Oxygen Australia — January-February 2018

128 Jan/Feb 2018 oxygenmag.com.au

Spotlight PROFILE

Photo by

Andy Mack

A to Z of

Jenn Rose

I

grew up in Hamilton, New Zealand,

in an active family of five kids and loved

ballet, gymnastics, and netball. When I

was 12, gymnastics was my whole life,

and my biggest achievement was competing

at the nationals, but just one week later I

dislocated my left knee while running a

lunchtime gym class at my school. That was

the end of my hopes in gymnastics and the

start of a lifetime of knee problems.

By the time I was 21, I’d had more than

12 dislocations in both knees. I had major

knee surgery after fracturing my left kneecap

playing netball. After several months of rehab,

I headed overseas, spending the next few years

living and working in the USA and UK before

moving to Sydney in 1995, which was when I

first became interested in the gym.

I would cycle from Cronulla to Miranda

every day to train and became quite addicted

to lifting — even though I had never really

been shown what to do. I started a degree, got

married, and became a Les Mills addict!

Three years later, now living in WA where

I’d completed an arts degree and was working

in the media while completing my masters,

I developed severe IBS — and my whole life

was turned upside down. My marriage ended,

I quit uni, sold my home, and left my job in

broadcasting.

For the next few years, I worked in

healthcare and also discovered rockabilly

dancing, pilates, and yoga, which I kept up

until moving to Cairns in 2008, where I started

my own massage business and moved into the

community mental healthcare sector, which I

am still very much involved in now.

Then in 2011, I went to a local bodybuilding

show, and something inside me said I should

have a go — so I joined the gym again and

prepped myself to compete in 2012. I was 42.

I became a PT because I knew that combined

with my other skills and my experiences

(which had included working as a nurse,

diversional therapist in aged care, massage

therapist, and now with nutrition and personal

training qualifications), I would be able to

really help others. I started out helping friends

and family and a few girls who wanted to

compete, and in 2015 when I started my home

gym, I knew I could really make a difference.

My passion and goal is to help everyday

men and women change their lives, not just by

losing weight but guiding them to understand

on a deeper level how important their health is

and show them how to make positive, lifelong

changes that will benefit them — physically,

mentally, and emotionally. The positive

changes I see in my clients’ lives are my

motivation to keep doing what I do.

One person who personifies why I do what

I do is Sharon, who I’ve had as a client since

day one. We were neighbours and one day

she approached me in Coles and asked me if I

could train her. She had decided to take steps

to get her health back on track and promised to

work hard.

Eighteen months later, Sharon had not

missed a single PT session or skipped eating

healthily — and had lost 50kg. One of my

highlights was watching Sharon climb the

Sydney Harbour Bridge for her 50th birthday.

Six months earlier she couldn’t walk up my

driveway without losing her breath.

No matter how small or slow her progress

may feel, Sharon never gives up. I love

receiving texts every time she buys a new

gym top and hearing the compliments she is

receiving, but most of all I love the fact that

Sharon tells me she now bounces out of bed

every day, has more energy than ever before,

and is always coming to me with new goals for

us to reach for.

In 2017, I’ve had some time away from

competing to focus on my business and also

learn as much as I can about my sport from

a different perspective. I’m thrilled to have

been invited to judge at the ANB Ms Fitness

Australia Show in Perth, am enjoying coaching

my small team of Cairns clients to the stage,

and helping as many people as I can through

my online support group, ‘A to Z of Comp Prep’.

My message is to learn to understand the

importance of mental fitness and physical

fitness will follow. Treat your body with respect

(eating good, wholesome food and doing

moderate, fun exercise, with plenty of rest)

and it will repay you tenfold with health,

longevity, and a better quality of life.

For personal trainer, health

practitioner, and comp

coach Jenn Rose, seeing

her clients achieve their

goals, whether it be on

stage or with weight loss

or, most of all, through

having breakthroughs

in understanding the

importance of creating

a healthy lifestyle, is as

fulfilling as achieving her

own. Or, as she explains,

they are one and the same.