my story
There’s no denying the fact my entire life has been focused on sport and fitness, and that it’s a massive part of what makes me tick. When I was young, my life revolved around playing netball and swimming. Then, I discovered rowing, which changed everything! For ten years, I completely dedicated myself to competitive rowing – training and racing all over the world. I competed at two Olympic Games (Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004), and eight World Championships. At these I won two World Championship medals, one silver medal, and a few others. During this time, I trained my body to be strong, and I had a mental attitude that matched it.
When my rowing career ended, I struggled to adapt to a ‘normal life’. I had to learn how to eat as a ‘non-athlete’ (this was one of my biggest challenges).
I struggled to balance party life with healthy life. I constantly felt unsettled, and I missed the adrenalin and challenges that came from rowing.
I found it so hard to be in one place all the time, with no more travel.
I became lost. I didn’t have anyone to tell me what to eat, what goals to work towards, or what to do with my day. I lost my focus, and it didn’t feel good.
Things started looking up when I opened Fitness Avenue in 2005 – a personal training studio in Warriewood, Sydney, Australia. Personal training gave me the chance to help other people get fit, strong and healthy. This made me realise that helping other people was my calling. Fitness is my thing and I know it inside out – I’ve seen firsthand the value it can bring to people’s lives. But, there was still something missing.
Complete wellness and health is not just about fitness. It’s about balancing lots of little things – where your head is at, what you feed your body, how much sleep you’re getting, your self-confidence, the clearness you have on your purpose in life. I came to a life-changing realisation – if I wanted to make a real difference to people’s lives, I needed to help them with more than just their fitness.
I threw myself into learning as much as I could about holistic wellness – nutrition, stress, relationships, how to balance all the aspects of your life, and how to listen to your body and take its lead. I did my study with the New York-based Institute of Integrative Nutrition – an amazing experience that transformed the way I think about health and wellbeing. I realised that being ‘healthy’ is not as complicated as it’s made out to be. It’s actually really simple – it’s about focusing on the things you CAN do, and the things that you love and enjoy. Health and happiness will follow…
Which brings me to now – a time in my life where I’ve found my sweet spot. One of the greatest things about becoming a health coach is the journey it’s taken me on – learning and discovering new things, and finding my own purpose and sense of balance. It’s my hope to help you do the same thing.
my approach
No lectures, no guilt, no pressure.
You’re a human being – which means you’re awesome at some things and not so good at other things. It also means you’re completely different to everyone else in the world! The only way for me to make a real difference is to get to know you: what you really want from your life, what challenges you, what is blocking you from feeling your best, and what you’re already doing that is working perfectly. Together, we work out what makes you happy, what gives you a buzz, what fulfils you and what keeps you calm. By focusing on these things, healthy habits will naturally start making their way into your life.
For me personally, if I’m embarking on something new and challenging, it needs to be achievable or I can lose interest. If things happen too fast and I run at something too hard, I find it hard to maintain the pace and I lose focus. I’m all about aiming high, but I’m also practical. I believe in making things happen by setting realistic goals, and achieving them in small steps.
my philosophy
Happy, stress-free, enjoyable
Being healthy isn’t just about being fit and eating the right foods, it’s about having lots of energy, feeling confident, and having a clear and focused mind.
And most of all, it’s about being happy and enjoying the ride!
fitness avenue
My personal training and group training studio in Warriewood on Sydney's Northern Beaches, Fitness Avenue provides a unique, fun, social and challenging way to achieve a healthy ‘feel-good’ lifestyle.
Operating since 2005. Group classes with a maximum of 7 people are a very popular and affordable style of class as you will get the benefits of personal training in a team environment.
One-on-One sessions are also available if you’re after a more private and specific session.
WANT TO FIND OUT MORE - VISIT WWW.FITNESSAVENUE.COM.AU
