A fitness coach who was allegedly sexually assaulted while working out alone has credited her hard-won strength for enabling her to fight her attacker off.

Nashali Alma, 24, was lifting weights in the gym at her apartment complex in Florida when she noticed a man at the door.

Initially believing he was only there to exercise, she let him in before continuing her workout.

CCTV footage shows the man approaching her several minutes later, with Nashali pushing him away as he closed in.

After he chases around the equipment, she manages to briefly escape his clutches and sprint away – but he soon catches up with her on the other end of the room.

The 24-year-old then begins repeatedly striking the man in the head as he throws her to the ground, after which she manages to wrestle herself free and escape.

She escaped and called 911, after which police arrested a man and named him as Xavier Thomas-Jones, 25, another resident of the complex.

Nashali told MailOnline: ‘When it was happening, I actually had no fear. I am a bodybuilder, and I’m actually pretty strong, so in my mind, he was kinda equal to me.

Xavier Thomas-Jones has been charged with sexual battery (Picture: Hillsborough Sheriff)

Nashali Alma said she was determined to ‘never give up’ trying to fight back her attacker (Picture: Hillsborough Sheriff)

‘I just kept punching him with my phone, my hands, upper cut him on the ground, pulled his beard hair out, I just kept punching and moving so he wouldn’t get a chance.

‘The more fight you put, the more they want to give up… If I keep going, I keep pushing, he’s going to stop. He’s going to let go and he finally did.

‘I was confident I had strength and mentality to fight back. I was much stronger than I thought with all my fitness work and bodybuilding, I am proud to be a bodybuilder!’

Thomas-Jones has since been charged with sexual battery, an offence under Florida law similar to sexual assault in the UK.

Nashali managed to wrestle herself free after repeated attempts to pin her down (Picture: Hillsborough Sheriff)

He is also accused of entering another female resident’s apartment after fleeing the gym and watching her from outside, having been chased off by her fiancé.

According to Fox 13 News, which cited court documents, Thomas-Jones admitted to restraining and battering Nashali with the intention of having sex with her.

He also admitted to having sexual intentions toward the second woman, saying he went to her door because he thought she was ‘pretty’.

The 25-year-old remains in custody and has also been charged with false imprisonment, kidnapping and burglary.

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CCTV shows Nashali Alma, 24, desperately fighting back as the man tries to pin her down.