A Lanarkshire gym have outmuscled the competition to land a top award - and now they will compete for a national prize.
Fortius Athletics in Cambuslang took the honour for Best Small Business at the Scotland Business Awards ceremony for Glasgow earlier this year.
They will now be in the running for the nationwide gong at an awards bash on November 6.
The gym's success comes after running a host of initiatives, such as showing support for LGBTQ causes and focusing on member's mental health.
Suz Ross, a member at the gym, told Lanarkshire Live : "The coaches go above and beyond with a focus on healthy minds as well as healthy bodies.
"One example of this was starting a conversation in the members page about mental health which encouraged members to share their experiences, get to know each other better and normalise the conversation about mental health struggles.
"Another example was celebrating Pride month by gifting members rainbow shoelaces to wear, supporting everyone to be allies and making it feel even more comfortable to be themselves."
Earlier this year the gym's owner and head coach Nisha Purewal joined coach Steph Sinclair and members Kimberley Ross and Pamela McElhone to compete in a team of four at the Arnold Fitness Games in Birmingham, where they finished in fourth place, cheered on by a number of members of the gym.
Suz added: "Earlier this month Nisha and Steph then hosted an in-house competition, the Fortius Classic 2022, giving members the chance to take part in some friendly competition, be supported and judged on movement standards and help to strengthen the community spirit even more.
"Friends and family were also able to come along and support their loved ones throughout the day."
As testament to the dedication and positive impact that Nisha and Steph have on their members on a daily basis, Fortius members secretly clubbed together to purchase a new Concept 2 bike as a gift for the gym, something the coaches and members will all benefit from.
Head coach Nisha summed it the spirit at the gym when she spoke at the end of the Fortius Classic competition.
She said: The faces of the community really picked us up after the Arnold Games and to see you’re all here supporting the community today, I’m a bit overwhelmed by it.
"We started this seven years ago and post COVID it’s really grown into a great space and wonderful community, so a massive thank you to you all."
More details on Fortius Athletics, and on how to support them at the upcoming Business Awards ceremony, can be found via their social media pages.
The Business Awards gala will be held on November 6 at the Double Tree Hilton Hotel in Glasgow.
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