I’m passionate about keeping people strong, fit, mobile, and injury-free. I have a keen interest in working with patients that are struggling with musculoskeletal conditions or sports injuries of the lower limb. I bring 20 plus years of experience from the health and fitness industry combined with podiatric skills and evidence-based practice to get you back to doing what you love doing and achieving your potential.
I have a unique integrated approach using various treatment modalities learned and developed through many years of experience, not commonly found in podiatrists or other clinicians. I regularly update and up-skill in the areas of exercise, sports medicine, biomechanics, rehabilitation, and soft tissue therapy to ensure you get the best treatment outcomes.
My journey in the health & fitness industry began with the study and practice of massage and oriental therapy in 1997, and then a couple of years later I embarked on a career in personal training and fitness. Combining these two and continually learning and developing for the next 2 decades. This gave me invaluable experience with assessing and tailoring exercise programs for clients with a variety of musculoskeletal complaints, sports injuries, and health conditions.
As a personal trainer at Sport UNE (Armidale) and then in Sydney gyms, I was exposed to a number of different university and local athletes from amateur to elite level, designing and prescribing strength programs for their sports performance and helping them with mindset development. Additionally, I worked along with local physiotherapists and clinicians, prescribing functional exercise programs for post-injury and MVA clients, which was incredibly rewarding!
As a group fitness instructor, I taught various classes from boxing fitness, cross-training, core development, flexibility/mobility, PDHPE, and senior classes. I was involved in the design and presentation of Bootcamp programs. In 2002, I created a 10-week weight loss community group program, run at various times through Sport UNE. During these programs, I was delivering structured weekly presentations on weight loss, exercise, nutrition, mindset/motivation, and planning/goal setting.
I have always been very athletic, starting with Judo from the age of 8 (competing in tournaments) and later on, developing in several martial art styles, Aikido, Kung Fu, Boxing/Kick Boxing, Qi Gong/Tai Chi. At school I was involved in competitive athletics, enjoying track, and field. Then from my early twenties, I played representative soccer for UNE and competitive club soccer 1st grade.
My ongoing passion for strength training and weight lifting led to competing and winning the Aussie Bodies Women's Physique Competition in 2001.
Another longstanding passion of mine has been meditation and yoga. My very first meditation retreat was in 1997 at the Vipassana Meditation Centre in Blackheath. It was probably one of the most mentally, emotionally, and physically challenging meditation techniques I had ever done. I was amazed by the changes and benefits it created in me and in others through the many meditation and yoga circles I had encountered, so it became an established part of my daily routine. I continued to do numerous retreats in these last 23 years and learned many other meditation styles. This powerful tool has been very useful in helping to guide clients, athletes, patients, and anyone wanting to connect with their mind and body, understand the nature of their pain, increase focus and performance, and achieve their potential.
