meet the team

I first came in contact with The Little Gym when I started taking my two daughters to The Little Gym Wandsworth. I had taken a break from my finance job and I tried every activity I could to find the best fit for the girls.

My youngest was very shy at that time and we also wanted to work on her balance. Finding The Little Gym made all the difference. The instructors were so supportive – they really gave us the confidence to persist when my daughter was crying and not willing to join in during the initial weeks. They worked hand-in-hand with me to help her to engage and to build her confidence. Within only two months she was a different child. She relished her hour each week at the Gym. And it was an incredible experience to see her balance improve, her social skills develop, and her confidence grow.

During that same period, I was taking time to rethink my whole professional career. After more than 12 years working in M&A and Private Equity I was ready for a change. I wanted to spend more time with my family, set up my own business, do something that made a difference and contribute to a better world.

I looked into different options, but when week after week I saw and understood the impact that The Little Gym program and team were making in every child, it became clear to me that this was my dream. I wanted to open my own The Little Gym and run a business that not only could be financially viable but that would also make a difference.

That is how I opened The Little Gym Westfield franchise in 2008. Today, I feel incredibly privileged to help more than 800 children every week have fun building physical skills, social skills and confidence.

I am very proud of the amazing team we have at The Little Gym Westfield. Every team member cares deeply for the children and works hard to make sure they improve their skills. We pride ourselves on knowing our little members so well that our instructors can tell if they’re having a good day, a bad day, want their hand held, or just want independence. Each child is unique, and it’s our job to understand and nurture every single one.

One day a very excited four-year-old who ‘needed to show us something amazing’ sat down and spun on her bottom. We gasped in amazement – “Wow, amazing balance!”, to which the other children very seriously responded “there are strict rules for spinning on your bottom, you know”.

We’ve also recently been told that bad breath is grounds for expulsion. We said to a child “We haven’t seen you for ages, where have you been?!” to which the child replied “I couldn’t come to gymnastics for a long time because I had bad breath” … he probably meant health …

Thanks for the laughs, little members, and thank you parents for letting us be part of your children’s incredible life journey.

Monica Pastor