my story

Define yourself by what you can do;
not what you can’t.

It was a life-changing revelation when I realised what my body could do. 

You see, I lived in pretty much constant pain for a long time. 

In 2006, when I finished university, I had an operation where my pelvis was broken in three places and my hip socket repositioned so I could be pain free and walk properly. 

I was in a wheelchair for six months. I had to learn to walk again. Sport, fitness and physical exercise were the furthest things from my mind. 

In fact, I’ve had to learn how to walk about four times now. That operation was the last in a long line of different surgeries I’d had since I was a toddler and diagnosed with hip dysplasia in both hips (this is where the hip socket isn’t formed properly). You can watch a video of me talking about it here.

‘Sporty’ I was not. But I was determined. And as the years have gone by, sport and fitness have grown to play a huge role in my life and shape the person I am today.

It started with gig rowing… and what a start it was. On my very first trip out in a boat I slid back off my seat. My core muscles were non-existent. So I floundered ungainly on my back to much laughter. Yet, she persevered. Since that inauspicious outing I’ve gone on to row in the final of the World Pilot Gig Championships three times.

Now, as well as being a devoted gig-rower, I’m a keen cyclist and a very slow runner. I joined the cult of CrossFit after I had my daughter in 2015 and the combination of strength and fitness training has honestly transformed my life.

That’s what brings me here and the driver for why I’ve gone from being an assistant headteacher at a secondary school in Cornwall to a personal trainer.

I want to show people what they are capable of. Especially those of you out there who haven’t realised how amazing your body is and all the incredible things you’re capable of doing.

Strength and fitness training, for me, is about making my body work in the best way possible. Whilst I know I’m never going to be the fastest, or strongest, I know that training has made my body more capable than it’s ever been. And I want to share that with you.