While some are raised with a clear sense of purpose in life, others develop their aspirations through growth. Dr Andrea Lim, co-founder of Peak Fitness, relates to the latter.
In her early 20s, she trained as a medical doctor in the United Kingdom before finding her calling in fitness. Back in Malaysia, she assumed the role of Director of Business Development at KL Sogo, which provided her with the business foresight required to establish herself as a fitness entrepreneur. Lim finally made the leap in 2013, launching Peak Fitness alongside her husband and, since then, the brand has expanded to six branches across Malaysia. Although there were hardships throughout the shift in her career, she navigated it with determination and resilience, knowing life’s journey is rarely a straight line.
“I started off in the United Kingdom working in medicine and, while I enjoyed that—patient care is great—I found that I was often on the receiving end of patching people up. I saw so much suffering that patients experienced due to poor lifestyle choices. I thought, ‘If this could have been addressed early, they wouldn’t have to be in this state.’ That’s when I really wanted to transition from the treating side of things to prevention. When I returned to Malaysia, I already had this thought in mind. I was still passionate about healthcare. I wanted to raise awareness about the importance of fitness and maintaining health, so that we can extend the good years of our lives.
“Coming from a medical background, I see health and wellbeing as a larger equation—not just about fitness alone. There are also a mental health aspect and a social aspect. For example, recently, we introduced what we call a triple contrast therapy zone into our clubs, with a focus on recovery. I like things that are evidence-based and proven to be effective, that can complete our health journey.
“A strong mantra from the medical field is to never stop learning. There’s an attitude that you’ll never know everything in this world, so you should always be keen to learn. I’ve always carried that with me. Going into business, I like to think that I’ve always kept an open mind. I’m a student of life, and I always try to keep learning and progressing.
“With anything and anyone, change always comes with an element of fear and doubt. There definitely was that aspect for me, but I think what made it slightly easier was the thought that I really wanted to do this. I had a good reason for it. I wanted to build something that would genuinely impact people’s lives. Focusing on that made it easier to take steps forward and not let the worries paralyse me.
“I have learned that you don’t do everything on your own. My support team is incredibly important. Learning to lean on them, to reach out when things get rough, has been essential in helping me get through the challenges, instead of thinking I have to go through or handle everything alone. I’m really lucky to have close family members and friends who have great outlooks on life and who continue to inspire me. They are my sounding board—they tell me like it is and they continue to challenge me. They inspire me to be a better version of myself.
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“The idea of reaching more people through the message of fitness is still exciting to me. It’s wonderfully satisfying when people tell us they have changed their lives through being a member at Peak Fitness. That is something that will always make me happy and keep me motivated on my journey.
“I used to be more impatient and a perfectionist, but I guess, with age, I’ve just mellowed out a little. Just don’t sweat the small stuff.
“To me, success is waking up every day excited and happy about what you’re going to do and what you get to do. Society has its own definition of success, but I believe you should do what you want to do. I think that’s true success.”
Illustration by Tan Eng Huat
READ MORE: Meet the rest of Robb Report Malaysia's Power Individuals 2025
