A GROUP of people who needed to lose weight and get fit but couldn’t afford the gym fees has been offered a helping hand.

Nick Midgley’s Kingscliff Boxing Stables invited keen but disadvantaged people to sign up for a free three-month weight-loss challenge – and 18 people took him up on it.

That quickly whittled down to 16 – a “solid group of highly motivated individuals” — who join the gym’s regular 6am or 6.30pm classes, follow diet plans and submit to monthly body scans.

One of them is Liliana Ainsley, who travels from Tallebudgera to get to the dawn class, to make the most of the “huge opportunity” which she couldn’t otherwise afford.

Liliana needed to lose 15kgs before she could have a surgical procedure and is well on her way, losing 3kg in the first week, and another two in the second.

Liliana, 47, has a busy life: four foster children under the age of 10, and a husband who is fighting cancer in the spine and pelvis.

She also has three adult children of her own and will soon become a grandmother.

“I eat when I’m stressed,” Liliana said. Following earlier surgery and further grim news about her husband’s health, she gained 10kg, forcing the follow-up op to be cancelled.

Motivated by the weight gain, she makes sure she gets to a class every day – that’s one of Nick’s “rules”.

“I want to be the best I can, for myself and for my trainer,” she said.

“Nick’s tough,” she said, “but we need that, we need the discipline.”

She has been transformed by the training.

“I can’t tell you how much it’s changed my thinking,” she said.

And the positive attitude it has given her has rubbed off on her husband. He’s on green juices and healthy food and helped her with some concreting recently.

Liliana says she’s excited by the progress she’s making and “can’t wait until the next training session”.

She’d like to continue with it after the three months were up, she said.

For Nick, it’s one more opportunity to do something for his community, and a good way to broaden awareness about his gym and boxing training.

“We’re a boxing gym, but not just that,” he said.

“Through fitness classes and personal training, we’re able to transform people’s lives.”