How were you introduced to PT? Tell us about your PT Journey?
My cousin used to own the Vision Drummoyne studio – he helped me get back into shape after several years of neglect. He proposed the idea of being a PT – at the time I thought we was crazy. When he floated the idea of us opening a Vision studio in a nearby suburb i ended up jumping at the chance! We officially opened in July 2008 and haven’t looked back since. Throughout the last 10 years I have had the most amazing journey and experiences that I consider myself to be extremely fortunate. I have helped individuals and families achieve some amazing results including weight loss of 62kgs for an individual and 105kgs for a family. I have helped our members train for fitness events ranging from 5km Walks to 42km Full Marathons and Half Ironman Races, all of whom never thought that was something that they every thought possible!
From a personal level I have met some amazing people along the way (including my wife!), I have many close friends that are still members of the studio. I have watched several of our coaches grow and progress in their careers to have the confidence to open their own businesses, this is something that I am particularly proud of, knowing that we can provide careers and a future for not just our members but our coaches as well.
In terms of health and fitness you name it I have done it! Countless 21km Half Marathons, 4x 42km Full Marathons, 2 x Olympic Distance Triathlons, 3 x 70.3 Half Ironman, 1 x 140.6 Full Marathon, and the list goes on! I have always believe that we should practise what we preach, and I can honestly say that my clients of the members of the studio would never have thought of doing their “what next “ goals if I hadn’t explored them myself!
What false pre-conceptions do you often encounter when speaking to people about their health and fitness?
One thing that is always a challenge is when I hear people say that their culture is the reason why they are overweight or unfit. We all have a choice , and you can choose to overeat or drink excessively or consume processed foods and not exercise or you can choose to do the opposite! It really is a choice!
With the overload of information that people have access to it is also no surprise that I hear “ I have tried EVERYTHING, and NOTHING works!” This is the clearest example that someone has decided to follow a program that worked for someone else but inevitably doesn’t work for them! Taking the time to speak to a professional who can discuss your goals, the direction you are looking at taking, tailoring your exercise and nutrition program to suits those goals, your lifestyle is essential!
If you could pass one piece of health and fitness advice to everyone in Australia of all ages what would that be?
Exercise and nutrition goes hand in hand – yes Nutrition plays a bigger role in many of the goals, but one certainly doesn’t work without the other. Always brining it back to the goal is critical, whether it is to lose weight, train for an event, put on muscle, prepare for pregnancy or bounce back post – partem – the requirements will vary from person to person. And as each person progresses with their goal, so should their training and nutrition!
Why is gym based exercise important to our community?
We know that any form of movement is better than no movement. In saying this – the resistance that you get using machines, band, kettle bells in a structured program has massive value! Gym bases exercise is also great if you can find a facility that really promotes the community aspect! It is awesome to feel that you are part of something and can belong – best way to form new tribes or surround yourself with a positive circle of influence
Share with us one lesson you learnt the hard way
It is really about understanding that everyone is different – trying to create a program/approach that fits for everyone never works. A tailored approach to my coaching with my team is very different to the way I coach my clients of the members of the studio. Teaching my team to recognise these differences is essential
Which part of your health and fitness are you working hard to improve?
Currently training for my first ever 21km Trail Run Half Marathon – it is a whole different experience trail running then it is road running. Learning how to recover properly, the mobility that goes into warming up and cooling down has been something that I have very much enjoyed!
