From Childhood Dreams to Adult Realities: My Journey of Growth and Resilience

Even as a kid I was the one who would enter the athletics days, the swimming comps, the cross country runs. I wanted to win everything!  Every sport that was on offer - netball, rugby, swimming, baseball, softball, cricket. My number all favourite thing to do though was rollerblading. That was something I couldn’t ‘win’ so to speak, and I loved every minute of being on my skates.

In the 1990’s I went on to compete in kickboxing and then later in the 2000's became serious about amateur boxing. Very serious. It wasn’t enough to be NZ champion, the dream was to compete at the Olympics.

Eventually I racked up 50 boxing fights over 10 years, 3 national titles and ranked number 6 in the world (amateur boxing). At that time I had finished my Bachelor and Post-Grad qualifications and had started working with High Performance NZ, the Chiefs and Waikato Rugby teams and operated my own Nutrition Clinic in Hamilton. At the height of my boxing career and on the cusp of qualifying for the London Olympics, an on-going knee injury stopped me from going to the Olympics. I was forced to quit. My identity was associated with being an athlete, I was "Eske the Boxer". 

Which meant, if I weren't boxing, who was I?

 In order to 'find myself', I left NZ and went on an adventure to the Netherlands, my birth country. There I went on to pursue a career in CrossFit and also Olympic Weightlifting. My best performances in Olympic Weightlifting were at the European Masters Champs and the World Cup, finishing 3rd, 4th and 5th at those events. In the Netherlands I established two gyms, on of which is still operating today by two coaches I directly trained for the job.

All in all my professional journey has seen me operate a successful Sport Nutrition clinic, a small business dedicated to Personal Training, a gym with over 400 members, an online boxing business, a ‘coach the coaches’ business with accompanying published book, and currently a Health and Wellbeing professional business for New Zealand workplaces and individuals over 35 years.

Then in 2023, after almost 30 years as athlete, personal trainer, nutritionist, coach, and business owner I felt lost. I was mid-40’s, I had returned from 10 years living in the Netherlands, I was divorced, separated from my baby (the gym I had built in Haarlem), grieving mum’s death to cancer, and couldn't continue doing what I had been doing for the last 30 years. I didn’t know what more I could achieve in the health and fitness industry. I had started studying to become a real estate agent and was halfway through the diploma.

The knee was playing up meaning I couldn't compete any longer. I'd lost my hunger for

competition. I'd lost my mental drive. It felt like the loss of all those things I held dear knocked me out for the 8 count. I wasn't getting up off the canvas in a hurry. I tried applying for work but that didn’t bring me any luck either. I just didn’t know what to do.

I felt I still had a lot to offer in the health and wellbeing space, I still wanted to make a difference for others to be their best selves but I wasn’t sure what that could look like. We have a wealth of knowledge at our fingertips on fitness and nutrition, yet we as a nation are fighting a battle to be healthy! I see people who are overweight, obese, lacking energy, suffering from inflammation, diabetes, heart disease. Unhappy and unmotivated as a result.

And I continue to believe -

The turning point was when I came across an article and report that spoke about the true cost of absenteeism in New Zealand. I was shocked. $1300 per person, per year. That cost is increasing by about $40 per year. A crippling cost on small businesses. Not to mention the burden on our public health system! How long have you yourself had to wait to be seen by a professional in the health system? How long are the cues at every public hospital? I've heard stories of people staying overnight in order to be seen. In this country, and in this day and age, that is atrocious. It can be so much better. 

That changed everything because the reality is that this cost is both unnecessary and preventable. ‘Surely with my knowledge and expertise I can make a difference! Let me, allow me to make a difference for the economy and for NZ businesses!’ That was what I was thinking…

I have now found my fit working with individuals and businesses who take their health and the health of their business seriously. Those who prioritise their health are the ones who thrive, individually and professionally. Everyone can experience optimal health. It doesn’t need to be difficult.

Feeling our best, operating at our best and being physically able to do all the things we want to do is not and should not be only for athletes. Achieving a good quality of life for the rest of our years is achievable for all of us.

I want to change the way people think they ‘should’ feel as we age. It’s not a slow death sentence. We should expect to feel good, to be able to physically do what we want - whether it be enjoying play time with the grandkids, weekend hikes, getting up off a chair or the floor without assistance.

What kind of future do you see for yourself? Do you see someone who is broken and having to be looked after? Or do you see someone who is able to get off the ground without help, who can do their own groceries, drive their own car, clean and wash themselves? Someone who is independent and enjoying an active retirement. The reality is that the time is NOW to start investing into that image of the future.

What lights me up today is hearing people thank me for

-        Making a difference

-        Helping them feel stronger

-        Helping them feel more able

-        Helping them feel more confident

-        Helping them be more independent

-        Helping them feel better about themselves.

I am in a very privileged position to add quality of life to your years.