Olivia Norton is bringing bungee fitness back to Grimsby at the end of the month, inspired by beloved instructor Helene Dunk who passed away last year after a battle with cancer
Bethany Lodge Senior Reporter
05:00, 07 Jul 2026
Bungee fitness classes are coming to Grimsby this summer(Image: Submitted)
A fresh new approach to fitness is coming to Grimsby. It all involves being suspended from the ceiling by a bungee cord – and a lot of fun. Olivia’s Bungee Fitness will be beginning classes at the end of the month.
Olivia Norton was inspired by a very special woman, Helene Dunk, a long-time bungee fitness instructor who passed away last year after battling cancer. Olivia is running classes in between her full time job as a primary school teacher.
She says the classes help create community and a better work/life balance for herself, as well as the people who come to class. The 23-year-old hopes to carry on Helene’s legacy by bringing the fun workout to people in Grimsby.
Olivia, who lives in Healing, said: “Helene used to do Bungee Fitness here in Grimsby and it’s not here anymore. I just absolutely fell in love with it. It was a community feel, a load of fun, rather than feeling like you’re working out.
“Last year Helen was diagnosed with cancer and she was unable to do the classes anymore, but most recently she ran them from Burn Fitness in Cleethorpes. When she passed away everyone was so gutted. She did lots of classes and she was so special and inspiring.
“She was so positive all the time and everyone that walked in that class was so uplifted and you felt amazing coming out of there. The myth is you had to be super fit. She made all abilities feel welcome. After she passed away I used to cover classes because she trained me up to do it. I just love teaching it.”
Olivia, right, with Helene, second from left, at Helene’s bungee fitness class(Image: Submitted)
Olivia’s classes begin on July 28 and there is already a long waiting list. She will operate out of Grit Fitness in Holton-le-Clay. The class’ former location, Burn Fitness, had kept the bungees from Helene’s time teaching there. They sold the equipment to Olivia and donated the money to St Andrew’s Hospice, where Helene spent her final days.
“I knew when she passed away that some day I’d have to carry on her legacy and I know she’d want me to carry it on,” Olivia said. “It’s not long been a year since she passed away and I decided to set up my own business and I have been blown away with people who are interested. People who used to come to Helene’s classes are booking as well.
Olivia says you “don’t have to be super fit” to enjoy bungee fitness(Image: Submitted)
“It’s a fitness class where you’re attached to a harness and bungee cord. You do jumping movements, because of the resistance on your bungee there is a lot less impact on your joints. It’s an intense workout but low impact. You can move in ways that are different to traditional workouts, that’s what people are drawn to as well.
“People think that if they’ve never done it before, they can’t do it. But what I say is that everything we do goes in levels. There might be something that involves a lot of jumping, but you can do squats instead. It’s designed to do it at your own pace, it’s your workout essentially.”
Classes are currently capped at 10 people per session. Olivia encourages anyone interested to join the waiting list. Bookings are open until the end of August. She says Grit Fitness have been “amazing” and she is already looking to add more mounts to expand her classes.
The classes are carrying on the legacy of bungee fitness instructor, Helene Dunk, who lost her cancer battle (Image: Submitted)
“I think teaching will always be a huge part of what I do but bungee fitness is something I’ve always had a passion for. I’ll be running the evening classes in the week which will help with the work/life balance. I’ll make the most of the school holidays and that in itself is a good thing for my own personal wellbeing. Health and fitness is so important for my own wellbeing. It’s something that motivates me with my own health and fitness. August is a while away and people will cancel for all sorts of reasons. There’s no harm in being on the waitlist even if you can’t make it, it’s worth being on there.”
To find out more visit Olivia’s Bungee Fitness on Facebook here or follow the direct booking link here.
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