Penarth Nub News aims to support our community, promoting shops, businesses, charities, clubs and sports groups.

We will be profiling some of these businesses and organisations in a feature called 'Up Close in Penarth'.

Last weekend we joined a Live Fit Wales Zoom class to discover the impact it's having during lockdown.

It was all rather unfamiliar territory for me.

Side-kick squats, bicycle crunches, horizontal hip thrusts - all to a soundtrack of dance music blasted over Zoom.

But I wasn't there to tackle my substantial lockdown belly. I had joined Live Fit Wales' online bums, legs and tums (BLT) class for a first-hand glimpse at a COVID-19 success story.

The class was led by Penarth's very own Welsh-language celebrity, Rae Carpenter.

She, like most fitness fanatics, has her own story of personal development.

"I was a shopping TV presenter for 13 years for a TV channel called Gemporia," she tells Nub News.

"After I had my son, I put on about six stone. I tried every fad diet under the sun but just couldn't lose it. Then I began an exercising and healthy eating programme - no fads - and was able to lose it, so I became heavily into fitness.

"But then, in 2012, my mum and aunt were diagnosed with breast cancer. They thought it might be genetic so so I had some tests done and they actually found a 14 cm tumour.

"It was a pivotal moment in making me realise that health and fitness are absolutely vital, and that I wanted to help other people realise that."

Rae decided to become a personal trainer. Soon after qualifying, she gave up the presenting career and started Live Fit Wales with her lifelong friend Kath Adams.

"We were working in the community, for the community, in community centres and church halls, that sort of thing.

"We helped women - and men - in this beautiful community work on their nutrition and reverse their health problems. Some were even able to come off medication. It was amazing. We developed this brilliant portfolio of success stories.

"Then, all of a sudden, I got a phone call from S4C saying that they were impressed by my own transformation journey and wanted me on Ff.I.T Cymru."

In early March, Rae had been juggling being a fitness expert on S4C's Ff.I.T Cymru and running Live Fit with Kath.

Then everything changed.

"The 16th of March was our final live, in-person class in Penarth. That phrase social distancing was just beginning to be thrown around so we made sure we enforced it in our own class.

"When, the next day, proper lockdown started, I was very lucky. My husband is head of St David's Hall in Cardiff so has a huge amount of technical experience and literally put us online overnight.

"Our first online class was the 25th, with good cameras and mics, the works. It wasn't just me standing in a room shouting at a computer screen with really bad sound. It was like I was in the room with them."

And it shows. The BLT class I attended was joined by people from all over the country - from as far as Surrey, Manchester and Glasgow.

"We have way more clients now than ever before - without a doubt."

From Foxy's Deli to Shan's Wales Tours, Penarth's businesses have displayed extraordinary get-up-and-go resilience over the last few months.

UP CLOSE again probes for the source of this attitude.

"I just thought, 'I have broadcasting experience. I know what I have to do. I know how important the classes are to people,' so there was just never another option," says Rae.

At the end of the BLT session, some participants stuck around for a chat. While in a better state than this wheezy reporter, they gave testament to the importance of the class.

"It has literally kept me sane," said one. "I would have killed my family without this. It puts a bit of much-needed routine and structure into your day, gives you a reason to actually get up and get clothes on."

"Kath and Rae are the best. I work from home most of the time so it really makes a difference at the moment. Kath and Rae are the best," chimed in another.

"It makes you feel like you've achieved something in your day - even when you haven't. The other thing is that we're a proper community. There's a Facebook page and a lot of cheeky chat behind the scenes. It really has formed some great friendships."

In spite of the success of the online classes, Rae says she can't wait to get back in the gym and recommence the face-to-face sessions.

"Don't get me wrong, nothing beats the energy of a face-to-face class. When that first person walks in the door after having a really bad day and I can lift and empower them to go home and be a better person, that's just the best feeling.

"It's hard to replicate that over Zoom, but we're giving it a damn good go."