let them go – good and bad. Think about ONE thing you can do in the day that will help towards your goal when it starts to overwhelm you. It might be to go for a ten minute walk, to eat well, or to drink more water. It’s better to simplify the whole process then to get into that negative cycle of beating yourself up over one little thing you did wrong.”
M.E. “You’re currently training PT clients out of Richmond Fitness First, but I see you also offer corporate events and retreats; where do you see yourself progressing in the next 12-18 months?”
E.B. “My Queensland retreats are something I definitely want to blow up more. I’ve got two this year, and am planning for six next year. From there, I want to increase them by two each year at a minimum. I want to grow and expand, but keep true to the driving force of the #BOSSWOMAN escape retreats. A huge element of the retreats, is that I include a surprise at each retreat. As I grow, and learn more and unfold my self, I can add new dimensions to each of the coming retreats. I’ll always be adding something new, something that hasn’t been done at the previous one. The retreats are a great opportunity to bring women together in a fun, supportive environment, and learn powerful methods to enhance their lives, grow their minds and challenge their bodies.
Aside from the BOSSWOMAN escapes, I’ve got my self made body project which is a six-week coaching system I offer women that can’t come to the retreats or aren’t based in Melbourne. Through this, I educate women how to manage their own bodies from the knowledge and experience that has shaped my life and career.
“It’s an investment in yourself, like any course of study or education.” – Eliza Bingham
You walk away not only with enhanced knowledge of health and fitness, but also a greater understanding of YOU.”
M.E. “When you have free time; you’re not training, teaching or being the #BOSSWOMAN that we all know and love you for, what do you do to unwind and refocus?”
E.B. “Journaling is a massive part of every single day, and I also like to hibernate sometimes. I’m such a giver, and spend so much time around people, that sometimes I just need time alone to recharge completely, allowing myself to give my all again.
It’s also a chance where I like to date myself. It’s a super important part of what I do, and what I teach. I like to do things for other people, but I’ve got to do things for myself as well.
“It doesn’t matter what happens in the world, I’ve always got me”
I’m always telling people how important self-love and self-care are, and when that’s lacking for me, I can’t give my all. I always practice what I preach.
I also love to travel and eat. Food is a big part of who I am. I think everyone knows how much I love Hunky Dory sweet potato fries and Messina ice cream. I get tagged [on Facebook] in a lot of posts at these places. Competing has taught me a lot about discipline, but when I’m not training for that, I enjoy people, and self-love, stepping through my own fears and of course – food.
Life is meant to be enjoyed, and you don’t know when your time is up; so if you don’t LOVE what you’re doing daily, then what’s the point!”
M.E. “Lastly, if you had ONE piece of advice to share for other budding entrepreneurs in the wellness sector, what would it be?”
E.B. “Stay true to YOU. There’s nobody else that can be you, there’s only ONE you. Be honest, stay real. You can listen to everyone else’s opinion in the world, but in the end, you have to listen to yourself.” – Eliza Bingham
Hope you enjoyed the read, and are feeling inspired the path of this dedicated Personal Trainer. If you are in Melbourne and looking to reach YOUR health and fitness goals, contact Eliza through her Facebook page for a private chat. Additionally, she is running a FREE workshop this Saturday at Richmond Fitness First, and has a #BOSSWOMAN escape coming up in July.
Love & light,
Monique Elouise xx
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