Value 12: good quality is important in all areas

We hope you’ve been enjoying this series examining our Friskis values. We think that by illustrating our values we help give you a better understanding as to who we are and we wanted to do something special for our final value. Which is why we decided to take this opportunity to honor our dearly departed friend and instructor Anne who passed away in October 2019. Truly there was no one more passionate or dedicated to Friskis and its ideals than Anne. She always went out of her way to ensure that we maintained the high level of quality in Friskis both during our sessions and in the way we treat our members. For that reason it seemed fitting that the value that best represented her was: GOOD QUALITY IS IMPORTANT IN ALL AREAS.

We asked people to share their thoughts about this value and how Anne embodied it.

 
“Good quality could have been Anne’s mantra.

As an instructor for Medium and Stations sessions, Anne would always care to prefectly show the movements to be performed by the crowd so that nobody gets lost.

At all times, Anne would guarantee high quality. She would always make sure drinks were ordered for Friskis picknicks, meetings or parties.

As senior member of the board of Friskis&Svettis Brussels, Anne was the one always paying attention that every Friskis member could go smoothly through our – fairly complicated –  subscription system. She was the light for every newcomer and all the members wishing to renew their “plan”. Thanks to her, no one feared to make a mistake, as she would always make sure everyone pays the fair price.

A lot of us have been inspired and guided by Anne, whose name will always be linked with the good running of our beloved sports club.”

Long time F&S member

“I don‘t think most participants are aware of, or care about, the solid quality infrastructure behind a Friskis class. They want a good workout, without risking injuries, and they rely on Friskis to offer that. Yet, follow-up coaching, constant re-evaluation of intensities and integrating new physiological research is fundamental to what we do.

I believe Anne grasped this at a very early stage, and that it was part of what attracted her and motivated her to invest in Friskis. Her attention to detail and drive to offer both high-quality training and a high quality member experience in general was extraordinary.“

Long-time F&S volunteer and colleague of Anne‘s

“I tried a lot of training forms before I arrived at Friskis. I‘m not attracted by popular music, fancy exercise tools or catchy names, but want training where I feel it‘s good for my body and won‘t be injured. At a Friskis class, you feel that you are in good hands. This is why I have been a member for many years and continue to be.

As an instructor, Anne embodied that feeling of being in good hands. It wasn’t always all smiles, but if she saw you doing something wrong that could hurt you, she’d tell you. And when she saw that you made progress, she’d acknowledge that too.”

Long-time F&S member

Unfortunately Anne is no longer with us but her spirit lives on in every session that we give. We mourn for the loss of our friend but we think back fondly at the times we spent together and we try to ensure that Friskis remains an organisation that she would be proud to be a part of. She taught us the value of maintaining good quality in everything we do and we do our best to live up to her legacy.