Kids, Cartwheels &
CONFIDENCE By Mikayla van Loon
A
cro Kids husband and wife duo Damian and Katherine Clemens have not only built a successful business centred around the health and wellbeing of kids, but have each found themselves the freedom of running their own business.
“We’re lone wolves. We were on our own so we kind of found each other and discovered that we’re both similar in that way, so for us to start a business was almost a given or a natural thing for us,” Katherine said. Katherine, a marketing and communications expert and Damian a personal trainer and gymnastics coach, moved to the Mornington Peninsula for a lifestyle change, away from the corporate world of the Melbourne CBD. Sticking to each of their strengths, Katherine said that being a business owner has made both of them more relaxed and has improved their communication with each other, as well as their relationship. “We do complement each other although of course we bicker a lot like any other married couple,” Katherine said. “If we don’t tread on each other’s toes too much, we work really well as a team.” When Acro Kids started five years ago, Katherine was still working full time, while raising three children and doing all the admin for the business. She said that time in her life was probably the most challenging but making the transition to working for herself, where there are no limitations, has been very rewarding. Damian and Katherine’s motivation behind starting Acro Kids stemmed from wanting to create something that would involve their children. And even though they say it can be hard work and it never seems as if they switch off from thinking about work, they find joy in being more family focused. “We didn’t want to have a business where we never saw our children,” Katherine said. Not only do they love watching their own children grow and develop within the programs but they enjoy watching others kids do the same. “We’ve had so many children for many years where they continue to come and you get to be a part of their life in a small way and we really love that,” Katherine said. Damian says Acro Kids run many programs for all different ages and capabilities; they have seen a great balance between boys and girls getting involved in acrobatic skills. 36
Peninsula Kids – Summer 2020/21