By MICHELLE HERBISON
TWELVE months of boot camp and personal training has left Bell Park’s Kelly Hodgson feeling healthier than ever after a heart transplant.
The 31-year-old started personal training with Mitch Waters at a Breakwater gym, hoping to boost her natural immunity after the life-saving operation.
The training helped produce her best blood test results since the procedure.
“I’m still there 12 months later but I wouldn’t be if the trainers weren’t on my back – you know how easy it is to give up,” Kelly said.
“It’s great to improve my blood results and see how much better I feel. I’m fairly fit now.”
Ms Hodgson said she was The Alfred Hospital’s 1001st heart transplant recipient at the age of 23.
Her father was one of the first to receive a transplant at the hospital.
Ms Hodgson contracted dilated cardiomyopathy about 10 months after giving birth, resulting in fluid build-up and asthma-like symptoms requiring a transplant.
Despite twice-yearly visits to a transplant clinic and taking 24 tablets daily, Ms Hodgson said she “can’t complain” about her health since the operation.
Contracting parvovirus through her dog-grooming job was a motivating factor in improving her fitness and immunity, she said.
“I do two personal training sessions a week and I try to do two boot camps a week. I feel so much better for it.”
Mr Waters said Ms Hodgson’s fitness had “taken leaps and bounds”.
“A lot of people at our boot camp didn’t even know that she had any health issues. She doesn’t like to be treated any different to anybody else,” he said.
