I am a kiwi girl who is trying to crack the big time in Australia. I have always been into fitness and played sport my whole life so life getting into the fitness industry felt like the right thing to do back in 2004.

Since I made that decision I have never looked back, I have gone from strength to strength and can honestly say that I love every day of my life. Inspiring and educating people in health and well being is the best job in the world and I feel blessed everyday.

I am a proud BodyScience sponsored athlete with lots of strings to my bow and over the years I have progressed into a lot of different areas of the industry. I am in the Les Mills Asia Pacific presenting team for RPM and CXworx and I have competed at the highest level as a sports model in Australia and New Zealand. I have graced the cover of 3 fitness magazines and have had many publications in magazines such as Oxygen, Fatloss, Ultrafit and NZ Fitness.

I have hosted events and have hosted a weekly radio health and fitness show on SEN. I also film my own You tube videos for my you tube channel, speaking to people is easy for me, I feel I have a great way of connecting with people and am able to get the best out of them.

Website: http://justineswitalla.com/

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/JustineSwitalla.Official

Ebooks: http://justineswitalla.com/ebook-juzz-do-it

Twitter: @justineswitalla

Instagram: @justine_switalla

Tell us three things about yourself

I am passionate, driven and love to have a good laugh 🙂

What’s been the biggest health challenge you’ve overcome and what did you learn from this experience?

One massive hurdle I had to overcome was losing a baby to the wrong guy. I was with someone in my past and was very trapped in the wrong relationship and too scared to leave. I fell pregnant to him just before I was about to compete in the Australian titles. We ended up losing the baby and as you can imagine it was a very traumatic experience for me to go through. I knew it was a sign from the universe that I had to get out of that relationship and I had to trust my gut but my mind and body had gone through so much. I was beside myself and felt so lost and alone. Now when I look back I feel like someone was watching over me as I used the pain and hurt as motivation to pick myself up and still achieve my goals and I did just that. I am now with an amazing man who will be an wonderful father to our children, I have a fantastic career that is always expanding and growing and I have my physical and mental health in tact. Life is always going to throw us curve balls so we have to learn how to grow from them and trust that everything happens for a reason and that we are on the right path.

What’s your top tip for getting your day off to a great start?

A drink of water, a coffee and a good breakfast. Also looking at my Vision Board and being grateful for the amazing things in my life. Starting your day with a positive mindset is crucial to how your day intends to go on.

Your brekky usually consist of…

Scrambled eggs with mushys, spinach and haloumi, or a protein smoothie.

Which foods do you eat to nourish your body and give you vitality?

I eat a range of whole foods to keep me healthy and in shape. I love to eat eggs, chicken, nuts, veggies, fruits and some grains. I eat a very Paleo based diet as I believe in foods from the earth are best. I like to eat clean and live by the 80/20 rule. Strict Monday to Friday then I relax more on the weekends and allow myself a few treats. An idea of a typical day would be:

6am Protein/Berry smoothie, 9am Veggie Omelette, 12pm Chicken Wrap (mountain bread) with Salad/Avocado, 3pm Almonds and a protein shake, 6pm Some form of Chicken with Veggies and or Salad, 9pm Protein shake. I will also eat a banana each day around my training.

Why is fitness an important part of your life?

I am motivated by the constant good that I do and the change that I am making to people not only around me but around the world. By being a fitness role model I am out there helping people become better versions of themselves. I receive emails all the time from people sharing their successes with me and thanking me for inspiring them to reach their goals. I just can’t get enough of this stuff and it makes my heart warm. I feel blessed everyday that I am out there fighting against heart disease and obesity. I love that I am making a difference and helping people believe in themselves!

What is your current exercise routine?

I train heavy weights 3 x per week usually 3-4 sets x10-12 reps.

I like to do a variation of exercises every time I hit the gym. I will change things up depending on how my body is feeling. We all know it is good to keep your body guessing so that is exactly what I do when it comes to weight training. Hard and heavy is the way to go!

I do 5 sessions of HIIT for my cardio and 2 x Core workouts.

My week looks like this:

• Monday am – Chest, tri’s and shoulders, Monday pm- RPM class

• Tuesday am – RPM and CXworx core class

• Wednesday – RPM and CXworx core class

• Thursday am – Back, Bi’s and shoulders, Thursday pm- RPM class

• Friday am – Legs

• Sat am – HIIT/Sprints

• Sunday – REST

Describe what motivated you to choose your current business or career path?

I have always been passionate about the fitness industry so it wasn’t really a choice that I had to make. Once I started off in the industry in 2004 I have not looked back and have gone from strength to strength. When you love what you do you never feel like you are working a day in your life!

What business or career challenge have you overcome and what one piece of advice would you like to pass on to others?

Tall poppy syndrome is massive in the fitness industry and I know it is apparent in a lot of other fields. I have had my fair share of knock backs and toxic people latch onto me and try and take all they can from me without giving me anything back in return. It is a constant learning process for me and I am now very good at seeing people for who they really are and only really trust a few. I think it is important for anyone to have a support crew around them and to only take on board what they say or do, anyone else outside of that doesn’t matter in my eyes. If you believe in you and who you are you don’t need constant validation from the outside world!

Your favourite book or movie of all time is? And why?

Hmmm, this is a tough one as I love lots of movies and have read some amazing books. I am a bit of a hopeless romantic so love to watch a good romantic comedy like the all time classic Pretty Woman or Dirty Dancing. When it comes to books I like to read autobiography’s as they really inspire me, I love hearing what people have overcome to succeed.

And lastly, do you have a recipe you’d like to share with us?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Got a question you’d like to ask Justine? Leave a comment in the box below! 🙂