Ellie Armstrong knows the power of a supportive environment. As Sports Centre Manager for East Lancashire Learning Group, overseeing facilities at both the Accrington and Rossendale and Nelson and Colne College sites while co-running another business, EG-PT Personal Training, she presents a figure of professional confidence.
Just a few years ago, however, Ellie, from Accrington, was a quiet teenager who preferred to stay in the background.
We spoke with Ellie to hear how combining the right education with practical industry experience transformed her career.
Her love of an active lifestyle began early, but a shift in focus as a teenager changed everything.
“I started dancing when I was really young, from four until I was 13.
”Then I left dancing because I started getting into fitness. At 14, I realised I wanted to help people either aesthetically or psychologically feel better about themselves.
“I wanted to help people in their journeys, making it fun for them and getting all the benefits you can from fitness and working out.”
To build a strong foundation for this career, she enrolled on a Level 3 qualification in Sports Coaching and Performance at Accrington and Rossendale College, completing her studies in 2020.
She then progressed to a three-year degree in the same subject at East Lancashire UC, the university centre on the Accrington Campus.
“The degree course was really good. It was the fact you weren’t a number; you were an individual student with your own goals and challenges. I was Ellie.
“The balance between the social side of things with our education, too, was great and really kept us going.
“As sport students, you have to have that social fun element because our minds are very active. Having that balance of practicality and theory was perfect.”
Outside her studies, Ellie started helping a local fitness instructor, George De Rosa, with admin at his company EG-PT Personal Training.
“He noticed how I was very, very shy. I kept myself to myself, but I did have this passion for fitness.
“He started to get me up on stage with him, just to do one routine one week at first, then two, then three. Eventually I was doing whole classes.
“It took a while for my confidence to grow, but it really bloomed after lockdown.
“George approached me and said, ‘We want to get back to classes – do you want to be a part of it?’ Now we run the business side by side.”
Her professional life at college grew simultaneously, sparked by her tutor, Matt Wilson, HE Sport Programme Leader at East Lancashire UC, who noticed her drive.
“I started doing casual sessions for the sports centre, helping to provide extra-curricular sessions. Then I became part-time while I was doing my degree. Once I’d finished, I became full-time, and I’ve continued my career there.”
Now Sports Centre Manager, Ellie oversees the facilities at both Accrington and Rossendale and Nelson and Colne Colleges, managing a dynamic daily workload.
“Day to day, I am taking bookings, dealing with internal teams, talking to external clients like Accrington Stanley and community clubs.
“I’m trying to develop everything we offer. That includes everything from enhancing the buildings to make the customer experience even better, too.
“A lot of people don’t realise our facilities are available to the public, so that’s something we’re really focused on promoting.”
Looking back at her journey from a quiet student to a business leader, Ellie’s advice for anyone feeling hesitant about their future is clear
“Finding a mentor who you can look up to on a professional basis and can depend on is key.
“But for someone like me, perhaps a bit shy, I always say ‘Have a plan, have a goal, and you will get there.’”
