Samantha Pettifer - Personal Trainer & Coach

As I journey into my 50’s, I’m still amazed at how I got here. It was never my plan or intention, but here I am. The journey I’ve been on for the past 10 years has been nothing short of life-changing. In 2015 something happened that completely shifted the path I was on. It was a “sink or swim” moment. I chose to swim.

That year, I made the decision to walk away from my old life and embarked on a powerful, often lonely journey of change and self-discovery. At the time, I was weighing over 100kg and my life was at an all-time low. I had reached rock bottom. Something had to change and that something was me. I had to change before it was too late.

Over the past 10 years, I’ve dedicated myself to getting better, healthier and fitter. I let go of bad habits and walked away from the toxic people and environments that had held me back. I started a journey to truly understand who I was and what I wanted.

I had always struggled with weight, unable to sustain any progress. The scales would go up and down like a yo-yo year after year. I had tried every diet and quick fix available, always searching for an easy solution. But in 2015, I stopped chasing the quick fixes. I flew to Thailand to literally “detox” both myself and my life. This marked the beginning of a long, painful, yet magical journey.

I lost 40kg in 9 months and spent another 9 months building muscle. I was hooked. I didn’t know exactly where this path would lead, but it felt like the start of something important.

Since 2015 I’ve tried different forms of exercise, training and self-discovery. I’ve faced countless personal challenges, both visible and invisible, I’ve put most of my bad habits behind me and I’ve gained a deeper understanding of myself. I’ve developed a daily program that helps me show up for myself and others and I share my experiences in the hope that my journey will inspire and support others.

I began working through 12-step recovery programs, healing from the inside out. I learned about nutrition, exercise and weight loss and transformed not only my body but my entire life.

The 12-step programs were essential in unpacking the trauma of my past and understanding my behaviors. I’ve developed a program that works for me and I stick to it every day—it’s non-negotiable. Through training, I’ve found that I can reset my mind each morning, which has become one of my greatest gifts.

I’m not your average personal trainer. This transformation wasn’t handed to me—it’s the result of hard work, discipline and sheer determination to survive. I’ve lived through addiction, food disorders and trauma from a very young age. Today, I’ve reset who I am and what I stand for.

Now, I’m navigating the challenges of menopause, which hasn’t been easy. It’s brought me to the edge of darkness and chaos, but through weightlifting and training, this has helped me push through to the other side.

I know how hard it is to implement change. I understand the pain of sitting in the darkness, the chaos within. I get it. I live it every day, but I’ve learned that through discipline, consistency and small daily changes, it’s possible to rewrite your story.

I hope to help and support you through your own journey of change. You don’t have to do it alone.