Kuils River wellness coach aims to transform lives

Claudia van Schalkwyk

Kuils River resident Claudia van Schalkwyk has a passion for transforming lives through health and fitness.

The 43-year-old health and wellness coach hosts free weekly online classes, with the aim of encouraging people to manage their stress levels and live a healthier lifestyle.

Ms Van Schalkwyk is the founder of the Urban Beauty Academy, a non-profit company based in Kuils River.

Her journey started in 2015 when her sister, Leony de Wee, was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. Just a few weeks after Ms De Wee lost her battle with cancer, in 2018, Ms Van Schalkwyk decided to change, “the present instead of the past.”

Ms Van Schalkwyk said she channelled her grief into eating healthy and working out, and this led to her helping others who find themselves in similar situations.

She said many people, especially women, had faced challenges throughout the nationwide lockdown, particularly being isolated from others.

She decided to do virtual fitness classes and motivational talks to “transform lives and help people continue to live healthy.”

The mother of two said she focuses on creating “phenomenal women”, not only during Women’s Month, and encourages them to become better than they were before.

“Women are constantly under a lot of pressure and many of them don’t know how important it is to practise self-care as they follow busy schedules,” she said.

She said the pandemic has taught her to become a risk-taker by reaching out to others despite the circumstances.

If you would like to connect with Ms Van Schalkwyk, you can call 021 903 4092 or visit the website.