Testimonials

Majella Fowler: “My name is Majella Fowler, and my PT is Stephan Venter from Aurora Active in Bowral (Australia). During 2014, I had commenced training and fundraising to enter the New York City Half Marathon on behalf of the Heart Foundation. It was a huge commitment financially and physically. I was devastated when 3 months from my event I was diagnosed with a stress fracture and my foot was placed in an orthopaedic boot. I thought that I would be unable to train, unable to compete, and also let down all the people that had made donations on my behalf to the Heart Foundation.

Stephan developed a programme for me on the AlterG that meant I could train without compromising my foot whilst maintaining my muscular and cardiovascular fitness. This was amazing, as I could train even in the last weeks of wearing the orthopaedic boot. Stephan was amazing, and he donated time and developed programmes for use on the AlterG daily, when required. The programme was safe and he adapted the programme to suit my physical constraints. Stephan made every day fun and, even whilst running for many hours at a time, he managed to develop programmes that maintained my interest. He went above and beyond any PT I have ever worked with and I am aware that he spent many hours of his own time liaising with AlterG technicians to develop programmes to enable me to compete. He even sent me to America with a care pack!!!!!!!

I ran in the New York City Half Marathon…….despite a stress fracture in my foot and being in an orthopaedic boot a month before the event – and I will be eternally grateful to Stephan Venter and the AlterG for enabling me to run in this amazing event – despite some scepticism that I would ever run again. I still run – without pain. I train and would never know that I had the injury. Of course, I still train with Stephan at Aurora Active. He is the BEST!”

Maxine: Five reasons I love training at Aurora Active

1. Aurora Active is a positive zone. No policeman-wannabe trainers yelling at you and making you generally making you feel like you are less fit than they are/you should be/you committed to be/you will be. If you didn’t already know this, you wouldn’t be there to start with.
2. Aurora Active is friendly and personal. A maximum of 3 other souls per session means that you get the attention you need to maintain the correct technique and get results. If you aren’t getting results, it gives you the attention you need to complain to someone about not getting said results and for that someone to address potential reasons for a lack of said results so that the said elusive results become actual results.
3. Aurora Active is appointment-based. This means it is commitment-based.
4. Aurora Active rehabilitates injuries and helps you return to your former glory (provided that you had a former glory… if not, it will help you get a new glory).
5. Aurora Active has an awesome orange wall and colourful kettlebells. If I was strong enough, I might steal one and use it as an ornament in my house. I’m not sure committing a felony is an ideal fitness goal though.

Susan: “I am training at Aurora Active because it ticks all the boxes for my Exercise regime at this point in time and I am loving it!
It’s about the “E”s! Stephan, you are so Energetic, Enthusiastic and Encouraging and the program we are on is Enjoyable, Efficient and hopefully Effective, given time. The fact that I can share with a friend, do an early morning session, that it is over and done within half an hour or so and that it is not costing a fortune is Exactly what I have been after.
I am looking forward to a body transformation – It’s Exciting!!”

Angela: “The training is quite different and although at “first glance” looks to be not overly taxing is a great workout and targets most if not all the muscle groups (Am not too sure of the anatomy). I quite like the fact that it is not just using a machine in terms of a treadmill/bike and that we move from the VibroGym mats to the floor to the machines. All in all, a bit of variety which in terms of exercise is a good thing as one is not too bored. Good job guys. Not to mention the trainer is pretty good too!!!!!!!”

Martin Cooper: “My name is Martin Cooper, and I have been working with Stephan Venter and the team at Aurora Active for almost a year. I am a 19 year- old distance runner, and like many young athletes, I have experienced a variety of injuries. Using the AlterG at Aurora has allowed me to raise my training ceiling, adding more mileage than I was capable of before. It has been an integral tool in my progress, and my performance has benefited from it.

As my therapist, Stephan has provided me with essential massage sessions that have allowed me to recover from injuries and get ready for my next session. All this culminated in me achieving one of my dreams last month, when I competed for Australia at the World Mountain Running Championships in Wales, finishing 35th. I suffered knee injuries in the lead up to this, and without Stephan and the AlterG, I may not have returned to running in time to be fit. However, Stephan helps many more people than me, and it is those with physical ailments who benefit most from Aurora, and this makes them a fantastic addition to our community. I can’t imagine a more deserving winner of this prize.”

Sylvie: “I am truly enjoying my time at Aurora Active. I get a quick and effective work out with Stephan.”

Ann: “It is like nothing I have ever experienced before. It is wonderful to work on every aspect of my fitness. Stephan helps to keep me motivated, it’s fun and I get results!”

Karen: “It is different from any workouts I have done in the past! I love it and I have noticed my cellulite has reduced!”

