As far back as I can remember, I've loved sports and training. So I've always done it, from coaching and playing football, running, doing triathlons and mountain biking to weight training.
As life progressed, I was in a corporate position, flying around the world and responsible for multi-million dollar contracts, teams, budgets and deadlines. Then, alongside that, building a family with a wife and two kids and the added responsibilities that came with it. As many know, this is life, and I was handling it ok; I wasn't unhappy and always considered myself fortunate to have a career and family.
However, I would always struggle to balance my professional and personal life and my well-being (mental, physical and financial). Yo-yo-ing between working on one, letting one slip and then adjusting to work on another to the detriment of others.
It wasn't ideal, but I kind of just about made it work and used a focus on goal-orientated physical challenges (triathlons, races, aesthetics, etc) to take care of my physical well-being.
My wife and I found out our eldest daughter had a disability that would ultimately have a profound impact on and this seemed to be the lesson life had in store for me.
It added another dose of worry and challenges to the pressures, stresses and what seemed like a constant jet lag of work with the responsibilities of life as a dad and husband, which all made for a hefty dose of anxiety.
Ultimately, it ended up being the thing that led me to pay attention to my life and what was happening in and around it, which led me on a journey of education and self-discovery.
The lightbulb went off about health and fitness's actual and tangible benefits. I then started to focus and change my approach; I invested in learning from the best coaches and nutrition people I could find, but I couldn't find the silver bullet. So, I returned to education, gained my qualifications and built my philosophy and methodology.