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Jamie Hetherington
Contact Me
NZIHF Role:
Resource Developer and Tutor
Talk to me if:
You want to build a satisfying and financially rewarding career out of personal training. The old cliche' of "the dream job - getting paid to do what you love" is true, but like anything in life that's worth having it's not without it's challenges. If you are considering personal training as a career path or you are already in the game and could do with some "fine tuning" then drop me a line.
About me:
Born on a cold winters night in Christchurch and raised in Hokitika (home of the Wildfoods Festival!) on the West Coast of the South Island. I was a typical kiwi lad playing rugby and rugby league in winter and cricket and touch rugby in Summer. I represented my school and province through the age groups in rugby and keep active mostly in the gym these days with the odd run in the park or on the beach. I follow The Crusaders, All Blacks and Black Caps and usually travel somewhere with a couple of mates every summer to catch some international cricket, sun, R&R and a cold bevy or two. I play guitar and love music, road trips and bbq's on long summer days.
Industry experience:
I got my first fitness job in small suburban gym in Sydney's inner west. I was a bit of an "all rounder" with duties including gym floor, reception, membership sales, cleaning and maintenance. There were some big boys throwing some big tin around as the club was very much a bodybuilding stronghold - good character building for a rookie! After relocating back to NZ seven months later, I spent 6 months on the gym floor at Les Mills Christchurch and then 5 years as a personal trainer. During that time I also became a team training instructor for the "Bootcamp" program, eventually leading the program as the "IC" (In Charge) I've been with NZIHF since August 2008 starting as a skills coach, tutor and Program Champion. More recently I've been involved with course design and producing learning materials (video lectures, handbooks, manuals and stuff) Great fun - love it!
Education highlights:
I spent the best part of two years in Sydney studying the Australian National Certificates in Fitness 3 & 4. Being passionate about fitness I loved learning about the science of exercise. However, like many trainers, I didn't understand the importance of business skills until I started seeing trainers around me running off to get part time jobs when the going got tough (and eventually quitting PT) as well as running in to lean times myself. So I spent a good chunk of time and energy learning about the business of personal training through having a great mentor and an insatiable appetite for knowledge. But real "education" came from the consistent application of that knowledge and fine tuning the skills along the way. In 2008 I completed the Level 3 Exercise Consultant qualification with NZIHF in Christchurch. I'm grateful that I get to work alongside some of the best in the business here at NZIHF. The learning never stops.
Recommendations:
Ask lots of questions and make the most of the wealth of knowledge, skills and experience that the staff at NZIHF have to offer.
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