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Ten questions with fitness guru Fit By Tina 

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Fit By tina – Tina is a Limerick-based PT who has evolved her love for fitness into a business 

Ten questions with Fitness Guru Fit By Tina 

By I Love Limerick Correspondent Jade Crowe 

Fit By Tina

Tina cares deeply about fitness and looking out for her clients


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Martina Hnatysyn is a Croatian born, Limerick-based qualified PT who has a diploma in nutrition.  

Tina’s love for fitness has evolved into her creating a small company, ‘Fit by Tina’ which has an emphasis on promoting a healthy and balanced lifestyle through working with clients, delicious recipes, challenging workouts, travel, style, and body positivity.   

According to Tina, “My fitness mission is to help as many women as possible to get strong, lean and confident and to make a difference in the world full of ‘fitness professionals’ that are focusing only on the number on a scale and not on the important, which is mental health, relationship with food and body positivity.”  

Where did you grow up and what was your childhood like?    

I grew up in a small town in Croatia. As a kid, I dreamed of being a vet, maybe growing up on a farm surrounded by animals contributed to my dream but as you can see this never actually happened haha.  

From a very young age, I started with gymnastics, twirling, handball and volleyball and always loved being active. I also have an older brother and younger sister who I miss a lot. 

When did you start to become interested in fitness?    

It started shortly after high school. I had a good bit of extra weight and didn’t like what I saw in the mirror. It took me a while to make my transformation but along the way, I fell in love with the process and decided that is what I want to do in life.  

When I started my journey, I was anything but the picture of a healthy fit person. Years later, here I am, standing strong as Fit Mum, with my own Resistance Bands, Cookbook, Online Fitness Platform and Fitness Studio in Newcastle West.  

At what age did you become a personal trainer?    

I have been helping people to find a passion for fitness since 2013. I care deeply about my clients. They are like family to me. 

There is nothing more important to me than to teach them all the benefits of eating clean and training, that made me into the person I am today.   

What do you love most about your job, and what makes it different from other jobs?   

Fit By Tina

Some of Tina’s clients enjoying her workout techniques

I love that feeling of accomplishment that I get after each class, every hi, well done and thank you that comes with it.  

I love seeing people leave my studio or online app happy and healthy. I love our community; I love our Saturday Bootcamp and Pastry mornings.  

On the other hand, I also love seeing them suffer while doing the plank (they call me Cruella, I have no idea where that come from)  

When did you realise that you could build a platform out of what you love?    

It all took off throughout the first lockdown. I’m so happy and grateful for how it turned out and for the following that I have created.  

What are some of the hidden downsides to having a social media platform?    

It is really hard to deal with trolls sometimes and when you get a message saying you’re just showing your bum and should be ashamed of yourself because you’re a mum. It gets to you. 

Even we want to admit it or not, it is impossible to ignore every DM like that.   

It also takes a lot of time to create content and to find a balance between posting regularly and work.  

What advice would you give someone who is hoping to start their fitness journey?    

There is no right time to do it, start NOW. Don’t wait for the perfect moment. Find a good coach, the one that will take care of your health, be honest with yourself and with your coach.  

Don’t drink detox tea, don’t diet and don’t starve yourself – there is no quick fix.  

Invest in your health, change your lifestyle and learn how to maintain a healthy diet while enjoying the food you love, that is the only thing that will work in a long run.  

Change takes time – Be patient.  

What do you feel has been your greatest accomplishment so far?    

Noah, my son is my biggest accomplishment and my biggest motivation for everything.  

From the business side, it would have to be the Fit By Tina brand and everything I’ve built from scratch, my cookbook, resistance bands, online platform and my Instagram account.  

Where would you like to see yourself in five years?   

Hopefully somewhere in Spain, sipping a cocktail in my house while working.  

And lastly, what do you love about Limerick?  

It would be easier to talk about what I don’t love! I am absolutely blown away and feel like I’m here much longer than I am. I posted something about Limerick on my Instagram, it is the perfect answer to this question:  “When You Fall in Love with a City  

You will memorize the streets, the storefronts, the barista at your favourite coffee shop. The turns you missed a dozen times you’ll take without a second thought while retelling a story and laughing with new friends.   

You’ll become a tour guide when family and friends come to visit and meet your city, and you’ll proudly show it off.  

It will become a home even if it is thousands of miles away from your roots. 

For more info on Tina go HERE

For more stories on fitness go HERE

Richard is a presenter, producer, songwriter and actor. He was named the Limerick Person of the Year (2011) and won an online award at the Metro Éireann Media and Multicultural Awards (2011) for promoting multi-culturalism online. Richard says that the ilovelimerick.com concept is very much a community driven project that aims to document life in Limerick. So, that in 20 years time people can look back and remember the events that were making the headlines.