MEET THE TEAM
Mike da Silva
Mike da Silva is the owner and founder of The Fort. He specializes in strength and conditioning and rehabilitation. He holds a BSc in Physiology and Human Movement Science as well as a BSc Honours in Biokinetics.
After a knee injury took professional rugby off the table, Mike decided to shift his focus to coaching and rehabilitation. Mike began his journey in the fitness industry in 2006 consulting for the Pumas Currie Cup Team, Bidvest Wits, Platinum Stars and for Bafana Bafana in preparation for the Confederations Cup in 2009 and World Cup in 2010. From 2012 - 2016 he held the position of strength and conditioning coach for Moroka Swallows.
Founded in 2012, The Fort has since grown under Mike’s leadership into the cutting-edge fitness space it is today.
Andrew Johnston
Andrew has been in coaching since 2011 and has been involved specifically in the fitness industry since 2015. He holds a Bsc (Sport Science) majoring in human movement and human physiology and has also studied a Trifocus Olympic lifting course.
Andrew specialises in strength and conditioning, powerlifting, olympic lifts and mobility.
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Andrew loves helping people realise their strength potential through training and one of the highlights of his career was building and running a non-profit gym to help people reach their fitness goals.
“The human body is so incredible and I fully believe that everyone should experience the depth of what their body can do. Always remember the two B’s of life; Be. Better.”
Raquel Barbosa
Raquel is a dynamic sports coach and personal trainer who has been in the industry since 2017.
Driven by a desire to help athletes excel on the field, Raquel began her journey in the industry coaching hockey. Her coaching evolved as she recognized the profound impact that strength and conditioning had on athletic performance.
Her specialization lies in field hockey, both as a player and coach, and she has a proven track record of success.
She has coached Southern Gauteng teams, securing gold and bronze medals in back-to-back years, and was instrumental in leading one of her school teams to be ranked among the Top 12 schools in South Africa. Raquel is also an accomplished athlete herself with multiple accolades under her belt.
As a coach, Raquel is highly adaptable, and she has a holistic understanding of movement, adaptation, and individualized training
Hobbies: Mentoring young athletes, playing hockey and golf, travelling.
Chad (Superman) Hanekom
Chad Hanekom is a professional athlete competing in Mixed Martial Arts at an international level.
But he’s not just a successful fighter, Chad holds a BSc (Hons.) in Sports Science. He has been working in the fitness industry since 2010 and has had a passion for sport from a very young age.
He is fascinated by which aspects of training could facilitate an improvement of athletic performance and help an individual to reach their full athletic potential.
He specialises in high performance training, healthy lifestyle facilitation, nutrition, injury rehabilitation and mixed martial arts focussing on striking, boxing, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, wrestling and pad holding.
Ella Smit
Ella Smit specialises in body transformations, with a focus on weight loss, toning, and muscle building. Her mission? To help people feel at home in their bodies, break through their limits, and achieve things they never thought possible.
If you would like to start your transformation journey with Ella, wether you are a new client or an existing member of the gym, chat to us or fill in a “book a session” form.
Damien Pelser
Damien is a Strength & Conditioning coach with a specialisation in performance and more than a decade of hands-on experience working with a wide range of individuals, from schoolboy athletes finding their footing, to professional athletes pushing the limits of human performance.
Damien believes that training should make people feel stronger, move better and be more capable.
His approach blends evidence-based coaching with genuine care, creating an environment where members feel supported, challenged, and understood.
Whether helping someone take their first steps in the gym or preparing an athlete for high-stakes competition, Damien’s focus remains consistent: meet people where they are, build them up with purpose, and empower them to grow beyond what they thought possible.