Mar 24 2005
THE faces of married couple Jackie and Mark Wren have appeared on television screens at homes across the country after
filming a fitness video with Big Brother host Davina McCall. TANYAA RUSSELL reports
WHEN Jackie and Mark Wren received a phone call from Big Brother presenter Davina McCall, they took it all in their stride.
The Oxted fitness fanatics are well used to dealing with celebrities, having trained Donna Air, Radio 1 DJ Chris Moyles, Comic Relief Fame Academy winner Edith Bowman and ITN newsreader - and former Surrey Mirror journalist - Nick Owen.
But Davina struck up such a good rapport with the two trainers as she worked to get back in shape following the birth of her second child Tilly, they decided to make a fitness video together.
Released at the end of December, Power of 3 went straight into the fitness charts at number one, exceeding all expectations.
Still holding its ground as a top seller, staving off stiff competition from other fitness releases including Abi Titmuss, Nell McAndrew and Barbara Windsor the Wre's are thrilled.
A personal trainer for 15 years ex-gymnast Jackie, has worked at Donyngs gym in Redhill and managed the gym at the Reigate and Redhill YMCA.
She is convinced that the genuine friendship the trio built up before the DVD was made comes across and is one of the key aspects that secured them the top spot.
The 43-year-old said: "You can tell that in a lot of the other videos the celebrities have never met their train-ers before, but we trained together for over a year before we did the video so we are relaxed and happy around each other and I think it shows."
Determined to keep the weight off, the pair still train the local celebrity, who lives in Woldingham.
Jackie said: "Davina puts the effort in, trains hard and is really committed to it and she looks a million dollars."
"She's fantastic and one of the nicest people I've ever met and has been wonderful to us.
"I can't praise her enough and she has become a good friend."
She added: "We've trained a lot of celebrities and 99 per cent of are lovely.
"At the end of the day it's down to the person. We can't wave a magic wand, they have to be healthy and exercise. We just give them the tools.
But the personal trainers always make sure clients get what they paid for, whether they like it or not.
Jackie said: "We turn up at their house a couple of times a week and say they're going to work out even if they don't feel like it, which is where personal trainers come into their own by injecting some motivation into our clients."
Now a fireman at Cobham Fire Station, ex-Royal Marine Mark hiked up Everest with Davina's husband in November and, relishing the challenge, has now set his sights on completing the London Marathon in under four hours.
Born in Redhill, the 33-year-old said: "I trained really hard for Everest and then thought 'what should I do now?' and managed to get an application for the marathon and got in. So I started training straight after Christmas, but it's so hard."
With seven-and-a-half years in the Royal Marines he is no stranger to hard work, but training for the marathon has proved a real effort.
A personal trainer for 10 years now, he said: "I'm not built for endurance running, I'm built for speed."
With their only daughter, five-year-old Alexandra, a pupil at Downs Way School in Oxted, the celebrity trainers are giving all donations raised to the school for a fundraising project to refurbish and extend their outdoor adventure equipment.
Davina has also donated a photo album packed with signed polaroids of all the Big Brother and Celebrity Big Brother contestants, which the couple are planning to auction on eBay.
He said: "The money raised will go towards the things the council doesn't pay for, like the adventure playground, things they can live without, but that are nice to have, especially as kids should be active, and it is something close to our hearts."
Thrilled with the Wrens' generosity, the headteacher at Downs Way School, Hazel Maxwell, said: "We are all very keen to support him in his latest endeavour. He has had a tremendous response from our parents and we will be watching the television coverage and cheering him on."
icSurreyonline
