Long time followers of BYS will recognise Annabelle as a familiar face and good friend of the brand. We’ve loved being part of Annabelle’s journey of growth, and having her as part of ours over the last two years! We sat down to dig deep into the performance mindset of this driven athlete, and got to know her a little better!
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
I am 23 years old and grew up in Toowoomba, Queensland before moving to Brisbane to study Chiropractic. I grew up playing a lot of sports including Touch football and athletics which sparked my love for health and fitness.
You’ve recently become a Move With Us Coach which is epic, congratulations! Have you always wanted to work in the fitness industry?
No! I had absolutely no idea that this would be my career path. When I left school, I studied Chiropractic at Central Queensland University. It was only when I was 1-2 years into this degree that I started to pursue a career in coaching. As my passion grew, I started to share my journey online and everything just grew from there!
Anyone who follows you on Insta knows you work incredibly hard both in and out of the gym. You posted recently about the transformation you’ve experienced over the last few years, both physically and within your mindset. What are your top tips for prioritising life balance around training and nutrition goals?
It can definitely be hard trying to balance your fitness goals whilst also not letting these goals take over your life and influence all your decisions. Balance is something I have learnt and my top tips to help you achieve this would be:
- Follow the 80/20 rule. 80% whole, nutrient dense food, 20% processed food
- You can still achieve your goals whilst maintaining a social life, just everything in moderation.
- It’s ok to take more rest days if needed. It’s important to listen to your body, rest is actually a crucial part of muscle growth.
- You won’t lose all of your progress by missing a couple of sessions. Life can get busy, it’s ok if you can’t make it to the gym.
As well as your gym routine, you also just conquered your first half marathon! What are your non-negotiables when it comes to rest and recovery while living such an active lifestyle?
Rest and recovery is super important when you start to increase your activity levels, for performance but also injury prevention. My non-negotiables are staying hydrated, sleep, fuelling my body properly with whole, nutrient dense food and regular trigger pointing and foam rolling.
Tell us about the moment in your life so far that’s made you the proudest?
Within the past year, there have been a few moments that have made me proud, but the one moment in particular that comes to mind is the day I was announced as a Move With Us coach. The amount of heart warming messages from friends and girls that I had never even met saying how proud they were of me made me feel so special.
Is there anyone in your life who you look to for inspiration, both personally or professionally?
Personally, I look up to both my Mum and Dad. They have had such a positive influence on me and I would not be where I am today without growing up with sporting role models like them. Professionally, I have a couple that come to mind, but the main person would be Rachel Dillon, the founder of Move with Us. I have looked up to Rachel since I was 14 years old, and now working with and learning from her is such a surreal opportunity.
Do you have any words of advice for someone just getting started on their fitness journey?
My few pieces of advice for someone starting out on their fitness journey would be:
- Find a form of exercise that works for you. Just because something works for someone else, if that’s not something you enjoy, you don’t have to do that too.
- Create small, achievable goals that you will be able to maintain. This can look different to everyone. Whether that’s exercising 3 times per week, or hitting your step goal each day. Just remember to make it attainable.
- If in the gym, go in with a plan. Picture in your mind where in the gym you will be, plan what equipment you're going to use so you don't find yourself wandering around & getting stressed.
- If you're scared of not knowing what to do/doing it wrong, head into a group class or a PT session! The trainers should make you feel comfortable and help you on form when you need it
- Find a workout buddy! This will make you more accountable to stay on track with your goals and can be a good way of making it more enjoyable.
What’s your go-to favourite meal?
This would have to be a Guzman y Gomez Chicken Burrito Bowl.
And last but not least, what’s your favourite BYS brew?!