Founder's Story and the origin of Wellfit Kids
Wellfit Kids was founded by Julia Sas as a passion project at the end of 2025, and classes began in Spring 2026.
Martial arts–inspired fitness training over more than 25 years and across various ups and downs in life, convinced Julia of the many physical and mental health benefits this type of training could bring.
Boxing training featured throughout her time at both university and later work. Then, after relocating and becoming a Mum, Julia started kickboxing and achieved a blue belt with Cardiff Martial Arts before deciding she needed to increase her general fitness and flexibility in order to progress further. She passed over attendance at Cardiff Martial Arts to her kids and left the club to pursue various more conveniently-timed Les Mills classes at a local gym.
Julia always instinctively wanted to share her enjoyment of fitness with others. Particularly her own children, who she hoped could develop the same beneficial relationship with regular exercise that she benefitted from. However, she never acted on it.
Then, towards the end of 2025, three things happened:
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A close friend of Julia's died suddenly, reminding her that life was short, and prompting her to act on her ambitions.
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Work as a primary school governor gave her insights that chimed with her own experience as a parent, i.e. kids often struggled to regulate their behaviour and were spending an increasing amount of time immersed in and otherwise pre-occupied with the digital world.
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Julia had a serendipitous meeting with the manager of a soon to be expiring business start-up fund.
Julia spotted what she felt was a gap in the market. She knew her own son and daughter (aged 10 and 7 at the time) took interest in the type of music and moves she used in her workouts. This combined with her desire to share the various benefits of her workouts and the Wellfit Kids class concept emerged naturally from there.
By first starting up an afterschool club Julia could provide a regular time each week for her own kids and others to:
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Let off steam and be physically active away from screen-based entertainment
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Practice expressing and regulating their emotions
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Have fun and move to music with friends
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Become proficient in martial arts moves
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Experience a period of relaxation
Crucially, the concept would fit around her full-time employment and was straightforward enough to quickly work up into a business model that could be pitched to the managers of the soon-to-be expiring business start-up grant.
Fast forward past:
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A successful grant award and equipment purchase
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Securing a local venue
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The completion of various business and brand development activities
And soon, Wellfit Kids was born.
