Angela Notaras
Public Service, Canberra
Sal is nothing short of exceptional at what she does
My main goal when I started with Sally was “to be in the top crew to race at the Australian National Dragon Boat Championships", and I needed to get fitter and a lot stronger.
I started training with Sally mid July 2015 and wasn’t sure when she said I could do it and to push harder, but I did it each time. I started doing programs that I never thought I would ever do.
I have a Greek heritage and am the youngest of four siblings and the only female. Both my parents came from Greece at an incredibly young age and worked hard to achieve a life for their family. Sports was not a priority in my life growing up as my main focus was my education and helping my mum. After that it was work.
I started dragon boating at the end of the season in 2013- 14 when the team was at its peak and ready to compete at the Australian Championships. To say that I stuck out like the proverbial thumb would be an understatement, however it was something I needed to do for myself as my work at the time was consuming my life, time with my family and my health was the worst it had ever been.
Sally came into my life in the 2014 – 15 season and as a new paddler to dragon boating I was happy to watch, listen and learn. I improved enough to be confident enough to attend the Australian Championships in Perth, however my fitness was still at no level to be selected for the 10s boats that the club had entered for the Championships.
I saw the changes in paddlers who were seeing Sally for personal training and was incredibly impressed with how she coached the team. After much trepidation I finally approached Sally about personal training. I was apprehensive because I didn’t want to ruin my participation in dragon boating or my relationship with Sally because I didn’t know how I would respond to a commitment to personal training.
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I was very much overweight and had gone through a confidence destroying experience in my professional career. I was far from being considered an athlete let alone a professional athlete and this was also a personal mental deterrent to my approaching someone like Sally who in my opinion was a professional athlete. However, I had faith that if anyone was going to help me make the changes to my health and paddling it would be Sally. I didn’t want to stay where I was and how unfit I had become. A heart attack was around one of the next corners.
Sal is so much more than your average trainer
The results speak for themselves;
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I was selected to race in two of the top crews in early 2016
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I was selected to race for the ACT State squad
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I can deadlift 100kg and am 3kg off doing an unassisted chin-up
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I lost 15kg without radical dieting
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The 2015-16 season was been one of my most challenging and rewarding years in my life, and I intend on continuing the progression for life. My two incredible teenage girls (and husband) have told me that I am inspirational and should be incredibly proud of how far I have come.
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I am and I know that I couldn’t have done it without Sally, she is nothing short of exceptional at what she does and I can’t sing her praises enough.
She is so much more than your average trainer and that is because she is passionate and committed to what she does – it’s infectious.
My next goals are to aim for the stars and just keep moving forwards, getting fitter and stronger.
I wouldn’t hesitate (and haven’t hesitated) in recommending Sally to my close friends. If you are thinking that you need to change you - what have you got to lose, you can only but try. Otherwise you will never know.
You won’t regret it.
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