About Me

Since the beginning of 1999 I have worked in the fitness industry, I’m the guy they call the ‘energiser bunny’. When I first started in fitness, all my focus (and there was a lot of focus) was on getting to the top position within this very competitive world. I sometimes re-read my goals from that period and it blows my mind how 'one' focused I was. Over the next few years I worked so hard on the path towards my biggest goal at that time, to be the best at this job in the world.

During this intense time all my energy was on how I was going to get better. I didn’t stop to think about other peoples goals. I figured that if I achieved my goals those around me would benefit as well. Around four years after I started working in the industry I got to a level that I considered world class. Now I was representing one of the worlds biggest fitness companies (Les Mills) at the highest level. I suddenly had fans in countries that I couldn’t even find on a map. Surprisingly the achievement of being a world class instructor came as a bit of a let down to me. While I was proud of the level I had achieved I wasn’t fulfilled in ways I thought I would be. Now the questioning began!

After sitting down and assessing why I felt dissatisfied with my achievement, it became clear to me that while I had been on an amazingly focused journey, my motivation was a little too selfish. I decided to make it my mission to continually improve myself by trying to help others in health and fitness.

This change in attitude created a big shift in my thinking as now I was trying to look at the world through the eyes of others. I made some interesting discoveries by doing this and some of these contradicted what I thought was so important to people being successful in health and fitness. An example of this was my industry's continual insistence on using ‘the perfect body’ image as its main marketing tool. What they do puts way too much emphasis on just one aspect of fitness and neglects so many of the other great things that come with leading an active and healthy lifestyle.

One question that I’ve continually tried to answer since my ‘change in focus’ is: 'What does it take to create a life time love of fitness, one where people get all the benefits of a healthy lifestyle choices'. This question has made me discover a lot about why it is that some people seem to find it so easy while others just keep falling behind and the biggest thing I have discovered is that health and fitness isn’t about a certain exercise, being on the latest diet or buying equipment that promises the world. Fitness is about behaviour.

That statement is so important. The people I have seen who I know will be healthy and fit for life are the ones who have figured these behaviours out and made them work for themselves.

Author

I am the author of two best selling fitness books.

The Fitness Attitude: How to change your behaviour and learn to love keeping fit. Click here to get it.
I Will Make You Passionate About Exercise: How to go from being unmotivated, unfit and lost, to having energy, being fit, healthy and loving exercise. Click here to get the book

Les Mills

Les Mills is the world leader in group fitness, they really are an amazing company. In my different roles within Les Mills I get to be a DVD presenter, international training facilitator and national presenter, but nothing beats teaching my Christchurch classes with the people I have been doing this with for years!

I have been a group fitness instructor with Les Mills since 1999. During this time I have achieved:

3x New Zealand Fitness instructor of the year.
Presented Les Mills International as a video presenter in the Body Attack and Body Step programs.
I’ve been lucky enough to travel both around New Zealand and throughout the world as a Training Facilitator and presenter for Les Mills.

Athlete

I competed in Ironman Triathlon from 2003 to 2008.

Raced in 8 Ironman races, including Ironman Hawaii.
Won my age group at Ironman New Zealand.
Moved up the ranks to compete as a professional Ironman.
My Ironman personal best is 9:05
Since retiring from Ironman I have been competing in Marathons Half Marathons.
I completed three Epic Camps. The craziest triathlon training camps. In one of these camps I had done over 63 hours of high intensity exercise in the first seven days. The camp went for thirteen days!