I am pleased to announce that as from April 2020 I am now offering one on one Health, Nutrition and Life Coaching. I have recently completed my CPD Standards Accredited Diploma in Nutrition, am a registered therapist with IAOTH, and am a fully accredited and certified Health, Nutrition and Life Coach. And I think it's time I shared my knowledge and experience with others whom I may be able to help follow their dreams , get in good health and achieve their life goals
So why and how did I decide to become a Health, Nutrition and Life Coach? And why am I able to offer you the possibility of improving your life skills? I can offer a mixture of life experience, years of studying, researching and putting into practice my knowledge, I've overcome many challenges in my life, and had many successes in business, hobbies and sports achievements. I have a massive passion for healthy nutrition, fitness and food. And I am a motivated and ambitious individual who has a talent for achieving my life goals. So what got me here today?
So why and how did I decide to become a Health, Nutrition and Life Coach? And why am I able to offer you the possibility of improving your life skills? I can offer a mixture of life experience, years of studying, researching and putting into practice my knowledge, I've overcome many challenges in my life, and had many successes in business, hobbies and sports achievements. I have a massive passion for healthy nutrition, fitness and food. And I am a motivated and ambitious individual who has a talent for achieving my life goals. So what got me here today?
My story
I had a mixed childhood, lots of happy memories with my sisters, and also some very troubled times. I was abused from 7 - 11 years old and had a lot of problems at home with my Mum becoming addicted to drugs in my teens. I experienced homelessness on a number of occasions, and lost my hearing in my right ear at 18 being rushed into hospital to have an emergency mastoidectomy. Which from that young age made me very grateful to be alive and appreciate life.
Through my teenage years I travelled across France, Spain and the USA, sometimes working as a singer and could sometimes be found busking the streets too. These years were very colourful, and many an adventure was had.
At 18 years old, I was working in the hotel industry where I met my then boyfriend. He was the one who introduced me to weights and so began my passion for health and fitness. With his influence and a new home-from-home found in a local weights gym, by age 22 I found myself competed in my first Body Building Competition in 1994 at Hastings Pier and won. I competed for a couple of years back then but other things in life took over, like work and love. I always continued to be an active gym member and always kept to a weights and exercise regime. This stayed with me for life.
When I left hotels, I started working in a call centre, and here within 6 months I had been given my managers job, and took over the team. After 2 years they outsourced the call centre and we were all made redundant. So I took a couple of months off to re-evaluate. I started working for a telecoms training company in 1998, and became good friends with the owner. And after a year or so she decided to close the company to follow a different path. She suggested I take over the business rather than be without work. So I did. And at 28 years old, I started my own business. I have been running my telecoms company Telephone Trainers Ltd ever since, 21 years at the time of writing this piece (April 2020) and still going strong.
Around 2009, I found a love for running. It was outdoors and a free workout. Perfect. My running technique all my life had been terrible, so I literally had to learn to run. I gave up smoking (yes I smoked!) and alcohol as I found they hindered my training, and never looked back.
When I took up running, I was once made to feel so bad for not running very well by a run leader, that it made me vow to show her that I could do better. Within 3 years from that day I had run over 20 half marathons, other 5 K and 10 K and trail runs and 4 Full marathons, of which London was one. That day being the most amazing day in my life. It totally changed my outlook on life, and what you can achieve if you put your mind to it.
Through my teenage years I travelled across France, Spain and the USA, sometimes working as a singer and could sometimes be found busking the streets too. These years were very colourful, and many an adventure was had.
At 18 years old, I was working in the hotel industry where I met my then boyfriend. He was the one who introduced me to weights and so began my passion for health and fitness. With his influence and a new home-from-home found in a local weights gym, by age 22 I found myself competed in my first Body Building Competition in 1994 at Hastings Pier and won. I competed for a couple of years back then but other things in life took over, like work and love. I always continued to be an active gym member and always kept to a weights and exercise regime. This stayed with me for life.
When I left hotels, I started working in a call centre, and here within 6 months I had been given my managers job, and took over the team. After 2 years they outsourced the call centre and we were all made redundant. So I took a couple of months off to re-evaluate. I started working for a telecoms training company in 1998, and became good friends with the owner. And after a year or so she decided to close the company to follow a different path. She suggested I take over the business rather than be without work. So I did. And at 28 years old, I started my own business. I have been running my telecoms company Telephone Trainers Ltd ever since, 21 years at the time of writing this piece (April 2020) and still going strong.
Around 2009, I found a love for running. It was outdoors and a free workout. Perfect. My running technique all my life had been terrible, so I literally had to learn to run. I gave up smoking (yes I smoked!) and alcohol as I found they hindered my training, and never looked back.
