Catch Fitness is all about helping people achieve their health and fitness goals by 1) providing on-going education for people working in the fitness industry as well as 2) running the 20 Week Body & Lifestyle Competition for people in the community.
Owner: Broni (Bronwyn) McSweeney (REPs, CERT F.I.T, LLb)
Pic is of me and three handsome guys which I figure is reason enough to put it up, but the story is: – Dave Liow, next to me, and Dr Nigel Harris with the gold tie, are Judges for the New Zealand Fitness Industry Awards and I got to be a guest judge in 2011 and 2012. On the far left is Mayor Len Brown.
The 20 Weeks Story
The 20 Weeks Body & Lifestyle Competition I set up when I was a Personal Trainer and it worked really well in the trial with my clients but not because I was their trainer. It worked because it was the right recipe of ingredients and truth was, any PT could deliver it, many of them better than me, and that’s what’s happened and 20 Weeks went nationwide.
Problem was and still is there are no gizmos or gimmicks, no pills, no nonsense really and bizarrly that makes it harder to convince people that it’ll work. But we are doing the stuff that trainers know works and now we have the stats and squillions of testimonials to prove it so I like to think that all helps people to start this journey.
Not a day goes by, by the way, when I don’t appreciate all the hard efforts of the PTs put in to see their clients succeed. I hope that 20 Weeks helps to grow their businesses as well because they really deserve all the success in the world for their ability to change lives for the better:-)
JUDGES
Carol Hides, left, is one of our Judges for 20 Weeks.
Having successfully trained many clients on 20 Weeks and won national Awards for her excellence as a trainer, Carol now assists us with the Judging and our Awards night and her husband, a Jeweler, who makes our ‘You Rock’ trophies. Other judges in 2012 included: Jean Scott, Dwayne Thomas, Di Lauder, Kris Tynan, Wendy Pearce, Tracey Butler Dempsey, Jan and Maree Stachel Williamson, Elite Fitness and myself.
CHARITIES
Each year we sponsor different individuals and events so please ask if you are looking for sponsorship or prizes for your good cause.
This year, 2013, we have chosen to support Dress For Success, who assist women in becoming workplace ready and SaveMart who support The Child Cancer Foundation, The @heartNZ (Heart Children New Zealands) anti coagulant machine project, Leukaemia and Blood Cancer New Zealand, Epilepsy New Zealand, Kidney Kids, Sids, Cot Death 0800 helpline. (fully funded), Schools clothing bin project. (Nationwide), Bring the pink bag to school project. (nationwide), the Tsak Valley rural hospital in Papua New Guineas highlands and the medical centre in Lae, Papua New Guinea.
THANK YOU
Catch Fitness would not exist but for all the great personal trainers that inspired me to set it up. I have seen them go beyond the call of duty for clients on too many occasions to mention and consistently help people get to goals those people would never otherwise reach.
I wouldn’t be here either without the great advice, help and support of people like Jo Kent, Jean Scott, Aron Anderson, Phil Benoit, Kris Tynan, Carol Hides, Tarsh Guy, Desra Barron and her hubby Kent, Amanda Armitage, Leanne Thomas, Lyn Walker, Russell Graham, Belinda Edmondston, Brad Pitt, Tony Curran,Tim Webster and Mike Catton.
All our sponsors have been amazing but a special thanks has to go out to Elite Fitness, Diamond Mine, Macpac and nWow! who had faith in me on this project from day one.
I will always be very appreciative of the two guys who owned Olympus Health and Fitness Centre, who took me on as a gym instructor eons ago and who pushed, and supported me, to do more in this great industry. They remind me often that we all need someone who shows confidence in us and is patient enough to show us the ropes to succeed.
And the Greenwoods, my fab cousins, who ensured I had a beautiful house and office with ocean views to work from for a whole year after the Earthquakes.
Thanks to all of you, we are now going into the 10th successful series of the 20 Week Body & Lifestyle Competition.
My Health & Fitness Philosophy
I’ve put what I do, where I’m at and what works for me type stuff when it comes to food and fitness, only because I get asked a lot about it. What works for each of us, what motivates each of us, it’s different for everyone and that’s why I love 20 Weeks so much.
Food:
For me it’s about eating for energy. In my world that means having a wide variety of yummy, largely unprocessed foods in the right portions when I’m hungry or to match my energy output.
I used to obsess about food way too much so my goal 15 years ago was I had to stop thinking about it! I decided on the course of action I had to take to achieve that state and it’s never been an issue since. I now love food more than ever, I don’t feel guilty and it doesn’t occupy un-necessary or negative head space and that to me is huge. I know others who are fighting this battle daily if not hourly and the pain that causes. If you are one of them hopefully my few words here give you hope that it needn’t stay like that.
As anyone who’s done 20 Weeks will notice, I’m also huge fan of using qualified dietitians and nutritionists for individualised advice or anything beyond advocating Ministry of Health Guidelines. Each year I talk with these experts and can’t rave about them enough in terms of the helpful knowledge they are able to impart.
Exercise:
I think I’ve done a 100 short courses in everything from roller hockey to pole dancing, BMX riding to cat-sailing, kayaking to caving, motor cross to ballet and while some would say I’ve never stuck to anything as if that’s a bad thing, that’s what I have loved doing and it’s certainly never bothered me to not get good at stuff (truth be known I don’t think I ever would get good at stuff even if I stuck at it).
My poor instructors though, it’s not like I pick stuff up easily. I’m the un-co one and am normally the one who’s drowning, lost or coming last.
In my 20′s and 30′s I did love going out running, albeit very slowly, for days at a time, hiking for weeks and riding for months. I love the outdoors and didn’t have a real job for a decade so I could get away with it. Once internet coverage is better and computers are smaller, I will likely go back to such carry on.
The last 3 – 4 years I’ve had to settle for doing a lot less, 1/2 an hour a day in fact and what that is usually unfolds on the day. In reality, this chapter of my exercise life is probably a lot more balanced and healthy than in prior years which in hindsight might have been a tad excessive.
As a side note, I got into and have stuck with ‘exercise’ because of the hugely positive affect it had on my mood and concentration levels. Without doubt I’d say it’s kept me alive, drug free, off the benefit and out of prison.
The traditional benefits of exercise that we think of like staying a normal weight, being fit or strong have always been a fringe benefit for me (albeit good ones). I like to think however that I understand the myriad of reasons people take up (and need to take up) exercise and that I am able to help them out with no matter what that reason.
