Client Testimonials
“I have primary progressive MS and find walking extremely difficult and was recommended exercising. I have been working with Carol for the past 9 months, she has been very supportive helping me with diet, gently getting me through exercise, helping with circulation to my feet and feeling positive about myself. Thank you Carol! I feel energised and well!”
Sue Kenny, Upper Hutt
“Since meeting Carol, just over 3 years ago after having my 1st knee replacement. She has coached and taught me how to listen to my body. I was unable to walk comfortably after my 1st knee replacement and with Carol’s help and guidance she has taught me how to walk without a limp. Since then, I have had my other knee replaced; again this was due to arthritis. Prior to surgery Carol and I worked on strengthening my legs to cope with the operation, post-surgery we again continued to work on gaining back the strength in my leg.
I have arthritis and Polymyalgia and Carol knows when I am in pain, so she works on my muscles and joints to help relieve the pain. Carol has taught me how to relieve my pain so when at home or at work I can do some simple exercises to keep me mobile.
Carol is a dedicated trainer, she not only teaches and coaches her clietns, she gets to know them. By doing this, she then knows what is going on in the background, as this has a big impact on how our bodies react. Carol is not an instructor who tells you to do something without explanation. Carol is a person who coaches your physical and mental well-being. All exercise that she asks you to do; she explains why we are doing it and how it works in conjunction with the area of the body being worked on. With this knowledge, you get to understand the how’s and why’s and you feel more confident in doing things.
Carol does not judge people, she accepts them as they are and treats them with respect, as we are all individual and all have different needs. Carol is always smiling and gives positive reinforcement of what you are doing. Without Carol’s positive attitude, guidance and mentoring of how to cope with my physical and mental ailments, I would not be as mobile and positive as I am today.”
Adrienne Whiteman
“I was introduced to Carol by my mother, my mother had attended her over 50s fitness classes and was most impressed. Carol ensured the exercises were carried out correctly whilst having fun at the same time my mother would say.
My situation was different, I just had a partial knee replacement and after weaning off the painkillers I had low self-esteem, and very little energy. Been physically active prior to the operation it came to me a shock I lost the ability to walk. Carol was amazing, she educated me to understand what had happened to my body and each week would gently work through rehabilitation, respecting my emotional needs as well as my physical. Each week I gained confidence and my ability to walk properly again was regained in a short space of time.
What I liked about Carol was she gave me the tools to work on my recovery at home too – I was able to work at my own pace and this this helped me to be in tune with my body again.
As I became more physical and returned back to work, my work commitments didn’t always allow me to visit Carol on a regular basis, Carol’s intuitive nature, she was able to quickly pick up on where we left off and know exactly what the next steps were to strengthened my knee and leg.
I am super happy to have met Carol and credit her to my recovery – I would recommend Carol to anyone who wishes to improve their wellbeing.
Heidi Misseldine
Kelsey Owens
“I was first referred to Carol by my physiotherapist. I was needing to find someone who could help me with quite a specific physical, and for me difficult, challenge. As someone who had lived with a significant physical disability I needed to work with someone on a specific training programme to build both strength and endurance. My first challenge was an attempt to complete the 32k Mountain Run in the Kathmandu Coast to Coast, we started and did some work in the short time we had but in the end it was beyond my ability and I was a DNF.
I had no time to sit back as I had also entered the New York City Marathon and I was back to Carol to prepare for that race.
The training paid off and I completed New York and then turned my attention to another crack in the Coast to Coast Mountain Run. This time I had a coach but also returned to Carol armed with more knowledge about what I would encounter and what I needed. Carol then provided a specific programme that not only honed in on strength and endurance but because of my condition required much more work on my co ordination, movement, balance and core work and more core and more core work. She called it her studio, I called it her chamber of horrors.
After a targeted and lengthy build up, all the training and exercise and sessions with Carol came together and I was successful and crossed the line a finisher in the Coast to Coast Mountain Run.
Here’s what I really appreciated about Carol. I wasn’t just a client or a patient or an ACC referral, I was someone with a life story and a challenge that should have been beyond me. Carol worked with me, she listened to what I wanted to do and to I wanted to achieve and what I needed – she made it about me, and then she brought her knowledge, experience, empathy, curiosity, care and encouragement to that process and throughout always treated me with respect.
To her I wasn’t someone with a disability trying to achieve something. First and foremost I was an athlete in training, no special treatment, no easy way out, no excuses. I told her I needed to get over that mountain and she fully prepared me to get over that mountain. – this time I was stronger and fitter than I had ever been in my life and Carol payed a large part in having me absolutely ready come race day. There were days when she believed in me more than I believed in myself. I think they were the days she worked me a little harder, she fully understood that discipline is always less painful than regret and in the end she was right and I got to achieve getting my Finishers medal in the Kathmandu Coast to Coast.”
Richard Warwick