Finding strength again: what Dottir CIC really means to the women who walk through the door

Some places are just gyms. Some are just support groups.

And then there are places like Dottir CIC, which become something much bigger than either.

Women arrive carrying all sorts of things. Anxiety. Trauma. Exhaustion. Experiences they may not even have the words for yet. Many have lived through domestic abuse or violence. Most come in feeling like they’ve lost a part of themselves somewhere along the way.

And almost all of them feel nervous that first time. But something shifts pretty quickly.

It starts with feeling safe

That first visit can feel like a lot. New space, new faces, a hundred quiet worries tagging along.

But again and again, women describe the same turning point:

“Walking into Stacey’s group for the first time was daunting, but from that moment, she created a space where I felt safe, supported, and never judged.”

That feeling isn’t accidental. It’s what Dottir is built on. A space where there’s no pressure to open up too quickly, no expectation to be anything other than where you are right now.

Just room to breathe.

It’s not really about fitness (but that helps too)

There is movement. There is exercise.

But it’s not about punishment, pressure, or pushing past your limits. At Dottir, movement becomes a way to reconnect. Some days that means going all in. Other days it means slowing right down. Both are equally valid.

And often, the most important part happens after, in the conversations, the cups of tea, the shared moments that make everything feel a bit lighter.

You find your people

One of the biggest changes isn’t just what happens inside each person, it’s what happens between them.

“We had built a trusting solid group so we still attend… now these girls have become friends.”

Dottir creates space for real connection. The kind where you don’t have to explain everything to be understood.

That sense of belonging can be life-changing, especially for those who have felt isolated for a long time.

The support doesn’t stop when you leave

The support from Dottir doesn’t just disappear when your training programme does.

“I always leave feeling better, stronger, and more positive.”

“It has leaked into my personal life… now these girls have become friends.”

Women carry that strength into everyday life. Into their relationships, their families, and the way they see themselves.

So what is Dottir CIC, really?

It’s not just a programme.
It’s not just a gym.
It’s not just a support group.

It’s a space designed with real care and understanding.

“You know you are safe when you are in Stacey’s company.”

And that feeling has been built into Dottir itself, so it’s something every woman who walks through the door can experience.

It’s where women start to rebuild, at their own pace.

“It has a way of gently building you back up, helping you rediscover your strength at your own pace.”

And where the impact lasts long after the sessions end:

“Dottir CIC has made a real, lasting difference in my life.”

For anyone who’s ever felt lost, overwhelmed, or like they’ve had to carry too much for too long, spaces like this matter.

Because sometimes, change doesn’t start with something big.

Sometimes, it starts with walking through a door… and realising you’re not alone.

Find out more about Dottir CIC

If you’re considering joining one of our groups but still feeling nervous about reaching out, please read this beautifully written testimonial by a Dottir CIC participant. We’d love you to join us.

Testimonial

“These past few years have been the most emotional and difficult time of my life. I found the strength to leave a physical and emotional abusive relationship that left me feeling broken, scared, and stripped of who I was, after finding out my abuser was also a paedophile. I was surviving for my teenager, but I wasn’t living. I tried to rebuild myself through intense home workouts, pushing my body every day just to feel strong enough again to protect myself again in the future. I used exercise as a way to feel safe and regain control, pushing myself to extremes until injury forced me to stop. That brought another wave of sadness and uncertainty.

Then I found this gym.

I will never forget walking through the door for the first time, feeling completely overwhelmed and out of place. And then I met Stacey.

She immediately put me atease in a way I had never experienced before. She wasn’t intimidating or judgmental — she was raw, real, and genuine. She spoke to me like a friend, not a client. And those feelings soon disappeared.

Stacey is the heart of this place. She shares her own life, the good and the bad; which makes everything about what she has made authentic and safe. She talks about music, about family life, memories, goals and even her struggles....about all real things. She makes us feel equal and her not superior, just one of us regular women trying to wing it navigating life. She laughs with us, cries with us, and truly knows each and every one of “her girls.” You can feel how much she cares in everything she does.

Over the 12-week programme, Stacey didn’t just teach me how to exercise, she taught me how to listen to my body again. If I was in pain, we adapted. If I needed to go hard and release everything, she understood. If I needed to slow down, chat, and just breathe, she gave me that space too. I never had to explain...she just knew.

That kind of understanding is rare.

Before I knew it, I had the confidence to join other classes too. What started as something I was terrified of became something I looked forward to. And I was doing it for strength and in a healthy moderation way, not for control or an obsession to fill the silence anymore.

The cups of tea after sessions, the chats, the laughter, even the tears, it has all been a part of the healing journey I am on.

This gym is not just about fitness. It is about community, connection, and rebuilding women from the inside out. Stacey has created a space where women feel safe, strong, and supported. A place where we are reminded of our worth, where we grow not just physically, but emotionally and mentally too.

What makes this gym extraordinary is that it builds real connection. It is a community where women lift each other up, where there is space to laugh, cry, talk, and just be. It goes far beyond exercise, it empowers women to feel strong, resilient, and worthy again.” - Dottir CIC support group participant