welcome.
Hello and welcome to my site. My name is Jamie and I am a professional mindset and life-style coach and motivational speaker with a passion for ultra distance running and outdoor life.
all about me
I broke all of my own rules. I didn’t use my framework in training and took a very haphazard approach to the little preparation that I did. After all, I’d always muddled through before and this was the second time I’d been out to Alice Springs to run The Track, the longest self-supported stage race in the world. I ran it in 2017 where I was 3rd and I felt like I didn’t do a lot to prepare that time…this was no different, right? No. Wrong. I was belittling the fitness and strength gained from having completed several long tough races through 2015 and 2016. I was ignoring the fact that this time, I’d taken a two year break from racing and when I looked back after the race, had only ran 700km in total in the 12 months leading up to The Track 2019.
I hit the first checkpoint on the first and shortest day of the whole race just 14kms in. The heat from the sun was relentless, the terrain rough and rugged and the weight from my bag felt like another person on my back.
I could feel the undeniable twinges of cramp already grabbing at my calves and whilst the trail had been undulating, we hadn’t reached the big climb of the day. I walked gingerly out of the checkpoint and straight onto a steep rocky track. Now my quads were cramping as well and I was cursing myself for my severe lack of training…Leading into the race I’d wondered if being there before would be a benefit or a hindrance. It was at this early point that I realised knowing what was coming over the next 500km was a massive mental burden. My mind was already trying to do what it thought was best for me….Stop!
Excerpt from my blog post, "Reflecting on The Track 2019." Read here
Without me realising, running has been my moving meditation and space to think for many years. I accidently started to take it seriously in 2015 when I ran a 250km race in the Simpson Desert, Queensland, Aus. I met a bunch of people whose thought processes and appetite for adventure aligned very strongly with mine. I stepped hard outside my comfort zone and discovered things about myself that I didn't know. I also rekindled a love of pushing myself and exploring my mind that I had long since abandoned. Since that first race I have run many more and each time, I learn more about myself, my limits, the levels of discomfort I'm prepared to endure and what "fills my cup". I have had many heart felt and deep conversations with complete strangers. People from all over the world and from all different walks of life...bound by curiosity and a common desire to find out how far they can go, mentally and physically.
What I didn't know was that the lessons in resilience, resourcefulness, consistency and what I was learning about myself through these events coupled with other life changes, would drive me to reflect on my life choices far more broadly than my love of running and how to be a strong competitor.
Taking my newly found confidence, a mind of no limits and heightened self-awareness in to my work life gave me insight and self-control that I could not have imagined. My communication and patience improved. My empathy and ability to listen and hold space for others grew making me a much more effective team member and more productive to the business. I was able to be a far more effective leader and so much more clarity on direction and approach. It did however also open me up to the idea of doing more with life. This is where my coaching journey began.
I wanted to spend all of my time running and growing through these adventures. I started to receive coaching to help me through some of the barriers that stood in my way. I was sure I could get there on my own but it would take me a long time and a coach could help expedite the process and smooth the path. Through the exploratory coaching process, I determined that whilst I love running, it was the connection to people and all that comes with race preparation, goal setting, planning, consistency and motivation that I really wanted. I decided then that I would study and become a coach.
After studying at the Institute of Executive Coaching and Leadership and practicing for the past seven years I am finally here offering you access to my online business. I have coached groups and 1-on-1 clients. Sports people, business owners, corporate workers and large corporate businesses. Speaking, facilitating and teaching through raw and authentic stories. I now combine my experiences from my former life as a global banking Chief Operating Officer with the current, gritty and real challenges faced as a sponsored ultra distance runner. These serve to highlight, explain and reinforce academic coaching theory with practical frameworks and tools that can be used to move forward in real everyday life.
Coaching is a process. It's a system of actions and tools that can change the way you think about yourself and the opportunities you are afforded. The way you think about and approach the challenges you might face and the environments in which you operate. Work done and effort taken in this space is often enough to unlock your true potential, reward you with the success and abundance you are looking for and give you the peace and fulfillment in life that you deserve.
Like many in my profession, I landed here after working through some of my own life challenges. My courses and coaching programs are based on those experiences and the learning I had to undertake to get here. There are no shortcuts in life and ultimately, you are the only one who can make the life-changing decisions but it is easier with help and the right coaching...And that's what I'm offering you here.
If you'd like to hear more about running specifically, I've put a page together for you here.