When I took up running, I was once made to feel so bad for not running very well by a run leader, that it made me vow to show her that I could do better. Within 3 years from that day I had run over 20 half marathons, other 5 K and 10 K and trail runs and 4 Full marathons, of which London was one. That day being the most amazing day in my life. It totally changed my outlook on life, and what you can achieve if you put your mind to it.
On seeing photos of my finishing a scorching 80 degree Milton Keynes Marathon 2013, I could see I had built a fair bit of muscle up showing through my dehydrated state at the finish line. I had been trying harder on the weights side for about 3-4 years with a fantasy of competing again 20 years from when I last did. With a little support from friends, decided to enter a UKBFF Body Building qualifying show that year to try and get into the 2014 Finals, which would have been 20 years exactly if I qualified for the next year.
8 weeks into my diet in 2013, I could see I was going to be ready early, so decided to try and qualify for the 2013 Finals instead, a year earlier than planned. I snuck off to Leamington Spa with a friend, competed and won. 19 years after I had last competed, I found myself qualified for the UKBFF British Finals in Harrogate in 2013. It was an amazing weekend. I didn’t make top six, and was told later I was 8th which I was made up with considering I really didn’t think I would be there at all. 8th Top Physique Body Builder in the country, after running 2 marathons 6 months ago and at 42 years old. I felt extremely proud of myself of my achievements.
8 weeks into my diet in 2013, I could see I was going to be ready early, so decided to try and qualify for the 2013 Finals instead, a year earlier than planned. I snuck off to Leamington Spa with a friend, competed and won. 19 years after I had last competed, I found myself qualified for the UKBFF British Finals in Harrogate in 2013. It was an amazing weekend. I didn’t make top six, and was told later I was 8th which I was made up with considering I really didn’t think I would be there at all. 8th Top Physique Body Builder in the country, after running 2 marathons 6 months ago and at 42 years old. I felt extremely proud of myself of my achievements.
Two weeks later I did the original show I had planned to do to qualify for the 2014 Finals, which was the UKBFF Stars of Tomorrow in Hayes and won again, qualifying also for the 2014 UKBFF British Finals. What a year 2013 was!
October 2014 in Nottingham was the UKBFF British finals again. A special show for me, as it was exactly 20 years since I first competed. I fulfilled another life goal. And also was 43 years old with a better physique than I had 20 years ago at 23 years old. Chuffed to say the least.
I went on to do a number of competitions over the years as you can see in my sports achievements tab. And competed up until 2017 winning another UKBFF qualifier (my 5th in a row) and competing again in the British Finals.
October 2014 in Nottingham was the UKBFF British finals again. A special show for me, as it was exactly 20 years since I first competed. I fulfilled another life goal. And also was 43 years old with a better physique than I had 20 years ago at 23 years old. Chuffed to say the least.
I went on to do a number of competitions over the years as you can see in my sports achievements tab. And competed up until 2017 winning another UKBFF qualifier (my 5th in a row) and competing again in the British Finals.
So what about now, you may ask. Well, I had to stop competing as my mum developed Alzheimer's and Dementia and during 2017/2018 became quite advanced and for a while I was her main carer. Competing in Body building competitions mean you have to be 100% focused, 100% selfish and it’s not a particularly healthy sport, and health in my older years had become more important to me. Because of this and the time needed with Mum and my business, I decided to hang up my sparkling bikinis for good.
In 2019 after a tough couple of years, my Mum is now in a lovely sheltered housing 24 hr care facility which has taken the pressure off a little and given me some more free time to fill.
With this time on my hands I decided to revisit my passion of singing and music. And at 46 years old, signed up for a 12 week course with The Rock Project, who put together a bunch of strangers to sing and play with guidance from music tutors and at the end of the 12 weeks, we do a gig locally. It all went very well and was good to be on stage again..with my clothes on this time!
Then my doctor happened to mention he attends a similar thing and that in June 2019 was going to be staying in a studio in Bordeaux, France called Goosestudios for an intense course with 8 other guys and they didn't have a singer. That night, I went home and booked myself in. So off I went with 8 men who where total strangers (bar one) to spend a week with them playing music in the sunshine, finishing with a couple of local gigs. It really was a special time, and I came back at 47 years of age, the lead singer of a 9 piece band. How that happens never ceases to amaze me! And now we gig in UK and France when people book us to play. And we are improving all the time! Check out @thegaggleuk on Facebook.
In 2019 after a tough couple of years, my Mum is now in a lovely sheltered housing 24 hr care facility which has taken the pressure off a little and given me some more free time to fill.
