PRO STORIES: Carla Roberts

Our second episode features Carla Roberts, a longtime volunteer in Africa, who found herself searching for a new way to give back after returning home to Dublin, Ireland. Carla now teaches POUND to all ages and stages—from kids to seniors and those with disabilities—as a way to empower, inspire and give back to her community. Here is Carla’s story.Carla Roberts is not your typical 27 year old. For most of her young life, Carla has been committed to giving back to others. Since the age of 19, she has lived and worked with volunteer organizations all over Africa, focusing her efforts on community development, sports development and medical projects. She found fulfillment working with families to help strengthen the community.

In 2013, while volunteering in Uganda, Carla contracted ‘severe complicated malaria’ that almost ended her life. It took hours of driving and two air ambulances to get her to the Nairobi hospital in Kenya where she sought medical treatment. By the time she arrived at the hospital, the malaria had spread throughout her blood which caused her liver and kidneys to begin shutting down. Had she not made it to the hospital when she did, she would not be here to tell her story today. She accredits still being alive to her two coworkers and her Ugandan mama, who were like family.

“The two gents I worked with, Graeme and Chris, saved my life,” Carla recalls. “If Graeme hadn’t made the call to take me to the hospital when he did, I would have died. Graeme looked after my insurance and Chris looked after speaking to my family. They drove two hours back to our accommodation (because that’s how far we were from a hospital) to fetch some of my things. That night my Ugandan mama, Priscilla, stayed with me. Chris came with me to the Nairobi hospital and I don’t know how he did it, but he had me laughing the WHOLE TIME!”

Carla returned home to Ireland to continue her recovery with her family. Once her health was restored, she felt a void and longed for the community she was once so deeply connected to. “After such a long time of being away from home, a lot of my friends had either moved away, gotten engaged/married or had babies. You forget that things aren’t going to be the same after 6 years.”

She discovered POUND on the internet and quickly recognized that it was a community she might want to be a part of. “I saw POUND on Facebook, checked out their website and social media, and I could feel the FUN coming at me through the computer screen. I love love LOVE fun fitness and that’s what drew me to POUND. My POUND ICON Jess is who made me fall in love with POUND, and my POUND posse keeps me going!”

Today, when Carla isn’t in South Africa serving the communities she’s so passionate about, she’s in Dublin, Ireland empowering others, using POUND as the catalyst for change in her community. She teaches all ages and stages—from kids to seniors and adults with intellectual disabilities—as a way to inspire and give back.

“I LOVED my work In Africa. My FAVORITE part of my job was working with the communities (adults & kids) so it was hard coming home, however, with POUND I have finally found something that gives me that warm fuzzy feeling that I had while working in the communities in Africa. I am LOVING meeting so many incredible people through POUND and growing my social circle. Being a POUND instructor is also like being a friend and a mom. My POUND posse is great and so supportive.”

Carla Roberts truly embodies and represents all that POUND stands for.

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