Tracy: “I ran a PB of 1hr 25mins 🙂 I have been trying to run this time in the last three half marathons but haven’t been able hold the pace for the last few kms. Finally, everything came together nicely on Sunday and was able to hold 4 min/km pace over this distance. It’s the best my legs have felt during and after, my recovery has been great. So thank you so much for use of the alter g to allow to keep training with my calf niggle. I honestly think by increasing my leg speed on the treadmill helped to feel comfortable running at this pace over the last few weeks since returning to road running. It also meant I could go into the race with no loss of fitness, calf in perfect condition and confidence in my ability. Thank you again, so happy with the result and couldn’t have got that without your help! 🙂 “

Tilsa Collings: “I started going to Aurora Active when I was training for a half marathon and was suffering from very tight calves. I was seeing another Physio and he had said I couldn’t do long distances on the road, but I could build my kilometers up by using the AlterG. So since then I use the machine regularly on a weekly basis and am so happy that I now can also not only run half marathons, but run them without pain. Thank goodness for Aurora Active and Stephan for all their help!”

Tracy Clinch: “May 2014 I was at the peak of my training and preparation for the Goldcoast marathon. I had just been selected for the state team to represent NSW for this event being the Australian marathon championships. Five weeks out from the race, I was feeling the best I ever have, confident to achieve the goal I had been working towards the past six months. It was at this time I had a terrible encounter with a dog, that decided to jump out in front of me, throughout a training session one morning. I came off second best, falling to the concrete ground and sustaining a fracture to my left elbow. Being a physiotherapist, I knew what impact this would have on my race plans.

The impact and jarring effects on my elbow running on land would have been too much and potentially interfere with the fracture healing process. I was still determined to make it to the start line, so looked into training alternatives. Bike? Deep water running? AlterG! The AlterG would be the single best simulation to allow training to continue. I contacted Stephan at Aurora Active in Bowral, and he was more than happy to help me out with this process. I did a three-and-a-half week block before being ready to return to running outside. I made it to the start line of the marathon with as minimal fitness loss as possible and a healed elbow.

In 2015, before the Goldcoast half marathon, I experienced a small strain to my calf muscle in training. I again contacted Aurora Active and Stephan kindly helped me out with another training block. I ran a PB at the Goldcoast half marathon of 1hr25mins. I was able to continue on to come in 1st place at Adelaide Marathon in August with another PB time of 2hrs58mins. The staff at Aurora Active have been so supportive and helpful in my recovery and helping me to achieve my running goals; I wouldn’t have been there without them!”

Beth: “I really enjoy Aurora Active … truly dedicated to helping us move towards our fitness goal.”

Kirsty: “I train at Aurora Active because I love it! It is unlike any other gym I have ever been to. I have joined and then subsequently quit all the bigger gyms over the years and I realised it was due to one reason. I got bored! I could not afford to have a personal trainer twice a week and I did not have the self-motivation to attend the gym and workout effectively on my own. Aurora Active is perfect for me, its affordable, I love that each workout different, the trainers give each client personal attention and they are always enthusiastic providing me with the motivation to get my butt out of bed and to the gym, even on a freezing cold Bowral morning! Mum and I love coming and enjoy each and every session!”

Peter: “I started using the Vibrogym for rehabilitation after knee surgery when I couldn’t do any other exercises. I used it to help build up the muscles and increase the range of movement that I had lost from the surgery. The best thing about it was the machine doesn’t cause back strain or cause any other joint problems and with the guidance of Stephan I am seeing progress in regaining strength in my leg, reducing the swelling and increasing my mobility.”

Sarah: “I have actually signed up to a gym once and went a couple of times.
I have chosen to sign up to Aurora Active for the (semi-) private lessons, the quietness of the place and the quality and diversity of the exercise. I would definitely recommend Aurora Active whether you want to lose weight, get fitter but also take time for yourself.”

Khiala: “After having Aurora Active recommended to me by a friend, I have been training with Stephan for the last 12 months and loved every minute! Aurora Active provides a personalised service and tailors all exercises to my individual goals and ability level. I have experienced great results and this type of training has totally changed my attitude towards exercise.”

Keri: “Having been a member, and a frequent user, at a local health club for many years I realized my health and my commitment to training had plateaued. I became uninspired by the generic approach of classes and unchallenged by age-old routines. Aurora training is not only challenging it’s also a personal training session every visit. I’m never left to my own devices to work as hard as I want, I’m always challenged to work as hard as Stephan believes I should! My aching muscles are testimony to the strength and effect of the exercise routines and my increased balance, thanks to a strengthened core, one of the many bonuses of the unique vibrating machines!”

Mike: “I have been extremely happy with the level of professionalism, knowledge and services offered at Aurora Active. My fitness level & strength have improved dramatically. It’s a great feeling to come into a gym and be welcomed by name every time.”

Reg and Jacqui: “My wife and myself are enjoying your sessions we find great motivation in going together and enjoy the variety of each session and importantly not over doing things the way some gyms do causing injury, we find the working on the core rather than just muscle work which is important to our well-being. We are big fans.”

Anna: “I just wanted to thank you again for yesterday. Your massage really helps. I can’t believe how much better my back is since I started at your gym and under your expert care and knowledge. So, thank you so much.”

Tamsin: “The Alter-G treadmill at Aurora Active Bowral has played an instrumental role in my recovery from knee surgery. The AlterG treadmill allowed me to run for longer periods of time and increase my fitness level without having to worry if I was putting too much pressure or strain on my recovering knee. Running on the AlterG treadmill and gym sessions with the Aurora Active trainers has helped rebuild my confidence and prepare me for my return to elite level hockey.”