My Story
I help women run life, instead of life running them
Hi, I’m Leonie de Garnham, a mum, a coach, a wife and just like you I struggle to run life.
I have been through my own fitness journey over many years and built a fitness career because I am passionate about helping people keep their bodies healthy and functioning as we age .
I started from the beginning. Putting on my running shoes or going to the gym was a big deal. It’s been a journey of 15 or more years and I’ve been able to become a triathlete, trail runner and Ironman. But the biggest success has been building healthy habits that will last me a lifetime.
I have learnt that health isn’t just about what you do within your workouts. My sole focus is on working with you to provide coaching and programming that fits around you and your life demands. I help you understand the why, what, and how behind your fitness goals.
My Story
I’ve not always enjoyed fitness and movement. At high school the days I used to hate the most were athletics, swimming and cross country days. I was not an athlete and running and swimming were not for me, so I thought.
Around 2009 I was very unfit, overweight and I wasn’t nourishing my body with what it needed. I decided to embark on my own health and fitness journey, where I learnt a lot around movement and food. At the same time I lost over 17cm from my waist. I even took up running after a friend convinced me to go running with her and really surprising myself when we ran 5kms together (beforehand 1km would be a struggle). Some how I started really enjoying running and challenging myself to run to another power pole or to the next corner, I even managed to find the allusive runners high a couple of times.
Following the birth of my first child into 2012, the following year I decided to resign as a Business Analyst working in Information Technology and study Personal Training part time and be a stay at home mum (this was a tough gig that I don’t think I was every truly cut out for).
2015 following the birth of my 2nd child and suffering from postnatal depression (which is a tough thing to admit to). As part of my recovery I completed my Personal Training certification and realised that I needed to have a send of purpose and belonging. I joined a group of people training to complete the Iron Maori Half Ironman (Triathlon). This was a year of self discovery where I went from not being able to swim 25m to swimming 2km.
This is where I found a love for triathlon, by no means was I or am I fast, but I love how with endurance events you can’t think about the finish line and need to chunk up and focus on small parts of the race, you are the only person that can get yourself from the start to the end and so much of the race is controlling your mind (a bit like life). I also love the camaraderie with other athletes you meet that are out there with you.
Triathlon and endurance events have taught me that it’s about building habits and putting the work in even on days when you really don’t want to get up or go for a run when it’s raining and I’d prefer to stay inside and not get wet. This is where the mental strength is developed and that feeling of accomplishment once the session has finished. Like all mums I do experience guilt and the feeling that I should be home or spending time with my kids, but what I’ve come to realise is if I have something for myself then I can be a better mum, I’m nicer to be around and I have the sense of purpose and belonging that I was missing back in 2015.
One of my proudest moments was 2021 was running down the red carpet at Ironman NZ and completing my first Ironman, seeing my family and friends out there cheering me on.
My drivers now around fitness are what my body can do, not what the number on the scales
As I get older and look to the future. My biggest goal is to be able to be able to stay strong enough to move my body and to live an independent life. Run for as long as I can and be able to walk without aids lift my kitchen appliances (heavy pans and dishes) out of the cupboard. I want my children to form a healthy relationship with movement and food rather that the ingrain beliefs that have been around for many years about having to punish ourselves if we eat to much and if we aren’t experiencing pain while exercising then it hasn’t been effective.
I’ve been coaching and personal training for 7 years and there are many common themes that come out we aren’t sure how to start or continue and are fitting against long term beliefs around what being healthy means. The feeling that we are never doing enough, that we need to be doing more all then time. I want to flip the switch to thinking about quality over quantity. Lets move because we want to and enjoy it but when it comes to prescribed movement is there purpose or intent behind it.
I feel privileged everyday that I get do what I do and work with people from various walks of life. All my clients motivate me to continue learning staying up to date with science around our bodies as we age and how I can best support them to be successful.
It’s never too late to feel strong, confident, and in control
Fitness isn’t just about looking good – it’s about feeling good, moving with ease, and staying independent as you age.
My journey into coaching started when I realised how many women were struggling to fit movement into their lives, especially during and after peri/menopause.
There’s so much conflicting advice out there. Quick-fix programs, restrictive diets, and unrealistic workout plans that don’t consider real-life challenges.
I take a different approach
I help women build strength, confidence, and long-term fitness habits that fit their lives, not the other way around.