About me.

What qualifies me?

I’ve lived a busy life sitting for hours on end (corporate job), and standing for hours on end (teaching). I spent days, months and years in pain with numerous issues and was given the impression of no hope that things would ever truly get better.

My journey of pain

A few years ago now, I reached absolute rock bottom. I had plantar fasciitis, posterior tibial tendon disfunction, flat feet, ankle pain, knee pain, hip pain, I was limping, thought I had sciatica at one point, lower back pain, mid back pain, shoulder pain and neck pain. Every pain – you name it I had it.

I would crack my own back once every 5 minutes in the hope of relieving the pain. I was told to get orthotics, told to floss my nerves, and told that there was no concrete solution to my problems. I often made decisions at work on whether it was really necessary to stand up and go to the staffroom – as I was in that much pain (and it was only 50 steps away!).

I started at the physiotherapist…

Then senior physiotherapist, then a specialist doctor of the neck and shoulder who told me to floss my nerves, then a neuromuscular massage therapist and a chiropractor who made the most difference to my lifestyle.

Though all of these professionals tried their best, I realised that their 20 minutes of help per week is not going to save me from my 168 hours of pain! Nor is it helping my bank account.

What they failed to realise in my case, was that the initial pain in my shoulder and back was a result of my left ankle and toe. This would later come to light with an x-ray from the chiropractor pointing out to me that I had scoliosis and through a world-class massage therapist explaining to me about the wonderful world of kinesiology.

I had to take ownership. I had to learn more.

So I studied both formally and informally. I learnt and asked questions and argued with these professionals. I took the best of their methods and combined it into a holistic system of training, movement, rehab and performance all in one package. Each medical professional specialised in their own field, but few stopped to think about how they are connected to one another. Your body is one unit not separate units.

While all these professionals had their part to play in my life – paying up to $180 per week just to come back the next week with the SAME amount of pain and discomfort did not sound like a fool proof plan.

Improvements

Over a hundred people’s lives have been positively influenced through my first attempt in the fitness industry as a bodyweight fitness educationalist running workshops and boot camps, and at least another hundred more as a professional fitness trainer at Les Mills working with all ages 16 years to 67 years, and all fitness levels.

All my clients have achieved at least one of the following:

• First pull up, squat, pushup and more
• No more back and knee pain
• Created a workout that works for them no matter how busy they are
• Not have to give up on food that they like.