With this time on my hands I decided to revisit my passion of singing and music. And at 46 years old, signed up for a 12 week course with The Rock Project, who put together a bunch of strangers to sing and play with guidance from music tutors and at the end of the 12 weeks, we do a gig locally. It all went very well and was good to be on stage again..with my clothes on this time!
Then my doctor happened to mention he attends a similar thing and that in June 2019 was going to be staying in a studio in Bordeaux, France called Goosestudios for an intense course with 8 other guys and they didn't have a singer. That night, I went home and booked myself in. So off I went with 8 men who where total strangers (bar one) to spend a week with them playing music in the sunshine, finishing with a couple of local gigs. It really was a special time, and I came back at 47 years of age, the lead singer of a 9 piece band. How that happens never ceases to amaze me! And now we gig in UK and France when people book us to play. And we are improving all the time! Check out @thegaggleuk on Facebook.
I utilised the lock-down time to study to finish my Diploma as a Nutritionist graded with Distinction with Internationally Accredited CPD Standards which I started 8 years ago and never finished as I got bogged down with work. I am now a member of the International Association of Therapists (IAOTH) and then decided to continue my online education to complete my Diploma to become a Health, Nutrition and Life Coach this year in 2020. I figured the lock-down was time to nail a lot of things I hadn't had time to do. And getting my coaching certificates was one tick off the list. This made my lock-down very productive. And so a positive came out of the time, in the shape of a new business.
I love all that is nutrition, from studying diets, different foods, different ways of eating, how food can heal and of course cooking it. I have trialled diets and lifestyles on myself and volunteers that need help, and blogged the results. I have been doing this for 10 years or so but I haven't done this for a living. I have enjoyed offering to help friends and family for free as a hobby. So feel free to check out my blogs and recipes, that have built up over years of collecting and logging them.
I am an avid promoter of eating only whole foods, mostly plant based, of which I grow my own on a community farm called Treewell Farm in Bedford, where I have 2 small plots of land to grow produce, in return for helping out around the farm.
I love all that is nutrition, from studying diets, different foods, different ways of eating, how food can heal and of course cooking it. I have trialled diets and lifestyles on myself and volunteers that need help, and blogged the results. I have been doing this for 10 years or so but I haven't done this for a living. I have enjoyed offering to help friends and family for free as a hobby. So feel free to check out my blogs and recipes, that have built up over years of collecting and logging them.
I am an avid promoter of eating only whole foods, mostly plant based, of which I grow my own on a community farm called Treewell Farm in Bedford, where I have 2 small plots of land to grow produce, in return for helping out around the farm.
I go to other local farms to get my organic grass fed meats and for my raw milk, cream and yoghurt. I take no supplementation (proteins powders, vitamin tablets or pre-workouts etc) as I believe them to be processed foods, and processed food don't have a place in my diet lifestyle. I love this way of living and eating. And I feel great for it.
I also choose to live a plastic free and organic lifestyle, with all produce I use being recyclable, refillable or zero waste as I like to know I play a part in helping the environment as much as I can.
So, that's an insight into me to date. And how I got here. Still running the Telecoms business, still singing, still caring for Mum and still visiting Dad and Step Mum Gill, a fabulous relationship with my sisters and wonderful friends, growing my veg, working out everyday and now also offering out Health, Nutrition and Life Coaching to anyone that would like my help and advice. I hope my story inspires you to want to live a healthier, more positive and productive life. And no matter what hurdles you come across in your life, you really can always get over them. I truly believe you can do anything you want if you put your mind to it and maintain a positive attitude.
Maybe, just maybe, it could be me that helps you along the way with my experience, skills and assistance in finding your inner strength and motivation to live out your dreams and goals. And to live a healthier life in a happier body.
Have a great day and let speak soon!
Terri
I also choose to live a plastic free and organic lifestyle, with all produce I use being recyclable, refillable or zero waste as I like to know I play a part in helping the environment as much as I can.
So, that's an insight into me to date. And how I got here. Still running the Telecoms business, still singing, still caring for Mum and still visiting Dad and Step Mum Gill, a fabulous relationship with my sisters and wonderful friends, growing my veg, working out everyday and now also offering out Health, Nutrition and Life Coaching to anyone that would like my help and advice. I hope my story inspires you to want to live a healthier, more positive and productive life. And no matter what hurdles you come across in your life, you really can always get over them. I truly believe you can do anything you want if you put your mind to it and maintain a positive attitude.
Maybe, just maybe, it could be me that helps you along the way with my experience, skills and assistance in finding your inner strength and motivation to live out your dreams and goals. And to live a healthier life in a happier body.
Have a great day and let speak soon!
Terri
