Blitz: Inside Stories - Vicki

It’s time for another Blitz Inside Story! Remember these are designed to be a longer read, so grab a coffee, get comfy and read on to find out all about Vicki Anstey!

Give us a quick intro…

I’m Vicki, a Motivational Speaker, Adventurer, Coach, Podcast Host and at different times and in different disciplines, I try to also be an ‘athlete’!

I was late to the world of exercise, starting my professional career in advertising and reaching near burn-out after a decade of high pressure, insane working hours and a fairly ‘decadent' lifestyle! 

I U-turned in 2009 and having trained as a Barre Instructor in New York during a hiatus from my career, decided to quit advertising, set up my own Barre Studio (the first in the UK) and ran my business (Barreworks) for 12 years. 

During that time I started to train with British Military Fitness, did some weight training and finally found the mental and emotional courage to leave a long-term (20 year) coercive relationship. That was the catalyst for huge change in my life; I applied to participate in SAS: Who Dares Wins as one of the first ever females on the programme and reached the final stages. Then I was asked if I’d like to row an ocean. I had a life-long fear of open water after a near drowning incident as a child, so of course I said…yes! 

I closed my business (partly due to Covid, partly due to the incoming life-changing ocean crossing) and following a 60 day crossing of the Pacific (San Francisco to Hawaii) in 2021, I set my first Guinness World Record.  I set a second last Summer completing the Race Across America (3,000 miles in 6.5 days) as a team of 4 women. 

I have also run ultra-distance marathons (250kms) across The Arctic (-35 degrees) and across the scorching Savannahs of Kenya carrying everything I needed to survive. 

Day-to-day, I’m a Stress & Resilience Coach and work with a number of mindset methodologies to inform not only my own adventures, but also to support corporate teams and senior executives with every day stressors. 

What initially motivated you to start doing CrossFit at Blitz and how has that motivation evolved over time?

I was first introduced to CrossFit in a freezing cold ‘hut’ in the Andes whilst on SAS: Who Dares Wins. A few of the other recruits did it and couldn’t stop talking about it (we all know we have become that person haha). So when I came back, I discovered that TIO had just opened in Barnes (where I lived at the time), I loved Holly’s coaching and I was very quickly hooked. As a more endurance-focused ‘athlete’ I really struggled with the concept of doing 15 minute workouts for a while, but got used to it and began to build more strength and explosive power. I moved to Twickenham 3 years ago and it made sense to join Blitz. Zero regrets! 

How does your gym routine fit into your overall daily schedule, and what adjustments have you made to prioritise it? 

It depends what I might be training for at the time. When I’m working towards a big endeavour, there are inevitably hours and hours in my week dedicated to running, rowing or cycling. But I have always followed a strength and conditioning programme alongside that too, which is where open gym and CrossFit sessions are brilliant.

Since I completed Race Across America last Summer, I have been trying to focus solely on Crossfit to see where I can get to when my energy isn’t also being sapped by endurance training. I train every day (much to the disapproval of the Coaches!) and sometimes twice a day, but I also take my recovery seriously - I love an ice bath or cryotherapy and a good Thai massage or active stretch session. I also have two big dogs so I walk A LOT.

What physical or mental benefits have you noticed since you began consistently going to the gym?

My biggest issue is that I want to do everything. I used to be able to get away with that, but as I get older I know I need to be more singular in my goal-setting! This year I’ve been trying to build more explosive power, to train less but with more focus. I find it hard because I get so much from training in a mental or emotional sense. The community at Blitz has always been an incredible support, whether that’s when I’ve been going through tough times, or just because I work from home a lot, so I really need the human interactions and social connections. 

There is a vital link between physical and mental or emotional resilience in my view. Having a foundation of physical strength allowed me to find the emotional courage to leave my marriage for example. I know through the various endeavours that I have done that our minds are the only limiter on what our bodies can achieve. We have to train both mind and body, they are inextricably linked.

What challenges do you face in maintaining a consistent gym routine, and how do you overcome them?

Blitz is a constant for me, and that’s so important. I’m a creature of habit and routine. Knowing that I can drop in, get a great workout, see amazing people and de-stress is fundamental to my overall performance. It’s also a great reminder to be humble, to respect what I can do but also what I have yet to master and to see others excelling at things that look impossible.

They say you are the result of the 5 people you spend the most time with, so I really believe that being in a high-performing, but inclusive environment on a regular basis makes me a better version of myself. 

How has training impacted other areas of your life, such as work, relationships, or personal growth?

Physical training has become the cornerstone of everything I do. I still have to pinch myself about that, because I genuinely have not always been this person. I took on what seemed impossible at a time in my life when I had very low self-belief and I learned quickly that stepping into the very things you are most afraid of, can open up a far richer life.

I have simply stayed on that path… if something scares me, I know it’s the thing I should be doing. And all of that has taken me to a place where I get to have incredible adventures and make a career out of sharing what I have learned (the good, the bad and the very ugly). I can’t think of a more fulfilling vocation. 

Outside of the gym, how do you use your fitness?

Hopefully I’ve answered this above! Everything I do is either exploring my limits, or lying down. There isn’t much that falls in-between the two, except writing. I do a lot of writing - whether scripts for keynotes, Leadership Workshops, content for media, podcast research. And I’m also (spoiler alert) knee deep into writing my first book. I have a publisher and hope to have a first draft ready in the next few months. Watch this space!