Before I joined a gym, I hated exercise. I'd tried every circuit workout out there, I'd tried and failed numerous challenges. Workouts were never enjoyable, they always left me incapacitated for days, or even weeks afterward, so no matter how enthusiastic I started - I always ended up back where I started. Maybe with some new clutter from buying new equipment.

At 23, I was finally diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, a connective tissue disorder that, among other things, affects your joints.

A few months after discovering strength training, I realised my subluxations and pain were subsiding. I fell in love with training - but have had to learn how to train for my body, not others.

When your ligaments and tendons don’t actually support your joints and muscles don't attach to your bones properly, some exercises are simply not physically possible - and perseverance can lead to permanent damage. The "just push through" approach doesn't work. Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome also comes with a host of comorbidities - POTS explained why months of daily running never got easier, why deadlifts lead to fainting.

It’s been a difficult journey - one I want to make easier for others who may have had similar struggles.

I'm also very empathetic to how daunting the gym environment can be to a beginner - how it seems like everyone knows what they're doing. Sometimes you feel like your inexperience hangs over you like a flashing neon sign. I'm not going to tell you to just push through it.

Sometimes it's too loud, there are too many people, and you're out of spoons. I want to work with you to reduce these barriers so that you can reach a place where training is a joy, and you have an alternative for when things don't go to plan.

I take a holistic approach - taking into account your personal situation and limitations, and how they affect your progress in achieving your goals. We will work together not just with exercise and nutrition, but with your mindset - I am all about celebrating the small wins.

Basically -
We don't all have the same 24 hours, and sometimes there is an excuse. Let's train anyway.