Unsung Hero: The yoga instructor empowering people to be their best selves

Nominated by her husband, Cory, Lildonia Lawrence is a shining light in her local London community

Lildonia Lawrence is a fitness and yoga instructor, life coach and, in the words of her husband, Cory, an all-around amazing human being.

She first began teaching fitness and yoga classes while studying at university, in 2009. Nearly a decade later, Lildonia still teaches some of the women who have been with her since the start.

Together, they have been through marriages, divorces, births, deaths, and everything in between.

So what keeps them coming back? For a start, her classes, which take place at the Uxbridge Community Centre, not only cover physical wellbeing, but also address mental wellbeing, and aim to empower women to reach their goals.

The women who attend the classes leave each session with higher levels of fitness, but also with a sense of confidence, which equips them with the perspective they need to grow in the many other areas of their lives. According to the people who know her best, she possesses a unique ability to connect with people on a very deep level and sincerely ignite a fire within their soul.

When she isn’t leading fitness and yoga classes, she also runs a sexual health service for young people, delivering advice and guidance across the Camden and Islington boroughs.

With the young people she works with, Lildonia manages to take the subject of sex and relationships and define the boundaries of respect and understanding, which allows communication on a level many of these youngsters could never even imagine.

Why take all this on?

Cory says she does it for the sheer love of it, and requires nothing more than seeing the progression of her clients. He says: “It is these shining beacons within the community who we often take for granted due to their everlasting dependence and unwavering devotion, which is so easy to rely on.”

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Do you know an unsung hero? Send your nominations to [email protected]