Cork woman on a mission to help mums find their spark 

Emily Hayes is connecting with mums, not just in Cork, but in Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and America.

The Douglas woman, who runs Emily’s Elite, started a new online coaching programme for women last year, encouraging mums to rediscover the woman behind the ‘mum’ title.

The response has exceeded her expectations. “I am overwhelmed at how fast the Number One Mums online community has grown since launching in August,” says Emily.

But how did it all come about?

Emily, who loves life, and has a zest for life, nearly lost her own life when she was 17.

“At one stage when I contracted sepsis, I thought I was dying,” says Emily, whose mother, Nicky, ran a dance school.

“There was no name for what I had. It was all up in the air. Some people want to die. I didn’t.”

Now, Emily, mum to four-year-old Alayha, wants to help make a difference to women’s lives and enrich her own life.

“The benefit that everyone gets who signs up with me makes me feel so good,” she says.

“It is so, so satisfying when I see someone emerge and regain their spark, their mojo. Everyone who crosses my path, I put them in my shoes.

“My aim is to make the person feel so much better, gaining knowledge and having fun with movement at the same time”

Emily initially started teaching fitness classes in person after she qualified as a fitness and nutrition instructor.

“When I saw how people soaked up nutritional professional knowledge, embraced movement, and had genuine fun too, I decided I had to branch out.”

And she has, connecting women together from different continents.

“Mums and women in general reached out to me from all over the world,” says Emily.

“They speak to each other all the time. And we have our own WhatsApp group. It’s brilliant!

“We swap notes and keep tabs as well as motivating each other to reach our goals.”

Mums who are older and younger can avail of Emily’s expertise.

“‘Eldersize’ is something I enjoy doing very much,” says Emily.

“Eldersize is a fitness and nutrition class for the older generation. They learn about movement and nutrition, and they are all very enthusiastic. I go around active retirement groups and other organisations geared for the elderly.

“Future-proofing our muscles and joints is vital as we get older.”

Emily believes nutritional knowledge is vital at any age.

“Knowing how much protein we need to fuel our bodies, for instance, is important,” she says.

“How much food do we need to eat according to our lifestyles?

“These are the things that should be taught in schools,” says Emily.

“But they are not taught.

“A lot of younger people are over-eating and under-eating. We need to know what to eat for our bodies.”

Why did Emily decide to create an online platform specifically for mums?

“Mums lose themselves. They lose their spark,” she says.

“That’s why I launched Emily’s Elite Number One for mums.

“Everybody who has joined the community has benefited both mentally and physically. They realise that nothing is impossible. It is entirely possible to feel yourself again.”

Emily didn’t feel herself after giving birth to her daughter.

“I suffered from severe morning sickness called Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG), It was horrendous,” says Emily.

“I couldn’t keep any food or liquid down. Afterwards, I had to try and build up all the muscle in my body that I had lost during pregnancy. I had to get iron infusions.

“It took me a good year to get a handle on it all. My injuries included splitting my core.”

Now she has a six-pack.

“I do!” she says.

Emily bounced back, and got back in the game, the game of life.

“Eating well, moving well, wearing your clothes well, is the way to go,” says Emily.

“To portray that to your children is really valuable and will stand to them for life.”

Doing good things well is the way to go.

“We’ve all heard and read about the ‘quick fixes’, the ‘miracle’ weight-loss gimmicks, the ‘fad’ diets, the extreme diets. The yo-yo diets,” says Emily.

“I don’t ever believe they are the right way to go.”

She hopes to spread the word that nothing is impossible and that everything is possible.

“Being the best version of yourself is the best feeling in the world,” says Emily.

“Being confident in your own skin and feeling good in your clothes is something powerful and is something wonderful.”

Nothing is impossible.

“All you need is a set of dumb bells and a mat,” says Emily.

“One mum in the U.S said to me how much her kids have learned about general wellbeing since she signed up for the 12-week programme,” says Emily.

“That mum passed on her beliefs to her kids.”

“Seeing the transformations taking place is just phenomenal,” says Emily.

“I am so happy that mums, and women around the world have found their spark.”

Emily's top 3 reset tips 

1. Drop the all or nothing mindset. It’s not about restricting yourself. One bad day or one bad week does not erase progress. A nice tip for someone would be to ask themselves what’s the smallest thing I can do today that would benefit me?

2. It’s all about the basics and what you can do with your own lifestyle.

You don’t need a detox, a 6am workout, or a fresh Monday.

Focus on basics: as I say to my clients, focus on what you can do, not what you can’t do.

Move your body, eat regularly (prioritise protein), drink water, 7-8hrs sleep (if you’re a lucky mom!). Consistency with basics beats intensity every time.

3. If your plan doesn’t work with your schedule, it’s not sustainable. Adjust workouts, meals, and expectations around your life, especially if January has been chaotic. Or maybe you might just need professional guidance on how to find a balanced approach. The goal is progress you can actually stick to with habits you can maintain!

• See Emily Elite on Facebook and Instagram.