Lee’s Story.
“Life is about challenges and how you face up to them. As a big eater and lover of food, I have struggled with the challenge of controlling my weight since my teens.
After the birth of my third child, I decided it was time to take control, reclaim my body and my life. I began a new chapter in my journey. I worked hard at it, shunning old habits and learning new ones; the kilo’s started to drop away.
When it came time to return to work, I was determined to have a career that would help me stay fit while being flexible around my young family.
Initially I retrained as a swimming instructor before completing my personal trainer accreditation, topping my TAFE class and discovering my new career – something I was not only good at, but loved doing.
I have met some extraordinary people in the fitness industry. The most influential person being Bev Francis (Powerhouse, New York). Bev has mentored and motivated me in remarkable ways, becoming a close friend and inspiring me to establish my own personal training studio.
Zest Personal Training was born in January, 2008. Now, every day, I have the joy of inspiring others to meet their challenges, to reclaim their bodies and to live longer, healthier, zestier lives. It’s a privilege to use my professional training and personal experiences to help real people make and maintain real changes in themselves.
I never forget the feeling of being overweight, of shopping in plus-size shops, of desperately wanting to change… of knowing there is a leaner, healthier me inside, but not knowing how to find her.
Those memories prevent me from ever judging my clients and spur me on to finding new, unique ways to empower people to step up to their own challenges.
My journey, like yours, is ongoing. I continue to seek out all sorts of opportunities to develop my skills – seminars, courses, conferences and informal learning from some of the best in the industry. There is always more to learn – and more to teach.
I have been running Zest for over sixtenn years, and I have had the privilege of helping many people reach and maintain their health goals. In 2020, I completed my degree in Exercise and Sports Science (Deakin), and with the additional education, my knowledge base has been broadened to encompass the physiology of nutrition and the effect of exercise and diet on disease prevention and healing. I am currently undertaking a Masters in Clinical Exercise Physiology which will support my passion for reversing the effects of metabolic diseases, such as type II diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol, using evidence based programs.
I’m daring myself to achieve things I never thought possible… and love daring my Zest clients to do the same.” Lee Johnson