Southampton resident and BH Live Active member, who spent years living with a long-term leg injury, has praised the support of her local fitness community for transforming her confidence, strength, and career path.
Kerry was born with gait issues that required multiple corrective surgeries on her legs. Complications from the second operation left her with a severe infection. Over 18 months, she underwent five surgeries on her right femur.
While recovering, Kerry decided she wanted to rethink her lifestyle and become more active. She began her fitness journey with low-impact classes, including Aqua Fit and Good Boost Aqua classes at Bitterne Leisure Centre, to improve mobility and strengthen her legs.
As her confidence and stamina grew, she soon progressed to Les Mills™ classes such as BODYSTEP, BODYPUMP, and BODYCOMBAT. She soon joined Ladies That Lift sessions, designed to introduce both beginner and advanced members to free-weights training. It wasn’t long before each week, she was finding space to workout at the front of each class.
But walking into the gym for the first time was daunting.
“I felt really overwhelmed,” she admitted. “But the staff and people there made all the difference. They were really chatty and supportive, and as a result, the gym became a welcoming and friendly space. Our friendships really made it feel like a community. It felt easy, in the end, to come back every week just to see all the familiar faces.”
In early 2025, one of Kerry’s class instructors encouraged her to become a lifeguard.
“I was really worried about the physical fitness test, but thanks to the encouragement of the instructors, I decided to go for it.”
She completed the six‑day intensive course, which includes monthly ongoing training and a requalification every two years. She officially qualified in November and began working as a lifeguard for BH Live Active in December 2025.
“I’d absolutely recommend it. The camaraderie is brilliant and it’s so rewarding. You learn so much, especially in first aid. You get really stuck in,” she said.
Kerry is now considering working towards a swimming teacher qualification, a milestone that feels especially meaningful, as she first learned to swim at Bitterne Leisure Centre with encouragement from her sister.
BH Live Active, Bitterne is operated by registered charity and social enterprise BH Live in partnership with Southampton City Council.
On behalf of BH Live, Maxwell Bradbury-Knight, Contract Manager, shared;
“Kerry’s journey is an inspiring example of what can be achieved when someone is supported by a welcoming and inclusive fitness community. At BH Live Active, we are committed to making activity accessible for everyone, especially for those rebuilding confidence after illness or injury. We’re delighted that the team and facilities at Bitterne Leisure Centre have played such a positive part in her recovery and future ambitions.”
Just a short drive from Southampton City Centre, Bitterne Leisure Centre is a multi-complex facility, offering activities for visitors of all ages and abilities to help improve health and wellbeing.
The centre also facilitates access to swimming for families, including free swimming for under‑5s. BH Live is additionally dedicated to supporting residents with long-term injuries and health conditions through its exercise referral scheme, which launched in Southampton earlier this year.
For more information about BH Live’s health and wellbeing programmes, visit bhliveactive.org.uk/health-and-wellbeing-activities.
For more information about BH Live Active, visit bhliveactive.org.uk.
-ENDS-
Notes to Editors:
For more information about BH Live please contact:
Daisy Saunders, PR & Communications Executive
E: press.office@bhlive.org.uk
About BH Live
Champions of community engagement, health and wellness across Dorset, Hampshire, and London
BH Live, a registered charity and social enterprise, is a leading operator of sports and leisure centres, theatres, and event venues. Our vision is to create sustainable and inspiring opportunities, deliver great experiences for our communities, and improve health and well-being.
With a strong commitment to accessibility and community engagement, BH Live continues to enhance the quality of people’s lives, health and wellbeing in the communities it serves.
BH Live was established in 2010. Local authority partners include BCP Council, Portsmouth City Council, Croydon Council, and Southampton City Council.
We are at the heart of the UK’s growing social economy. Together with our partners we are helping to change lives and make a positive impact in the community.
For more visit bhlive.org.uk.
Get social with us:
LinkedIn – BH Live
Facebook – @SocialEnterpriseBHLive
Instagram @bhliveuk
BH Live is a leisure and cultural trust, established in 2010 as a ‘non profit distributing organisation’ (NPDO) for public benefit to promote participation in leisure and cultural events. BH Live is a Company Limited by Guarantee and Registered Charity. Charity No: 1138311. Company No: 07092112. VAT Reg No: 108 2248 37. BH Live (Enterprises) Ltd, is a Private Company Limited by Shares and a wholly owned subsidiary of BH Live. Company No: 07175626. VAT Reg No: 108 2248 37. Registered Office: Bournemouth International Centre, Exeter Road, Bournemouth, BH2 5BH. Registered in England and Wales.
These leisure centres are owned by Southampton City Council and operated by registered charity BH Live:
BH Live Active, The Quays – Situated near Southampton Harbour, The Quays is one of only four High Performance Centres for diving in the UK.
There is a 10m diving board with an 18m diving pool, with public swim sessions and swimming lessons taking place in a separate 25m main pool. Waterslides offer splashing fun for families and individuals, feeding into a separate lagoon pool complete with interactive water features.
With a state-of-the-art gym complete with cardio and strength areas, group exercise classes are delivered in dedicated studios.
A café with a seating area is also available on-site.
For more visit bhliveactive.org.uk/the-quays.
Get social with us:
Facebook – @BHLiveActive
Instagram – @thequayssouthampton
BH Live Active, Bitterne – Just a short drive from Southampton City Centre, Bitterne Leisure Centre is a multi-complex facility, offering activities for visitors of all ages and abilities to help improve health and wellbeing.
Swimming lessons and swim sessions take place regularly across a 25m main pool (complete with a waterslide) and a 10m learner pool.
With a state-of-the-art gym complete with cardio and strength areas, group exercise classes are delivered in dedicated studios.
A sports hall is also available for block bookings and general hire.
For more visit bhliveactive.org.uk/bitterne.
Get social with us:
Facebook – @BHLiveActive
Instagram – @bitterneleisurecentre
BH Live Active, Chamberlayne – Located in Weston, Chamberlayne Leisure Centre is a popular community leisure centre, offering a range of fitness classes and sports such as football, trampolining, badminton, table tennis, and more across its sports fields and sports hall.
There is also a community hall offering a variety of children’s activities and community events.
Complete with a gym and a grab-and-go café with seating, Chamberlayne offers tons for visitors of all ages to see and do.
Outdoor Sports Centre – Southampton’s Outdoor Sports Centre offers a diverse range of sports and activities for visitors across the city to enjoy.
A multi-million-pound project to redevelop the Outdoor Sports Centre began in June 2025. It is expected to complete in 2027.
More information about this investment is online.