I am a people’s person; I enjoy linking two strangers from a need to solve a problem. I love good and not so good food and above all, I’m invested in all things movement.
According to my mom “why” was my favourite word. I had utter curiosity for everything that had to do with a process, questions that could result in multiple answers which later led me to practise many sports, most of which I was bad at, until I tried Canoeing.
My career has revolved around Performance Coaching and Strength and Conditioning. There’s a lot more to it than parameters and numbers which is oftentimes quite overlooked.
I have been fortunate enough to travel a lot thanks to my sport, chat with people from different cultures and meet extraordinary persons that would turn into the greatest friendships anyone could ever imagine.
I lost my dad to suicide and recently my mom to cancer, 10 years between the two. This hit, in both cases, taught me a lesson: to live life to the fullest and to take a moment to stop whenever I feel it’s necessary.
Whether I coach athletes or the general population, I try to send a clear message to take care of one’s own health both mentally and physically. We are bio-psycho-social beings, it’s impossible to separate completely the mental from the physical, therefore a holistic approach must be taken regardless of the situation.
Although I live in a city, I always try to connect with nature through my sport on the ocean. There is something quite unique about that magic time window where you are able to be one with the boat and the ocean whilst being at 200 beats per minute paddling in the middle of a swell. I also take my puppy on walks, it helps me think clearer than sitting at a desk.
I was never a bright student, I’m more a learn-by-doing person and the king of trial and error. I enjoyed my practical hours and my research projects way more than sitting in a lecture theatre for hours staring at a presentation.
In a world where people are becoming super-specialised, I feel that often results in missing the bigger picture. I consider myself a generalist. I coach the person before the athlete.