Irina Alionte: Mover and shaker

**Irina Alionte is a prime example of how panicking about internships and a jobless future is not the only way forward.** Leaving her family business in Romania and starting from scratch in London, the 24 year old Warwick Business School graduate set about translating her dream of changing people’s attitudes to fitness into reality. She created [Club Cardio](http://www.clubcardio.co.uk ): a brand new workout experience that fuses exercise with easy-to-follow dance moves in a nightclub setting.

Starting from the simple observation that the intimidating bright lights and mirrors of an aerobics studio caused people to feel self-conscious, [Irina](http://www.twitter.com/IrinaAlionte) decided to propel exercise to a new environment. And where better than the dance floor; which, as demonstrated by a night out in Smack, causes even the shiest of people to forget what’s going on around them. A one-hour dance marathon, Club Cardio began as a one-off night in the Copper Rooms last June, with a Warwick sport instructor leading the dance moves. Following the success of this night, Irina, knowing she had a budding business proposition, began her quest to take Club Cardio nationwide.

Daring is needed to start a company at the moment; very few would consider it. But with the help of initiatives such as [Rockstar Youth](http://www.rockkstaryouth.co.uk), an organisation offering loans up to £4,500 for 18-25 year olds, students can turn their business propositions into reality. Rockstar Youth also provide mentors, whose experience, expertise and connections were vital in helping Irina gain the confidence and a build a plan she needed to go ahead. Within a few months of her initial night in June, Warwick SU decided that they wanted to make Club Cardio a regular event. Irina is now getting ready to expand Club Cardio outside of the Copper Rooms to nightclubs nationwide, providing the perfect entertainment for a nightclub to use in their off-peak hours.

Irina was able to take a small idea and turn it into a business with potential for great success. Going down the entrepreneurial route may not be as risky as it initially seems. Hopefully, with admirable success stories such as Irina’s, we will start to see more business start-ups coming out of Warwick University in the future. So try it out; change your mindset and attitude to keeping fit!

The third edition of Club Cardio takes place on Tuesday Week 3 and tickets are already on sale on the Warwick SU website: http://www.warwicksu.com/ents/event/9269/