Kiera graduated from BSc (Hons) Health and Exercise Science at Bath during the COVID-19 pandemic. With an uncertain future, but a desire to use what she’d learnt to help people, she co-founded CaliUnity alongside her partner.

We caught up with her to talk about this award-winning gym and community in the city, and the series of events that led to launching her career in this important sector.

It all started with a visit to the city with her grandparents as a teenager...

Discovering Bath

I still remember the first time I visited Bath.

I was about 15 or 16, and my grandparents took me to see the Roman Baths and all the tourist spots. I’d been to London and other cities, but Bath felt different — safe, friendly, and full of character. It had the opportunities of a big city but the heart of a community. That feeling stuck with me.

When it came time to choose a university, I had a strong sense that Bath was where I wanted to be. I visited a few more times and just knew I needed to focus on my studies and do whatever it took to get there!

A course that could make a difference

I did chemistry, biology and English at A Level and always leaned to biology and how the body worked.

When choosing my focus for university, the turning point came when I thought about my grandparents and how ageing was affecting their quality of life. I realised none of the subjects I was studying could directly help them. What they needed wasn’t a chemist or a writer; it was someone who could help them move better, feel stronger, live longer. At the same time, I was struggling with body image. That’s when it clicked, and I realised that I needed to do something that helped people improve the quality of their lives, something that had real impact.

I chose BSc (Hons) Health and Exercise Science precisely because it isn't solely about fitness; it’s about prevention, about helping people live better for longer, and about mental wellbeing. The course focused on reducing preventable diseases and improving public health, which is where my passion lies.

Building from the foundations upwards

Year one was about anatomy and physiology, the basics you need to help people. We also studied sports psychology, which opened my eyes to the mental side of health. You can’t tackle big health issues without understanding both.

Later years focused on action: interventions, case studies, and even mini projects. I worked on a mental health intervention with athletes, which gave me a taste of what impact looks like. We also covered biomechanics, VO₂ testing, and physiological assessments, so a broad mix, but the message was clear: changes can be made and improvements to mental and physical health will follow.

My personal tutor, Dr Emma Solomon Moore, was a huge influence. Her work in public health on lifestyle factors like fitness, nutrition, sleep, and stress fascinated me. Those are the things we can control, and they resonated with me far more than lab-based science.

Other lecturers reinforced that message. At the time, some research was showing that around two-thirds of deaths were caused by preventable diseases. That statistic blew my mind. It made me think that if so much is preventable, there’s so much more we can do.

From graduation to impact

I graduated in 2021, right in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. The day I handed in my dissertation was the same day gyms reopened – the best day ever!

After that, things were uncertain. I knew I wanted to work in health and fitness, but jobs were scarce.

My partner, also a Bath graduate, was already personal training and running classes at the university. During lockdown, he started a small calisthenics community. It began as something fun, but every session filled up.

Together, we started hosting park meetups when restrictions eased. It began with six people and grew to 50-plus every Sunday. That sense of community was powerful, and it planted the seed for something bigger. That feeling of making a difference? It’s addictive.

We also started making wooden parallettes and sold them on Etsy - every penny funded our first gym. In September 2022, we opened our first space, and within six months, classes were full, and we knew we needed to grow.

That’s when one of our longest-standing clients offered us a new space on Walcot Street. It was a bold move — the building was in terrible shape, but with help and hard work, we transformed it. Now, we’re adding to it again and building a free outdoor calisthenics park next door to make movement accessible to everyone.

About six months ago, we transitioned to a Community Interest Company (CIC). We’d already been reinvesting profits into free classes for teens and older adults, so it made sense to formalise that. Our goal is simply to give back. We run free youth sessions, school outreach, and programmes for older people. Adults who use the gym help fund these initiatives, creating a cycle of impact.

We’ve also become an accredited training centre, so we can qualify new personal trainers. That’s another layer of the butterfly effect, helping others start their own journeys and spread positive change in their communities.

'Life-changing' experience

If I had to sum up my Bath experience in one word, it would be life-changing.

Bath gave me much more than a degree; it gave me direction, confidence, and the belief that I could create something meaningful. It empowered me and inspired me to dedicate my life to improving health and wellbeing, not just for individuals, but for communities.