In 2026, we have grown accustomed to contestants on game shows and their highly emotional backstory which seems to be the staple of shows such as Britain’s Got Talent and the like. Yet in 2024 23 year old personal trainer Joe Fishburn decided to take his fitness journey to the next level when he auditioned to be a contestant on the BBC Saturday night series Gladiators. A former Team GB gymnast, Joe knew that he was fit enough to compete against some of the most elite athletes in the world. Having toiled with the idea of auditioning to become one of the Gladiators, Joe knew that the next best thing was to compete as a contender. Being in a large arena demonstrating his elite fitness was something that never bothered him as a result of his background as a gymnast and so he knew that he could cope under the pressure of the spotlight.
Of course, throughout this experience and indeed his whole life, he has had the unrivalled support of his grandmother Christine who became his legal guardian when his mother sadly passed away when Joe was just two years old. Overcoming such a loss, he believes, gave him a superpower to tackle any challenge and cultivate a strong mindset that would make him robust. Through my years of Beyond The Title, I have never heard anyone be able to turn something so tragic into something so profound and I’m in awe of this extraordinary philosophy of life. This was another reason for entering Gladiators to highlight the importance of kinship in our society which is a topic that seldom seems discussed in the national arena.
Joe is now an ambassador for Kinship; a charity that supports children and families who need extra support when bringing children up. Luckily, Joe’s maternal grandmother Christine adopted him following the passing of his mother and so kept him within the family. However, Joe is only too aware that there are many children in the UK growing up with no family and this is where Kinship step in. His recent initiative Adversity Is My Superpower gives comfort to children who are going through some of the toughest periods of their lives. For a strong, active role model like Joe to be an ambassador for such a worthy cause illustrates the humility of the social media star.
Social media has completely transformed the personal training industry over the past decade with coaches no longer needing to have face to face sessions with their clients. This is the area of the industry which Joe has embraced and now delivers bespoke packages to people all over the world and gets so much satisfaction from seeing them achieve their goals. It seems like the future looks very bright for this highly intelligent, highly motivated athlete. In a world where physical aesthetics are more important than ever, personal trainers are vital to providing evidence that the dream is real. It was a pleasure to welcome the inspiration that is Joe Fishburn to Beyond The Title and I’m looking forward to discovering what awaits him next!
Beyond The Title