The Body Refinery has been helping clients achieve their fitness and movement goals since 2008.
While every one of our clients is treated like a star, we are proud to sponsor some amazing Brisbane-based athletes.
Read on to learn more about these inspiring clients, their success stories, latest achievements and more.
Are you interested in becoming a sponsored athlete? Please contact us for details on our sponsorship program.
My name is Tom James and I am a runner. Over the last nine years, I have challenged myself over many races across varied distances and terrains, from my weekly parkrun (I love New Farm parkrun!) to marathons, to 100mile ultra marathons. I am excited by aiming to better my best; running faster and sometimes further than I have before.
My biggest achievement would have to be finishing the Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run. The Western States is a 100-mile ultra trail race that starts at a ski resort in California and crosses the Sierra Nevada, finishing 100miles later in Auburn, California. Just to get in, you have to get through a lottery as only 369 people can enter the race each year. To get a ‘ticket’ in the lottery you have to complete a qualifying race, and it can take up to 8 years to get through the lottery. I was a first-year entrant to the lottery, which gave me a two per cent chance of getting in, and I was pulled out of the tombola! With the help of my amazing crew (you need a crew for these long-distance ultra trail events!) of my wife and two good friends, I completed the Western States in 28 hours and 24 minutes, seeing two dawns along the way!
My current short term goal is to set a new official marathon personal best at the Sunshine Coast Marathon on 10th October. On the way to that race, I also want to break my 5K and 10K personal bests. A long term goal is to run the Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc, an extremely scenic and tough 170K race around the Mont Blanc massif in the French Alps.
I run six days a week, averaging 80 – 90K a week. Every Tuesday night I do Pilates at The Body Refinery with the amazing Lexi Garland. I also do bodyweight exercises four days a week, and these are exercises that Lexi and other instructors at The Body Refinery have taught me over the last year.
I had a persistent back injury from work, that would not go away. Someone suggested I try Pilates as I had had some minor improvement through yoga. I live near The Body Refinery and had been meaning to try it for a while so this presented a great opportunity to train at the studio.
The Pilates with Lexi and Courtney fixed my back, which made a huge difference, and I also found that my running times were coming down. Since starting Pilates I have developed a strong core, which has enabled me to run faster and recover quicker from hard races and training runs. Thanks to Pilates I am on the cusp of breaking my 5K and 10K personal bests set 8 years ago, when I was in my early thirties! Having a stronger core also helps me in other aspects of daily life and means my body is generally more resilient.
Do it! I consider it essential for any runner who is wanting to improve their fitness, times and/or run further. I also find it an enjoyable practice. The Body Refinery is also such a welcoming and comfortable environment.
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