About Athlete and Coach

I was born in South Africa and privileged to grow up in a nature-loving family. Botswana bush holidays, 4x4ing, hiking and bird watching were regular activities, and my passion for the outdoors was no doubt founded during these early years. I was never, however, a runner. In fact, I was slightly asthmatic as a child and happily excused myself from running for years after I'd outgrown the condition... Instead I did ballet, swam for fun, and played decent hockey (the extent of my running), directing most of my attention towards academics throughout school. 

During my final matric exam period, with all extra murals terminated, I came to the realisation that something was suddenly missing from my life. And it was physical activity. Without it I was less focused, less productive and more unhappy. I was going to need some exercise! And what simpler and more accessible form of movement is there really, than running? 

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I started just like everyone - with daily 3km jogs, fighting the urge to walk, suffering on the "climbs," and concluding each session clinging to our gate looking like an over-ripe tomato. I then joined a gym and took up spinning, soon becoming an indoor cycling instructor for some extra cash. Watching the early morning swimmers from the top floor of the gym, I noticed that a few of them were also in my spinning class immediately after their pool session. Who were these guys?

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Before switching all my attention to trail running, I was a competitive triathlete and mountain biker. I loved being a multi-sport athlete, but studying a demanding degree in veterinary science eventually forced me to be more selective in my training. Over the years my passion for sport and running continued to grow, so while completing my degree I did a UESCA running coach certification. I started coaching immediately after leaving university and I never looked back.

I have now been competing for almost 15 years and still race competitively, albeit longer, slower distances. I have 6 years of coaching experience - many more of self-coaching and racing experience - and I love sharing everything I've learnt over the years with others. I'm particularly interested in nutrition, having struggled personally with fueling while running for a very long time. I'm also passionate about the mental aspect of endurance training and racing, whether it be ultra running, cycling or extreme triathlon. To quote the world record holder, James Lawrence - 100 Ironman distance triathlons in 100 consecutive days - it is 100% physical and 100% mental. The two go hand-in-hand, and that's what I strive to perfect with athletes.