FROM ATHLETE TO COACH
Experience shaped how I coach.
I grew up as a competitive runner and was coached by Arthur Lydiard. I won several national titles and represented New Zealand in the 1500m and 3000m at the Pacific School Games in Sydney in 2000. Compartment syndrome, surgery and the difficulty of returning to running changed that path.
A few years later, I joined a gym and built myself from around 60kg to 84kg so I could play rugby league. I played fullback and wing, captained my team for two years, and eventually stopped playing after an ACL injury.
Those experiences taught me that progress is rarely a straight line. Bodies, goals and circumstances change—and good coaching needs to understand the person, not simply prescribe another workout.
COACHING EXPERIENCE
Experience you can put to work.
I started working as a Personal Trainer and began Building Better Bodies in 2008, initially taking clients around my other work commitments. In 2012, I became a full-time self-employed trainer.
PERSONAL TRAINING
Personal Training Certificate — New Zealand College of Fitness
STRENGTH & CONDITIONING
Strength and Conditioning Coach for Takapuna Rugby — 2011/2012
SNOWFIT
Ski and snowboard fitness coaching through SnowFIT since 2012
SNOWBOARDING
Qualified snowboard instructor — 2014, currently non-practising
ATHLETE DEVELOPMENT
Experience helping ski-racing clubs with athlete development and strength and conditioning
PERFORMANCE EXPERIENCE
I have worked with athletes who have represented New Zealand or competed at New Zealand championships
The point isn’t to make your training look like mine. It’s to use that experience to make better decisions for yours.
WHAT IT MEANS FOR YOU
Coaching built around the person in front of me.
Experience matters most when it helps me make better decisions for you. Your training should reflect your goals, your starting point and the life you need it to fit around.
LISTEN FIRST
We start by understanding what you want to achieve, what has worked before and what may be getting in the way.
PROGRESS WITH PURPOSE
Training should challenge you at the right level and move forward for a reason, without making every session harder just for the sake of it.
EXPLAIN THE WHY
You should understand what you’re doing and why it belongs in your programme—not simply follow instructions.
ADAPT WHEN LIFE CHANGES
Bodies, schedules and circumstances change. Good coaching responds so your training can keep working for you.
BEYOND THE GYM
Training should support the life you want to live.
Outside coaching, I enjoy snowboarding and spending time outdoors. It’s a reminder that strength and fitness aren’t simply outcomes—they help us keep doing the things that matter to us.
Your reason for training may be sport, family, work, confidence, staying active as you get older or simply feeling more capable in everyday life.
The goal isn’t to make everyone train for the same life. It’s to build a body that supports yours.
