MEMBER PROFILE
DAVE NEVILLE, PT
BUSINESS OWNER,
NSW
What fitness qualifications do you hold?
And your greatest highlight?
Cert III Fitness Instructor and Cert IV Personal
Trainer, plus I also hold certifications in TRX,
Level 1 Boxing for Fitness and Preggie
Bellies - Pregnancy and Post Natal Exercise.
Where do you live and work?
Lane Cove and surrounding suburbs in
Sydney.
Taking a client who suffered depression, was a
big drinker and had never exercised, to losing
15kg, running a 10km event, the city2surf and
a half marathon, and then becoming a PT – all
in the space of 12 months.
Fun at th
e Fitness
Expo in S
ydney
What is your main role in the fitness
industry?
As the owner of NiftyPT mobile personal
training I work mainly with stay-at-home
mums, and pre and post natal women,
helping them to exercise safely in the comfort
and convenience of their own homes.
How did you get into this industry and
how did you arrive at where you are
today in your career?
I became a PT after a domino effect of
incidents. I was diagnosed with having
my L5 lumbar vertebrae fractured in three
places and went through a 12-week core
rehabilitation program. I also had pancreatitis
and was put on a zero fat diet for six months.
In addition to this, I was facing some other
life challenges and turned to exercise to help
me c ope mentally. I decided I wanted to
share my knowledge and experience to help
others going through similar challenges, and
A new m
um shad
ow boxin
lounge ro
g in her
om while
bub look
s on
38 | NETWORK SPRING 2018
that’s when I decided that personal training
was my future.
Later on, while working at a personal
training studio, my sister, who has six
children, asked me to write a training
program for her to do at home because she
could never get to a gym. She wasn’t the first
to have made such a request, so I realised
there was a potential market in training
time-poor mums in their own homes. That’s
where my transition to mobile PT came from.
What skills are needed in your role?
Patience,
enthusiasm,
empathy,
determination and a good sense of humour.
What are the best and worst aspects of
your job?
The variety and the rewarding feeling when
I make a breakthrough with a client are
fantastic. Being mobile, I have to carry all
my training equipment by hand or backpack
to and from the house or park I’m training
in, which can be a chanllenge. And, like
all outdoor PT’s, my working day can be
affected by the weather. Rain or shine
though, we find a way – and when the
weather’s fine, I really can’t complain!
What has been your greatest career
challenge to date?
Clients self-sabotaging their results. We’re
only human, but it’s hard to see someone
undo all the hard work.
Who has inspired you in your fitness
industry career, and why?
Chris Powell (pictured), a PT from the US
who hosts Extreme Makeover Weight Loss
Edition. His energy, motivation, empathy,
encouragement and ability to lead by
example in relation to his health, fitness and
family make him a truly inspiring individual.
What motto or words of wisdom sum
up your fitness/life philosophy?
‘A comfort zone is a beautiful place, but
nothing ever grows there’.
And finally, who would be on your
ultimate dinner party guest list, and why?
Carl Baron to make everyone laugh, Heath
Ledger’s Joker to make everyone scared,
Jason Bourne to make everyone feel safe,
Osher Gunsberg to help everyone fall in love
and The Wiggles to make everyone dance
and sing. That should keep us entertained.
Meeting m
y fitness in
spiration C
Powell whi
hris
le filming in
LA
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