So, you might be wondering, where did this all start for me?
You could say I was pretty active as a teenager, being on the Irish team for kickboxing and competing in places such as Croatia, Serbia and Italy for World/ European championships. Through this experience, I had a lot of early exposure to manipulating body composition to reach weight targets.
In truth, some negative experience like the time I had to lose 6kg in a month to compete at 16 years old (13% of my bodyweight at the time). After some internet research, I figured the greater I restrict my calories, the quicker I would lose the weight. I set myself on a 500 calorie crash diet and stuck to this for the entire month, on top of hard training in preparation for international competition.
Fast forward, I did make weight. It is safe to say I was miserable though. Tired, hungry, weak, low mood and fixated on food 24/7. Not great strategy to lose weight and certainly not the best preparation for an athlete!
Unfortunately, I didn’t have access to a knowledgeable nutrition coach at the time. But hey, all failure is feedback and the experience taught me what NOT to do, pushing me to learn more about nutrition and become the coach I wish I had.
My journey started with a degree in Dietetics to become a Registered Dietitian. Dietitians are nutrition experts who have at least 4 years degree level education, have completed over 1000 hours of supervised practice and passed a nutrition registration exam.
Following 4 tough years, I was proud to finish with a first class honours. Building on my passion for sport, I have also become a Certified Personal Trainer and obtained a Master’s degree in Sports and Exercise Nutrition, where I achieved a distinction and finished top of my year. I have recently published a scientific paper in the area of GAA sports nutrition and I’m also a MSc Strength and Conditioning student.
In terms of experience, I hold thousands of hours practical experience, having worked in the NHS and with both professional and recreational athletes. This means that I’m not just a coach with academic credentials but also the practical experience.
Keep up to date with me on social media where I give free tips and advice. And if you’re interested, you can also check out my coaching application to begin the process of working together.
