OFF THE RECORD WITH GEDE FOSTER

Published: 14/11/2025, By: Alex Courbat

From ballet studios to boutique fitness classes to the booming global stage of HYROX, Gede Foster has never stopped moving. But it wasn’t until she discovered the now-viral fitness race that everything she’d learnt about movement finally came together. Ahead of Sports Direct HYROX Dublin, we caught up with the HYROX ambassador to talk about her journey, community, and what keeps her pushing forward.

“As long as I can remember, movement has just been part of my life,” Gede says. Growing up in Brighton, she was laser-focused on dance from the age of eleven, training at a full-time ballet school before earning a scholarship to one of London’s prestigious dance colleges at sixteen. But it wasn’t just dance that kept her busy. She swam five times a week, played netball, and threw herself into anything that involved movement. Looking back, her love for all kinds of training makes her obsession with HYROX feel almost inevitable.

After graduating, she danced professionally for seven years, travelling the world and living out the dream she’d had since childhood. But somewhere along the way, her focus began to shift. “I think performing is for someone else – you’re there to entertain – but it still felt quite self-indulgent,” she explains. So, between auditions in London, she completed her fitness qualifications and started teaching on the side.

What began as a way to fill time between shows quickly became more rewarding than performing itself. “I just got more from coaching and teaching, from helping people, than I did from performing alone,” she says. Teaching Group X classes still had that performative buzz she loved – commanding a room, feeding off people’s energy – but there was something deeper in it too. “You’re making people feel better. You’re part of the most uplifting part of their day. Everyone deals with so much stress, and working out makes you feel good. It’s that one hour they get to themselves, and you get to make it even better. I just loved that.”

That was it – she’d found her thing. Gede took a contract at a boutique fitness studio in London, planning to give it nine months and, if she didn’t like it, go back to dancing. She never went back. During her time there, she helped expand the studio from two sites to seven across the city, building new training concepts and mentoring other coaches along the way. But, then, about two years before the world changed, she made another leap – into digital fitness. “It was something new, and I didn’t know anything about tech,” she admits. “But I thought, why not?” She joined Fiit as Director of Fitness, building the team and designing training programmes for the platform. Was it easy? No. Teaching to a camera rather than a packed room was a shock at first. “It wasn’t quite the same as being in person,” she laughs, “but when lockdown hit and our online community exploded, it suddenly made sense.”

It was actually through Fiit that Gede first discovered HYROX. The team had become one of the early affiliates, and when an event popped up in Manchester, they decided to go along – booth, tickets and all. On a bit of a whim, Gede and a colleague signed up for a doubles race. “We didn’t train specifically for it,” she grins. “We were just like, ‘Oh yeah, we’ll give it a go.’” What started as a spontaneous decision quickly became something neither of them could have imagined – especially Gede.

From that first race, she was hooked. Having taught at countless fitness festivals over the years, she recognised that same electric buzz straight away – the music, the energy, the sense of community. “You’d get such a rush from those events – everyone there for the same reason, pushing themselves, cheering each other on. HYROX had that exact same vibe. I loved it.”

Back then there were only around 500 people competing in the UK. Wild, considering how hard it is now to just get a ticket. “Getting tickets these days is like gold dust,” she says, laughing. “Honestly, getting into a race is probably harder than the race itself!”. But Gede doesn’t have to worry about that. She’s always got a spot. Not as a contestant, but as one of HYROX’s global MCs, alongside Faisal and Gus. Yes, that voice that's telling you to push through the pain when you think you've got nothing left to give – probably hers.

Now, you might be wondering what happened to the teaching. Although she doesn’t lead in-person classes much these days – a casualty of lockdown and a (very) busy schedule – Gede’s still deeply connected to the community. “I chat to so many of our Fiit users online every week,” she says. “When I film sessions now, I know exactly who I’m talking to – what movements they’ll love, what they’ll hate, and what they’ll thank me for later. The feedback might not be instant like it used to be, but you still feel it.”

That understanding of movement has also helped her handle the less glamorous side of being an athlete – injuries. Because she’s had her fair share. Her worst one? It came while training for a half marathon, with a HYROX race scheduled just before it. Then, she thought it was a minor calf niggle but it turned out to be something far, far more serious. “I raced on it, and it completely went,” she says. “It tore through the gastroc, the tendon sheath and the soleus – a grade 2C tear. I ended up on crutches.”

Rehabilitation was painfully slow. Every time she managed to build back up to ten minutes of gentle jogging, she’d feel that familiar twinge again. Two steps forward, one step back. For someone who’s used to moving every day, being forced to stop was brutal – both physically and mentally. “Everyone talks about mental resilience as pushing harder, but sometimes it’s actually about holding back,” she says. “It’s knowing what you’ve got to do to move forward, finding balance, and not letting yourself spiral when things don’t go to plan.” She says. “The plus side is my pull-ups got really good.” She laughs. There it is – classic Gede. Ever the optimist. “You’ve got to find the silver linings in everything,” she adds. “There’s opportunity in every setback. You just have to choose to look at it that way.”

That mix of technical knowledge and lived experience has made her passionate about helping others train smarter – especially when it comes to HYROX. “For anyone new to it, I’d always say follow a proper programme,” she says. With so many elements to train – and with running making up half the race – it’s easy to do too much, too soon. “That’s when injuries start creeping in – a lot of calf and knee issues. It doesn’t have to be 100% intensity every day. “Training should make you feel better and more confident – not completely wipe you out.” And it doesn’t stop at just the effort side of things either. For Gede, HYROX is a lifestyle. “It’s how people recover, how they sleep, how they eat, how they look after themselves as a whole. It’s made people think more like athletes, even if they don’t see themselves as one yet.”

And, of course, there’s the community. “The atmosphere at events is unreal. The three of us – me, Faisal and Gus – we get involved. We’re not just there at the wall balls shouting, ‘Come on, why are you resting?’ We’ve been there. We know what it feels like, and we’re there to make the whole experience better for everyone.”

Gede’s even managed to turn it into a family affair, racing three times with her mum. The pair qualified for the World Championships the first time they competed together and went on to race in Bilbao this year. “We didn’t quite get a qualification this time,” she says, “so we’ll be back next season for another go.”

She knows very well that it’s not just about elite athletes or podiums – and that’s what she loves so much about it: how inclusive it is. “It’s for everyone,” she says. She lights up when she talks about the wide range of people who take part. “In Manchester we had an 82-year-old compete, and in Dublin there was this pair – Mary and Pip – one was 72, the other just a bit younger. It was their third race. They took about two and a half hours, but they did it – and they inspired their grandchildren to give it a go. Not the other way around! “I absolutely adore stories like that.” She pauses, smiling. “That’s the thing – HYROX can look intimidating from the outside, with all these super-strong athletes and the big crowds, but it’s for everyone.” “It’ll be hard for everyone, because everyone pushes themselves, but the movements themselves are totally accessible. That’s what’s so brilliant about it.”

Looking at Gede’s journey – from ballet studios to boutique gyms to the global HYROX stage – there’s a clear thread running through it all. Whether she’s performing, teaching, coaching or MCing, she’s always understood that movement is about more than just physical fitness. It’s about connection. It’s about community. It’s about being part of someone’s best hour of the day and helping them realise they’re capable of more than they thought. And as anyone who’s heard her voice echoing through an arena will tell you – when Gede Foster says you can, you believe her. So, if you’re still on the fence about giving it a go, just get started, and remember – the body only moves where the mind has the courage to take it!