Despite pursuing mechanical engineering at Singapore Polytechnic, Emelyn Goh’s heart was set on fitness and sports since young. After all, her biggest muse is the mother of aerobics, Jane Fonda. While Fonda’s drive and energy may have led Emelyn to pursue a career in fitness, she’s set on making her mark at ONE°15 Marina Sentosa Cove. Here, she talks about her inspirations and plans for the Club’s activities.
I have always been in the fitness industry. However, most of my time at my previous jobs were spent handling business development and marketing tenders, which I found to be very dry. When I stumbled upon the advertisement for this job, it sounded exactly like what I wanted. It’s more than just a fitness role, because in addition to managing the gym, I handle the recreational offerings as well.
I have been working here only since late last year, but I have just introduced some new fitness classes. For now, we have got Zumba and yoga in addition to the Acqua Fitness and Aquabox classes, but we are also introducing a Power ABT class—ABT stands for abs, butt and thighs. I will be teaching this class myself!
I look at what are the trending activities out there and measure it against the membership demographics to see what might interest Members. From there, I will shortlist activities to go for, and source for instructors with good reviews, who are able to conduct a professional and fun session for Members. As these activities are new to the Club, we usually offer trial sessions, so Members do not have to commit to a long programme. They can also invite friends to join them in future sessions. What has been your biggest challenge so far? With COVID-19, a big challenge for everyone is not being able to come together for events or activities. And this is greatly felt by the fitness industry especially since a part of our offerings are group exercises. Having said that, we have to overcome the limitations by thinking out of the box.
With COVID-19, a big challenge for everyone is not being able to come together for events or activities. And this is greatly felt by the fitness industry especially since a part of our offerings are group exercises. Having said that, we have to overcome the limitations by thinking out of the box such as creating virtual workouts or conducting them in smaller, safer groups. The execution is another challenge itself because crossing from physical to online exercise is new to us. We looked up resources like YouTube or learnt from friends in order to bring our plans into fruition. I am glad that we were able to adapt quickly and continue to provide Members with fitness services during this period.
Other than Jane Fonda? Definitely, the general manager of my previous company, who I was fortunate to meet and be mentored by. I learnt a lot from her, particularly when it came to teamwork and partnerships. She is also a strong believer of giving back to the society, and we have worked on charity events for seniors and the Salvation Army. I am inspired by how well and wisely she manages her time between family, work, charity and her own dreams. Even during the pandemic, she managed to open an online flower shop. Despite the challenges, she never gave up on her dreams or stopped working. That is inspiring to me.
The breathtaking view of the marina is a bonus, but what I love most is the job itself. The work culture here is healthy, and the Members motivate me because they are so positive and welcoming. I enjoy having the liberty to introduce and revamp the offerings here and seeing Members becoming more engaged with the Club.
Even during my polytechnic days, I was dabbling in sports—dragon boating, rock climbing, hiking, sailing and more. They have all been learning curves of their own. I have also done triathlon training, which teaches discipline and time management. This is very handy in my role. It’s how I manage a training schedule for my students, too.
If I have to be honest, my diverse experience and background allows me to relate better with Members. This is helpful because I want to essentially build a strong fitness community—a place where people can meet, train and then hang out as a group.
I will soon be reintroducing kayaking, stand-up paddling and more water sports into our programme as we have a clean water marina—which is perfect grounds for such activities. Having licenses for powerboat, scuba diving and kayaking helps me to curate water sports with the safety aspect in mind. I would like to utilise my expertise to the fullest and make ONE°15 Marina Sentosa Cove a one-stop-destination for Members when it comes to water sports.
