Emma O’Connor standing proud in her box gym for women
Photo Credit: Ajiitha Anand
Femme Force Fitness is a London based fitness facility for women, founded by Emma O’Connor. Emma began Femme Force Fitness after leaving an abusive business partnership, inspiring her to empower women. Her goal is for her members to feel loved and worthy. Emma strongly believes the solution to stress and mental health is through physical activity, hence her motto, “strong mind strong body.” She says if she could add a tagline it would be “strong mind, strong body, beautiful soul.” She endured her hardships through one thing—a strong mind—and when it wasn’t strong she could feel how her thoughts were manifesting a physical pain. Emma agrees it’s the mind body and soul connection that has the power to feel at peace. She believes that well-being is found through the mind body and soul, it goes full circle.
The mind, body and soul connection falls deeper than what the naked eye perceives, says O’Connor. Physical activities become a part of who you are and liberates a part of the mind other activities can’t relieve. Growing up, Emma tore her ACL during soccer tryouts for team Canada and this meant she had to take a year off. Soon enough she caught herself falling into a depression. Emma realized that “you can either let it affect you or own it and take the power back.”
While Emma was in and out of many different athletic activities, she was practicing cage fighting when she realized this kind of sport was actually hurting her body rather than serving it. She wanted to know why her body wanted to fight so in its place she began doing yoga exercises. Yoga allowed Emma to tap into a whole new way of living in the present and self-acceptance. Now she’s able to transfer her peace of mind to her members and help them get in touch with their own feelings.
Femme Force Fitness offers two free classes before signing up and a student discount for young women who are willing to challenge their bodies and allow their minds to live in liberty. These four quote-filled walls are a home to the women of Femme Force Fitness, it is a place for growth, physically and mentally, let alone a big box gym.
