About Jerry

COACH JERRY

Never would I have thought that I could be in a position to help, support and inspire others, especially in the area of health and fitness. 

My life has been full of contradiction and darkness. And it’s because of this that I am now so motivated and driven to help others who may have also come from a place of pain, hopelessness and failure, to transform it into a life of brilliance, happiness and success.

The contradiction I speak of is that of a lifetime of elite sporting potential and at times success, yet so many of these opportunities were wasted through moments of self-destruction. My goal is to share my story to help others who may have travelled a similar path and who may also feel that there’s little hope for them.

At school, from a very young age, I seemed to have some natural sporting skills that shone through my then innocent and naive character. I’m not sure if it was simply my tall, large physique or if somewhere genetically I had a natural gift. At school I excelled in  athletics, AFL and rugby league. In athletics I held the long jump record and I believe that to this day I may still hold the javelin record. From there I focused my time and energy more on rugby league where I played representative football, and was soon picked up by the NRL youth league, eventually signing with both the Dragons and the Storm.

Everything came crashing down around me as I found myself lost in a profound darkness brought on by the many bad choices that destroyed my opportunity of a career in professional rugby league. Instead I watched my teammates go on to play at NRL level, living out their dreams live on screen in front of my eyes. I never forgave myself for this failure, injuries ensued and my life continued to spiral into oblivion.

At this point I nearly threw everything away, including my life! I spent many years trapped in a dark cave of depression, confusion, numbness, failure and drugs. How I didn’t kill myself I will never know. I can only think that I must have been meant for bigger and better things because I was rescued from this deadly downward spiral and my life was completely transformed.

Luckily for me, amidst this place of disaster, a miracle happened and I met my wife. Naomi was the complete opposite to me with respect to her life decisions, her morals and integrity, her personal choices to do good for others and to be a wholesome person in life. Had this not happened I don’t know where I would be today, or even if I WOULD BE today!

It didn’t happen over night but every day I moved closer towards the light and further away from the darkness. I started training in the gym, rebuilding my physique and fitness. I started eating more healthily and learning about nutrition. Then, having spent years watching my wife compete at an elite level in outrigger paddling, I eventually decided it was time to have a go myself. I progressed quickly and in my first year of competing I won the Australian National Championships. Suddenly I realised that I had been given a second chance at life and at being an elite athlete and this time I WAS NOT going to waste it.

Eleven years later and I am now a qualified Personal Trainer and professional Strength and Conditioning Coach and have recently returned from Samoa where I competed in the Australian men’s team at the Long Distance World Paddling Championships. Although I didn’t step on to the podium, I raced in huge, stormy ocean surf against the best paddlers and surfers in the world, returning home ranked in the top six men in Australia.

This is only the start for me. The motivation and determination bursting from within me as a result of my own success, performance and growth, is uncontainable. The driving force behind me is my passion to help other men who may have come from a similar dark place and who may also feel helpless and ashamed about themselves, their body, their physique or their health.

If I can make it through to the other side then so can you; I want to be the one to help you believe in yourself and ultimately realise your own potential through my guidance, strength and support and I hope to experience every step of that journey and transformation with you!

Your’s in Strength and Hope,

Coach Jerry