Team Kotecha Dance Fitness is so much more than a fitness class. We are here to get you fit & healthy both physically and mentally!!! Both are just as important as each other. I want to make sure that no one has to face their demons alone, whatever they may be.

I know I talk about her all of the time, but I think it’s important that people are aware, not ashamed and understand that there is help out there if you need it. My best friend Lisa committed suicide in 2018. I met Lisa in university in 2008 and we hit it off from day one. Lisa was actually on my twin sisters floor in uni and I remember the first time that I met her so clearly. Lynette & Lisa were drunk running around the campus making friends with everyone. That was the first time that I’d met her. She was full of life and so funny and I knew I wanted to be her friend! As the weeks, months and years went on, it was evident that we had all of the same interests and hobbies. We had an amazing group of friends and we literally had the time of our lives every single day. Our group of friends would spend every day together and despite studying for our degrees and being in relationships we always had time to go to the gym together, go out together and have the BEST nights out.

When we graduated we would spend most nights on the phone together and arrange our next adventures. It was like having another sister. We did an A-Z tour of the UK, went hiking, carried on our nights out as usual, went on holidays and got grown up jobs . Lisa moved abroad for a few years and we still stayed in touch (despite her having the worst phones in the world and she’d always end up losing them 😂) and visited her and had so many more fun times.

Nothing I’ve written above would make you think that I’d be sat here writing this with her no longer with us.

There were signs, but sometimes the signs aren’t obvious and if you don’t understand mental health (which is completely fine), it might be really hard to even see something that’s there in front of your face. Mental health is such a taboo subject. We are getting better at talking about it, but when I was in uni and long after I left... people didn’t talk about it and they most certainly didn’t understand the signs.

It’s important that we understand that we need to support our friends or even strangers we know who do the above. The people who suffer the most tend to do it in silence.

They may be able to get on with their everyday lives, working, going out but suffer with mental health issues, or they may be withdrawn and not want to leave their house. Neither is better than the other, and neither is easier than the other.

Our mission at Team Kotecha Dance Fitness is simple. We don’t compete with anyone but ourselves, because there is no competition. Life is hard, we want to make it easier.♥️

All proceeds go to MIND so please donate what you can. Everyone who donates £5 has a ticket to the class xx