It was in my early 20’s that I met Nicola, I had already taken the first steps towards breaking the drug and alcohol habits that were shadowing my life - I could just get through the odd weekend without it’s company. I had failed to reach out for help as I was embarrassed by who I had become.

Nicola helped show me that there is more to life than wasting away weekends with nothing to show for it, waking up with no memory of the night before or losing whole days completely. Fast forward several months and I had broken the habit and begun focusing more on improving myself and my life. I invested in upskilling myself in the job I was doing and working on the relationships in my life. This turned into having 3 amazing children, earning a promotion to foreman and winning the title of ‘Top Technician NZ’ for a global automotive company. It was all going great but, then it wasn’t. 

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I hadn’t realised - it sort of crept up on me - but I was drinking a lot and eating a lot of crap food. I was gaining weight, I had anger issues and was struggling to keep on hold of my emotions. I was trying to cope with the stresses in a job I no longer enjoyed. I thought a change of job would help, so I took on a new role in a new field that I could immerse myself in. While this helped with my stress, I continued to drink and eat as I always had, rapidly gaining weight. My wife persuaded me to go to the doctor for a check-up and get my bloods done. The next bit was a bit of a shock. 

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I received an email from my doctor with a prescription for Statins. While at this point, I knew nothing of heart disease and cholesterol, I knew it had to be bad enough to be prescribed medication at 30. With Nicola by my side we visited the nurse to get an explanation. This was a huge turning point for me. We came up with a plan to 180 my lifestyle, giving me 6 months to get my health back on track so I could avoid the meds and their side effects. 

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Between us, we delved into researching health and nutrition. I started an exercise regime and changed my eating habits. This transformed my life. I shed over 10kgs in the first 6 months, my mood swings lessened, and I was feeling amazing. I had a second blood test and my numbers had improved significantly. I kept on my lifestyle changes, shedding another 10kgs and ran my first trail running race (and have since completed my first Ultra Marathon). This journey has inspired new passions in my life, mountain biking and trail running and reinvigorated my home life - making me a happier person to be around and a better Dad and husband. My work life benefited greatly, resulting in a promotion into senior management and I have just completed my Diploma in Business Management.

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Through the changes I have made within myself, with the help of my amazing wife, and with the information and tools we have developed together, I hope other people may find inspiration to transform their lives too, and help them be the best version of them, that they can be.