One of my highest values is education and whilst I’m better at giving than receiving (still learning how to create balance between the two) I’m very keen on the concept of fair exchange. My other main core values form a bit of an equation:
connection (me with you and you with your body) + clarity (my depth of knowledge and your understanding) = running JOY
And without ALL of my teachers, all the lovely folk I’ve coached through the years, and my friends who’ve adventured with me, I wouldn’t have the understanding I have now and continue to develop; the understanding that enables me to use the latest technology available, to connect that which lay unconnected, to unveil the reality and to offer folk sovereignty of, and autonomy over, their bodies. I feel strongly that we shouldn’t be defined by the label of our injury or condition or syndrome … our bodies are experiencing something and if that something is slow to change despite best efforts, it’s probably because something is in the way. Let’s find it, root it out and CREATE CHANGE.
I’ve read a lot, studied a lot, listened a lot, run a lot, thought a lot, been influenced a lot and woven a lot of information together. I’ve gone round in a few circles in my time, but I always pop out somewhere interesting. Here are my teachers and guides, all of whom have helped me be me:
- Gary Ward and Chris Sritharan of Anatomy in Motion
- Matt Wallden, Leigh Brandon, Dan Hellman and Angie Chek of the CHEK Institute
- Matt Wallden
- Dan Empfield of Slowtwitch
- Christa Sieber of Sieber and Paasch Institute, RIT-Reflexintegration
- Trace Baumann of SwimMastery alongside Christa, above
- Dr Svetlana Masgutova, Pamela Curlee and her team of amazing teachers at MNRI
- Darren Barnes-Heath of Newlands Chiropractic Developing Brains
- Hildegard Wittlinger and Anne Vadgama of the Vodder Method of Manual Lymph Drainage
- Professor Albert Leduc and Olivier Leduc of the Leduc Method of Medical Lymph Drainage
- Kirsty Hawkshaw, without whom Barefoot Audio wouldn’t exist
- Clair Taylor-Powell – my fellow spirit on this roller-coaster adventure called LIFE.
- Kendra Toothill … because “there’s only one Kendra Toothill” (private joke, but so much truth in it, it deserves to be mentioned).
The Royal Air Force was a constant and rolling education over the course of 6.5 years, with bosses to salute every which way I looked, and prior to that, my maths teacher Mrs Thornley, deserves special mention, as she had the patience of a saint. Maths remains an unconquered challenge …