Wendy Joy Anastasi

Introducing Wendy Joy Anastasi.

From and Lives: Melbourne, Australia

I haven’t always embraced the Joy. I have been too driven to really smell the roses. Recently, I have registered Wendy Joy as my new business name and started blogging under this name. I have stepped into the Joy.

I am 62 and proud to be. I encourage others to celebrate their age and plan to make each birthday a celebration of life because like it or not, what is the alternative.

In 1959 I was born in Melbourne. I lived in Springvale in my growing up years. I met my husband at 17. Married just before my 20th birthday. Brought a home in Narre Warren. Lived in the same house for the next 35 years. My 3 daughters were all born before my 30 th birthday. All predictable…maybe, but we we’re happy.

In my early 30s life changed at lot. I lost my mum to cancer. My girls were 7, 5 and 3 at the time. Huge loss for me. Mum and I were very close. I was the eldest of 5 and my father walked out on us when I was 10. Mum was on her own to raise us and I was happy to be her right hand.

I worked part time in an office after I had my girls because it worked in with my family life, At 35 I was bored and the time was right for me to follow my heart. Long story, short…..

I qualified in the fitness industry and started working in 4 gyms. I quit my office job and
started personal training and led 13 group fitness classes a week.

Next dream was to have my own business.

I encouraged my husband to quit his job and he qualified in the fitness industry. We opened our own Personal training business in 1999 in Narre Warren called ourselves
WAM personal training. We operated for 14 years and had 13 trainers working for us.

We juggled family life and our daughters went through their teenage years and grew into adults during this time. We grew out of our original shop front and bought a factory which served our needs for more space. We became very busy, but again I became bored. I had more dreams for myself.

I wanted more. I went to Brisbane and qualified in the highest level of pilates teaching.
2 years later I studied in Byron Bay for my Yoga teaching qualifications. This journey changed my life forever. I learnt so much about myself and what was important to me.

In 2013 my husband wanted to retire. His dream was to retire at 60. He was 57 but over the early mornings and late nights. We made it happen.

In 2013 we also sold our business. We sold our family home of 35 years. We downsized and moved to Port Melbourne, into an apartment.

Wanting to keep my clients, some of them who had been with me since I started, I hired a space in Narre Warren. I condensed my business to 2 days a week and reinvented myself. I Love Balance emerged. I taught classes, yoga, pilates classes and personal/functional training on these days.

There is a lot more to the story but this is the guts of it until COVID hit. Last year I reinvented myself again and moved online with classes, pre recorded classes. I have been able to connect with a lot of my clients on this platform.

It hasn’t been for everyone and some are just waiting until life goes back “to normal”…. I am at a crossroad now. So many questions for myself??? I am not done yet. I really want to get back to travelling.

We have travelled a lot and have been lucky to have travelled some beautiful parts of the world. There is so so so much more, my list is long. I am torn though?? There are so many people that I want to motivate and encourage. During lockdown I studied
wellness coaching online and qualified with Certificate 1 & 2.

I have many areas that I want to expand. I want balance and want to follow my heart…. This is my list….
Supporting women with menopause.
Supporting women pre/during/post pregnancy
Kids yoga program
Wellness coaching
Gentle yoga for stress in the workplace. (I have had a few companies online through lockdown).
Developing half and full day workshops and retreats. Something that I love and have been involved with for the past 12 years with family and colleagues.
Oh yes and I have been blogging. I would love to write a book about being over 60 and still fit and healthy.

Where to next? Who knows? I will sleep on it and dream.
I have always been a dreamer. I am a Pisces? What more can I say?
I want to leave my mark and encourage others to do the same.

My mantra in life is:
“GIVE YOURSELF PERMISSION TO SHINE.”