For Adam Sleiman, when he was a sixth form student at Holcombe Grammar School, he could never have dreamed of leading Thinking Fitness for the region, which has now opened up opportunities for work in Thinking Lettings too.
He’s now Thinking Fitness and Thinking Letting Manager in our South East region, where he specifically manages our sites at Holcombe Grammar School, New Horizons Children's Academy and The Victory Academy.
In our South East region, 50% of our workforce within Thinking Fitness and Thinking Lettings are made up of alumni from schools across the Thinking Schools Academy Trust.
This not only demonstrates the variety of talent we have in the pipeline but also reflects the faith we place in young people to grow with us through opportunity.
We sat down with Adam as he reflected on almost a decade of service to Thinking Solutions for Education and Thinking Schools Academy Trust, and how he’s constantly striving for more.
Take us on a journey from joining as a student to where you are now.
“I started with Thinking Fitness in January 2017, and I was part of the first batch of staff ever recruited as I came up from Holcombe Grammar School.
“I always wanted to work in the fitness industry, and the opportunity came at the right time for me. I was familiar with the site as I went to school there. I started with a few shifts and dealing with enquiries.
“Progressively through the years doors opened, and I decided to get my personal trainer qualification done. It went from managing gym facilities to also looking at how we could make extra income through the hiring of our spaces which I picked up quickly.
“The work started when we got a request to help at The Victory Academy by taking on a new site for Thinking Lettings, as well as dealing with Chatham’s gym. That’s where I’m at today as I manage both sites”.
How did Holcombe Grammar School specifically support you in realising your dream of working in the fitness industry?
“They helped me massively; Holcombe’s Physical Education department saw my potential in the fitness industry and then promoted the position at Thinking Fitness to me.
“They gave me the confidence I needed and after being successful in my appointment, all the staff congratulated me on my hard work and said I’d be successful.
“A shoutout to Andrew Anderson and Andrew Nanson who were my P.E. teachers at the time who gave me the extra push.”
Why was Thinking Fitness the perfect fit while you were still studying?
“Thinking Fitness gave me great flexibility with my studies. In the beginning, I only worked 3-hour shifts so I could catch up with work and then walk to reception.
“This was also perfect for me just starting to learn the world of work, so it was a fantastic balance from school to work life”.
Now you’re a manager for Thinking Fitness and Thinking Lettings, what does your role entail?
“I deal with all the inquiries that come through to Medway, whether it be about memberships, personal training or programming.
“We run full class lists with our gyms so it’s managing the class instructors, dealing with the classes on a day-to-day basis and booking or cancelling people from them.
“We also look at finances, so I deal with invoicing and I manage my team at Chatham. With our spaces, they can be hired out for all sorts of different things so it’s up to me to manage the groups; to sort out the finances and make sure they have the correct documentation”.
How have you personally and professionally been supported in your own development?
“I’ve always had a good relationship with my managers, and they’ve always wanted to support and develop me. They pushed me when I wanted to get my personal trainer qualification and how it would benefit the business and ultimately bring in more clients.
“There’s always been professional updates and growth conversations. Where I think I’ve needed extra support, I’ve always had those conversations with my managers which has been fantastic”.
What do we offer at Thinking Fitness where people perhaps wouldn’t get elsewhere?
“What I personally think we have over everyone else is our levels of customer service and personability towards everybody who walks through our doors.
“I don’t think you'll find a nicer environment to go into and that’s from a beginner to anybody more advanced.
“It’s a great place for tying back to what we do for our schools for students to come in and do what I’ve done because they can see my journey”.
Adam’s journey is a powerful example of our commitment to providing a meaningful education-to-career pathway for our students. We actively support and nurture talent beyond the walls of our classrooms, ensuring young people can work with us.