Clinical Rehabilitation and Neuromuscular Performance Specialist
Andy’s entire life centres on health and fitness and as a keen road cyclist, mountain biker, rock climber, winter mountaineer, Kayaker and general all round sports enthusiast there’s no better place to settle than North Wales!
Having worked within the industry for 15 years she has experienced an accolade of different approaches, influences and areas of the business and been fortunate to have worked with simply 100’s of fabulous clients of all ages and ability in 1-2-1 and group sessions, including world-class Ballroom Dancers, Rugby Players, Golf Pros, Triathletes and NBA Basketball stars!
Her career began as Manager of a large Body Building Gym in the South of England coaching bodybuilders for world-class competitions. She worked at the infamous FIBO in Germany with Nutrition Company MSM promoting ‘Food as Fuel’ which led to a fitness modelling contract in Miami before she changed tact completely to join the UK’s Premier Health & Fitness Club (David Lloyd Leisure) as Health & Fitness Manager. She enjoyed the teaching attributes of fitness with Spinning, Core Attack, Balance Challenge and as an SAQ and Team Combat Instructor for kids ranging from 5-16 years. A Certified Personal Trainer with the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) she successfully led and developed a large team of Personal Trainers focused upon Functional Training and Functional Stability.
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The help I got from Andy was outstanding. I have never experienced such focus and attention to detail and I was immediately impressed by the specificity of the exercises as I was taught to use exercises that were designed for me based on a thorough assessment. No silly hand-outs, matchstick men on a sheet of paper, vague notions about how to do exercises, shotgun class based exercises – I was actually taught to do the exercises! It’s down to me now if I don’t do them. This approach is what I believe is needed with an injury. General exercises and class based work for overcoming and prevention of injures are just too broad. A more specific approach from someone trained in assessing human movement like Andy is far more effective. Don’t waste time with internet exercises or classes see someone who knows what they are doing. Alex Wyllie OBE, New Zealand National Selector, All Blacks Captain Canterbury Coach, All Blacks Coach, England Coach, Ireland Coach, South Africa Coach, Argentina Coach |
A change of direction and new opportunity founded upon a trip to the Tour de France led to her involvement with the Anglo European College of Chiropractors (AECC) and union with Dr Iain Lea. Here began the initial partnership for the establishment and implementation of individualised ‘back care’ programmes and a new focus upon rehabilitation protocols for spinal related disorders. Her growing interest and enthusiasm for Spinal Health and Fitness led to a consultancy role for Manchester based Deansgate Chiropractors, alongside a Managerial and Consultancy role for Derbyshire County Council. She also took the opportunity to become trained as an NASM Younger Adult Specialist.
Enjoying the outdoor life that the Peak District offered Andy next formed and successfully operated her own Mobile Personal Training company ‘Fitness Solutions UK’ with a large and diverse client base combining sports performance goals, weight loss and corrective exercise strategies for muscular skeletal disorders along with comprehensive nutrition and lifestyle advice. Her growing involvement with Deansgate Chiropractors as the Functional Stability and Corrective Exercise Specialist led next to her New Zealand adventure. At the Millennium Institute of Sport in Auckland the objective was to have hands on access to a variety of elite athletes from all sporting disciplines including the All Blacks! There was also an opportunity to work with more unusual patients such as Sheep Shearer’s, Orchardists and Ostrich farmers in the deep south of Otago! Christchurch provided a final excellent opportunity to further develop the unique, evolutionary joint ethos that Iain and Andy have for managing patients’ welfare.
The mountains scaled in snow, ice and blazing sun, crags climbed, roads ridden and mountain bike trails explored it was time to return to North Wales bringing all the knowledge and experience from a lifetime spent gathering skills and quite literally walking the walk!