Local man becomes personal trainer to Hollywood stars!

When Covid-19 first arrived last year, local man Robbie Egan suddenly found himself out of work and low on cash in Los Angeles.

The gym where he was a fitness coach had to close and, as he weighed up his options, a return to Ireland was one possibility.

"I was at the point where I was almost going to book a flight home, even though I would have had to ring my mother to pay for it," he said.

However, a dramatic upturn in his fortunes since then means he has absolutely no regrets about deciding to stay on in LA.

He started a series of online fitness classes which proved very successful, and through connections he's made since arriving in the city in 2019, he has become a personal trainer to a number of A-list Hollywood stars.

Actors Ben Affleck, Christian Bale, Jennifer Garner and Margot Robbie are among those who have been welcoming Robbie into their homes to put on fitness classes for themselves and their families.

"To be honest with you, it's mind-blowing to go from where I started, in the studio, to being in these $20 million mansions. It's just crazy," he told the Westmeath Independent during a phone interview last week.

Robbie is originally from Moate, where his parents John and Margaret used to own Egan's Bar, and grew up in Monksland and Drum, Athlone. He has one sister, Gillian.

His work with the stars stemmed from a meeting he had with celebrity trainer, Patrick Murphy, who helps prepare the likes of Keanu Reeves and Joaquin Phoenix for their film roles. Mr Murphy referred Robbie to one of his clients, who is a casting director.

"I was going to her house twice a week and in the house she would have friends over, but the friends would be people like Donald Glover and Jamie Foxx.

"She was a big fan of the workouts, and thought I was a decent fella, so she started referring me to her friends, and it just so happened that her friends are well-known.

"She actually passed me on to Ridley Scott and his family. Ridley is a top, top director who did Gladiator, the Alien movies, and a lot of other stuff.

"I'm with his family a few times a week. They would then refer me to somebody and the next person would refer me to somebody else."

He said putting on personal fitness classes for these big names was something he found hugely fulfilling.

"I'm with Christian Bale a lot, and he's just the nicest guy. Every time I walk in, he's like, 'hey Robbie, how's your day going, can I get you a water?' He's nothing but cordial and friendly with me.

"It's nice to be around some of these people because they're so successful and it can kind of rub off on you almost.

"All I wanted, when I came out here, was an opportunity. I knew that if I was given a chance it would be up to me to then make an impression."

Asked about the type of workouts he puts on, he replied: "It's a lot of boxing, hip workouts, full-body conditioning, and fast-paced high energy workouts. We do some family workouts where three or four of the family are together. I keep the music high and the energy levels high."

He felt that being Irish had helped to open more doors and secure more work for him.

"Over the past few years in the US, I've figured out that being Irish is the equivalent of having a PhD! It stands out the same way.

"I'm not saying it's the only reason I'm working with these people but a huge part of it is the Irish personality and charisma. I would be in there having a joke and having the craic with them in the same way I would be if I was at home in Sean's Bar.

"I think it helps bring a bit of normality to their lives, because a lot of them can be very private and they don't really like the attention. They don't like to go out to the store because they get hounded.

"So when I go to their houses, I am just normal, I don't look for photos, and that way they respect me and trust me a bit more. At the end of the day, I'm working with their kids and their families as well, so you have to build that trust."

Robbie is a former soccer player, who played for Athlone Town among other clubs. He first moved to America on a soccer scholarship to Georgia in 2011.He returned home a few years later but then had spells living in Tennessee and in New York before moving to LA in April 2019.

Having become thoroughly enamoured with the lifestyle and climate of California, he sees himself staying there for the long-term.

"The next step would be something like opening a gym over here, but it's not the right time for that until Covid has blown over.

"Every corner of the US is different but, having been around the country a lot, this is where I feel most at home. It's just an amazing place, from the weather to the people to the pace of life," he said.

"Things are going really, really well - far beyond what I expected when I moved to LA, in terms of the houses that I'm in and the people that I'm working with. I didn't really see it coming."