About Me
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I am a Health & Fitness professional dedicated to helping my clients achieve the highest levels of performance, fitness and health.
With over a decade of experience coaching and training both teams and individuals, I believe that optimal performance can only be achieved by taking a holistic approach to health and wellbeing.
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I have a keen interest in the human body and it's ability to adapt to stressors, and I am passionate about finding effective ways to make individuals more resilient - and in turn enhance their health and performance.
Where I Came From
Growing up on a dairy farm, I learned from an early age that being physically fit and strong was something that made work a lot more enjoyable. Combined with playing Gaelic Football and rugby, I developed not only a passion for sport, but a particular curiosity about how some athletes had a physical edge over their opponents. This led to a deep interest in the area of physical conditioning - now known as Strength & Conditioning.
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I went on to qualify as a Strength & Conditioning Coach shortly after graduating with a degree in Exercise & Health Studies from the Waterford Institute of Technology. From there, I travelled to EXOS HQ (formerly Athletes Performance) in Phoenix, Arizona, where I spent 6 months learning from world-leading Strength Coaches and Physical Therapists.
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Spending time in that environment, surrounded by some of the best athletes and coaches in the world - including founder Mark Verstagen - made it clear to me that I wanted to pursue a career in the industry. It put in place a solid foundation of knowledge and expertise that I was able to bring back to Ireland at a time when the S&C industry was in its infancy.
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​After returning to Ireland, I gained further experience working in various high-performance environments, including the National Athlete Development Academy, Sports Surgery Clinic in Santry, and numerous elite rugby and inter-county GAA teams. In 2012, EXOS signed a contract with Google to run their on-site gym for employees, where I was part of the original team to pioneer the project which continues to run successfully to this day.
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Where I Am Now
In 2013, I tragically lost my Dad to suicide. This trauma set me on a path that almost resulted in complete physical and mental burnout. Following a very challenging period, and a lot of trial and error, I came to understand that physical fitness is only one aspect of health. In order to continue coaching and helping my clients and athletes, I needed to learn how to better take care of myself, by understanding a more holistic approach for a healthy mind and body.
This resulted in countless workshops, courses and hours of research on the topics of Sleep, the Nervous System, Stress and Breathwork, to gain a better understanding of how the human body works and how the body and mind respond to stress and its environment.
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Most recently, I completed a Post Graduate in Positive Health, Lifestyle Medicine & Positive Psychology with the Royal College of Surgeons Ireland. I am also a qualified Oxygen Advantage Instructor with Be Activated and Reflexive Performance Reset qualifications.
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I continue to educate myself and consume the latest research that I can use on both myself and my clients. I believe that optimal health and performance is not a destination; we must learn the specific tools that help our bodies transition in the best way possible from one state to another on our journey through life.
Qualifications
BA Exercise & Health Studies
Waterford Institute of Technology
Oxygen
Advantage
Certified Instructor
Professional Diploma in Positive Health
RCSI
Reflexive Performance Reset
Level 1 & 2
Strength & Conditioning Coach
NSA Certified Specialist
Optimum
Nutrition
Glanbia Performance Nutrition
Areas of Expertise
I take an holistic approach to Health & Performance, specialising in the following areas.