Who are you and what are you best known for?
I am known for someone who believes in a balanced lifestyle and focus on how the clothing fits and make you feel confident, feeling healthy, strong, energetic and happy.
I am incredibly passionate about helping people transform their bodies into what they want to see in the mirror each morning, this means different things to different people. My journey into fitness started when I went through this process myself, a few years when I was overweight, out of shape and unhappy with my physical and mental health. Losing 30+ Lbs (15kg) I fell in love with the process and wanted to share this with others so I turned my life upside down, with a new lifestyle and new career and am now working full time in fitness with individuals, groups and I am also qualified in Pre / Post Natal training.
People describe me as a very happy, bubbly, high energy and motivating person, I like to get involved and workout with my clients where possible. We are in this journey together and share the successes.
What made you pursue a career in fitness?
To be honest, I kind of had a health scare at the age of 32. I found out that I had an artery blockage of 18% and an increase of 5% a year after. I started going to the gym to change my lifestyle but had no idea what to do and couldn’t afford a Personal Trainer so I invested with NCSF.
Do you recommend getting a fitness qualification/certification over gaining actual experience at first?
If you have an actual experience at first and wish to help others with their fitness goals. I would believe getting a fitness qualification / certification gives you credibility and assures clients that you are properly qualified to give advice, there are too many unqualified people offering training. There are many of us like myself who invested our time and money to understand and learn so that we and our clients can benefit from it. I’m still learning every day and strive to learn more.. My clients invested in me and in return I learn something new and pay back to them.
What does a day in Sam’s shoes look like?
Hahaha, well its quite hectic but I enjoy it. My day usually starts with a 6am class and ends some days at 3pm where I hope I have the energy still to do some reading / studying or planning workouts for my clients. During class, I’m usually very energetic, as humans there are times when you know you need to work out but you are not really motivated. So turning up for my classes with my energy will motivate people to work out better.
What are some of your top tips to pass to current and/or emerging Exercise Professionals?
- Never give up no matter what people say. Grow yourself each day and learn something new every day.
- Attend fitness conventions, we learn about the latest science, technology or other ways that could benefit you and your clients.
- Find your niche, what makes you different from all the other Fitness Trainers.
How do you define success, and what are some of the challenges you had to overcome?
I guess different people define success differently. For me, is to be able to provide a holistic program for my clients. Currently I’m only working with female referrals and I’m very happy about it.