Where and how long have you lived in Sydney’s east?
My family and I have just moved to Tamarama from Manly. For me it’s a return to the east, as I grew up here. I went to school & uni (Paddington Primary, Sydney Girls High, UNSW) in the Eastern Suburbs so I’m returning to my old stomping ground. Funny thing is my 18 year old daughter is following in my footsteps – same pubs, clubs, beach spots and university.
How many children?
I have three children, my daughter is 18, then two boys 17 and 15. I had them rather close together, three under 3.5 years. It was physically challenging lots of picking up and carrying and pushing a double pram with all three aboard, the groceries, the bags and beach gear! – and yes, I’ve been told I’m still sane and fit!
Favourite Park?
I love all the parks around this area. Centennial Park holds great memories as I planted pine trees with my primary school classmates and it’s now a massive pine forest in the middle of the Park. I used to do sport on the Reservoir and now years on I have watched countless games of touch football on the same open space.
I love Dudley Page Reserve for it’s wide open space and amazing view and Marks Park where I finish my runs and look out over the ocean to stretch.
Favourite Beach?
North Bondi, I love the happy energy, movement, colour and great surf waves for soft surf boards.
Favourite kid friendly cafe?
Fortunately, my kids are quite civilised after years of moulding and chiding! So any cafe suits.
Favourite Coffee Spot?
Gusto in Bondi
Favourite date night place?
I love picnics, so any beach or park with a water view and picnic style food works for me. And for a date during the day – my husband and I have a coffee date on Saturdays & Sundays, which may not sound much but he didn’t drink coffee until two years ago. I had to use all my persuasion skills to get him to sit and try a coffee and now he is the first to say ‘it’s time for a coffee’!
Favourite Local Shop?
Noga’s cakes – a bit bizarre that a personal trainer would name a cake shop as their favourite shop… Noga’s cakes have been served at all our family milestone celebrations for the past 20 years. Noga has passed away now but the quality of her cakes hasn’t changed.
Favourite wet weather location?
Anywhere that is dry and hot and away from the wet weather! Rain creates havoc for people who work outdoors like me! We need rain but it ideally should fall between 10pm and 4am!
Describe an ideal day in Sydney’s eastern suburbs for you?
I love mornings, ideally I try to exercise first up before breakfast. I take outdoor group fitness classes most mornings and run on my free mornings. I love running in Waverley Cemetery, if you read the headstones and imagine the lives of the people that rest there, you forget you’re running up and down hills!
If my daughter is around we make a bee-line for an acai bowl for breakfast, we’re working our way through all the local cafes that serve it on Bondi Road. When the acai bowl has settled, a coffee at Gusto is perfect mid-morning.
Throw in a swim, a catch-up with friends and a healthy dinner, that’s what I call an ideal day.
What area of the east have you yet to explore much but would like to?
There are not too many stones unturned in the east for me, but I don’t know much about Coogee and Clovelly, I recently stumbled across some shops in Clovelly that I didn’t know existed. I need to lace up the walking shoes and go exploring.
Work or SAHM:
Both, I have managed to do an equal part of both over the years.
I established my own Public Relations & Events business based from home when my children were really small and then I worked part-time doing PR and Media for WHO Magazine and when all three were at school I started at NRMA and now I’m a combination of both again establishing my Emerging Butterfly Personal Fitness ( www.facebook.com/emergingbutterflyfitness/ ) business on this side of the bridge and maintaining my classes in Manly.
Motherly advice?
Realise almost everything to do with a child’s development or behaviour is a passing phase be it good or bad, some pass faster than others but it will be over before you know it and you will have entered another phase to challenge or delight.
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I specialise in helping women improve their fitness, diet & well being, particularly women 35+ who have an injury or chronic ailment.
I have been training people of every age, men, women & teens for five years.
Classes are held at Marks Park Tamarama
Tuesday – 8.30am & 9.30am
Thursday – 6.30am, 8.30am & 9.30am
Saturday – 7.30am – mixed class ‘boot camp’
