It all began...
The journey to West Taratahi began many years previously for Wendy in Singapore, when as a young army wife with two very small children on her own for months at a time and struggling with feelings of isolation, overwhelm and anxiety, she decided to explore options for improving her physical and emotional health. (Remember … it wasn’t that easy to get answers or information back then as google was not an option). “Luckily, it was the 80’s, Jane Fonda had arrived, and it was the time of a new and exciting revolution … Aerobics!!! Lycra, leotards and leg warmers coupled with fantastic music were all the go and thankfully, it was being offered as classes on the Army base.”
And the rest is history...
Wendy soon found that following choreographed moves to great and exciting music suited her beautifully. She experienced such a feeling of wellness from the exercise sessions and the friendships formed with the other women there, she decided to train as an Aerobics instructor herself and when she moved back to New Zealand to Waiouru, she continued on in the exercise arena gaining certification as a Les Mills Group Fitness instructor in many of their programmes, and also attended the original Les Mills PT Academy; being certified as one of the first PT’s in New Zealand. This encouraged her to open her own Gym, and she operated that for 10 years before deciding to take an extended study break. Even though she still had some clients, she chose a 4-year BSpSc Degree for study at Massey University but with only four papers to go (2 of them being 6-month placements), was told that to get more “bums on seats”, the Degree was being changed to a teaching, rather than a science-based degree. This was not what she had been working so hard for, and the degree she had started was never re-established so Wendy made the heart- breaking decision of not repeating or re-doing a lot of the papers under the new requirements, and left Massey.
Come and join in the story...
Looking for the right place to re-establish her Health & Wellness Centre … away from the busy-ness and stress of town … Wendy found it at a barren and neglected piece of land at Parkers Road. It had that "special something" about it though that immediately gave a sense of peace, wellbeing, and healing, and her vision for her Clients was finally made public when her unique and idyllic Centre was "Officially" opened in 2019. At last, Wendy had the beautiful Centre she had always dreamed of and at last, she was back where she belonged... improving the wellbeing of her Clients.
Amongst others, over the past forty years Wendy has trained as a Zero Balancer, an EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) practitioner, has certified as a Health coach and is registered as a Life Coach (and unusually, was recognised as a Light body worker while completing her Life Coaching studies, and was grateful to be accepted to go on to study that for a further 6 months). She more recently studied at the Kaizen Institute of Health and Physiology for over 3 years as an Advanced Health Coach and once the AHC study was completed, Wendy re-joined their group, and studied in the Kaizen Holistic Movement Coach (HMC) programme for another year … leading to her choose to practice at Fitness Plus as a Functional Movement Coach.
While Wendy was initially traveling backwards and forwards to Maroochydore and the Kaizen Institute for study, the first part of the new Fitness Plus Health Center was completed … the one-of-a-kind Hydrotherapy and Rehabilitation Pool … and the next stage of her journey saw Wendy being acknowledged as a Hydrotherapy Rehab Coach … focusing on brain trauma rehabilitation through functional movement in particular. She also very importantly completed her Level 1 SOMA (Self Osteo Myofascial Application) training with international rehab specialist Ian O’Dwyer, and is hoping to eventually complete Level 2.
At this time, although already well qualified, Wendy chose to complete the required papers for her to become REP’s Registered (i.e. Registered Exercise Professionals of NZ) as an Exercise Consultant Level 2, and for Fitness Plus Health Center Ltd to become a REP’s Registered facility. Those qualifications were nicely rounded off when she gained Registration as a SMEAEP (Stress Management Exercise Approved Endorsed Programme) exercise Professional.
In 2019 she travelled to Melbourne to attend pivotal Functional Health Medicine training under the guidance of Dr Stewart Gillespie, and Lymphatic drainage training with Dr Perry Nickleston (Stop Chasing Pain). Continuing to study with Dr Gillespie and being initially accepted as one of his first-generation (Alumni) Functional Health Medicine Coaches, Wendy is still studying with him today and has proudly gone on to become a Functional Health Medicine, and Innate Immunity Practitioner, leading her to create a small but effective Practitioner Clinic within her Centre. The Lymphatic work of Dr Perry Nickleston evolved into the completion of a Lymphascial Practitioner education, enhancing her ever growing and important lymphatic, and myofascial work. By utilising the Lymphascial techniques and making them her own, Wendy now combines that education with her Zero Balancing training to enhance her HMC and rehabilitation work
As a young Army wife, Wendy encountered soldiers (and their families) that had been affected by active-duty time in Vietnam. It was evident that at that time, there was little or no support for them to help them re-establish themselves back into society so, one of her very early studies saw Wendy completing a very effective PTSD training series which in turn, led to her EFT training. Her Life Coaching studies followed because of her interest in this type of work and in 2019, Wendy was honored to host a Retreat at Fitness Plus for the debut of Thea Baker PhD’s, Totally Brave programme. The Totally Brave Mastership Programme was specifically created to teach Coaches to assist with, and coach, women regarding their health and the stages of life that women go through; touching on the taboo subject of women’s trauma (which Thea specialises in specifically as a Trauma Phycologist). Wendy continued under her tutelage and completed the Mastership in 2020. This inspired Wendy to create her own Workshop (based on her Functional Health Medicine knowledge) called Demystifying Hormonal Health, and Wendy has since presented her Workshop in 2022 and 2023.
Also in 2020, Wendy’s Life Coaching skills saw her asked to accept a teaching role alongside a renowned international teacher; donating precious time for Health care providers who volunteer for needy and at-risk children, and young adults in jeopardy.
2020 also saw Wendy as a Functional Health Medicine Practitioner, add to her “Toolbox” by studying Aromatherapy. She followed this by further studies in 2024, and in 20205, she has now completed Aromatherapy Specialist Level 1 … entering into a further full year of study for Level 2
Now, in 2025, Wendy reflects back on forty years of practicing in an industry of Health, Wellness, Movement, and Fitness in a beautiful, and very special facility. Her business encompasses many roles and finds that her main areas of expertise are: Functional Health Medicine Practitioner, Functional Movement Coach, Hydrotherapy Rehabilitation Coach, Lymphascial Practitioner, and Life Coach - with all of them being utilized in a single session some days.
