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I am a Holistic Health Practitioner, and corrective exercise therapist. I have 25 years of practical experience in the fitness industry and I love what I do!
I am a high-performance conditioning specialist and I also Specialist in End Stage Rehabilitation from sports and work related injuries. Here at Chek Australia we offer a firmly grounded – effective approach to Health and Musculoskeletal Wellness.
My passion is to work with people who truly want to find their true potential in life, in Work and in Sport
- Level III CHEK Practitioner
- HLC Level II Practitioner
- Remedial Massage
- Therapist 25 Years experience in the industry
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JUDE MCMINN
Jude is an Adventure racer and Triathlon competitor. She has the experience to know first hand what it is like to be an athlete and recover using the philosophies and techniques of CHEK Australia.
(See our Home page Video for Judes testimonial)
After studying her CHEK Coach, HLC Level 1 and countless practical hours under the guidance of Jan Carton, Jude has been successfully passing on her knowledge to clients from all walks of life. She also specialises in Fight Sports and Ocean Sports.
- CHEK Coach
- HLC Level I Practitioner
DONOVAN POWELL
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I was fit, surfed regularly, traveled overseas
on surfing adventures, had a wake board boat and wake boarded at a high level. I
was happily married and was enjoying life.
After completing school I followed a career in
the printing industry, where I changed jobs to further my career ending up in a
high pressured management role. After working in this job for several years I
really found it hard to find the time and energy to continue doing the things I
loved, but financially I was going well. The more I earnt the more I managed to
spend. I would sometimes complain to people about working long hours and not
having any time to myself. I put on a
bit of extra weight and was constantly being reminded that I‘m not getting any
younger. Put in the hard yards now and you will be alright in the future. As
this is the norm and you’re not the only one who works long hours, so just deal
with it.
The company I worked for went into liquidation
and I decided to move on, getting a new job, still with the pressure but more hands
on. Months later I suffered server back pain so I reluctantly took a week or so
off work and being a male, I put my brave hat on and got back to work quickly.
At work and in my personal life, I did not think for a minute what I was doing
to my body was about to cause me 2 ruptured discs (L4/L5) in my lower back. At
the time I was doing a lot of repetitive lifting and twisting sitting down. I
would also go wakeboarding at the first opportunity I had, with no stretching
and in cold water.
I went from being, in my eyes, a fit young man
to being bed ridden in unbelievable pain. I felt like someone had corked me in
the leg and I had several broken bones and that the slightest movement would
send shockwaves of pain through my body.
I managed to drag myself to doctors where they
continued to happily prescribe me with as many pain killers that I could
humanly digest. I was also advised to take some anti–inflammatory medication,
rub Voltaren on the pain area and have some rest. Finally, I was sent for x-rays
and later scans. The x-rays showed that I had scoliosis of the spine, the scans
showed I had 2 ruptured discs impinging on my sciatic nerve that ran all the
way to my toes. I was treated by chiropractors, osteopaths, had acupuncture,
physiotherapy and was put on a body stretching table. I also purchased an
invert machine hanging upside down day after day. I was not seeing any
improvement at all.
During this time I had my 30th birthday and the
emotional pain and depression, which I tried so well to hide came to a head
when I had a surprise visit from my brother who had been travelling. I broke
down and started to cry but quickly wipped away the tears with nobody knowing
how I felt and again, put on a brave face. My dad patted me on the back and
said in a jokingly manner ‘you old bugger you’re getting emotional in your old
age’, which made me feel even worse. Here I was a 30 year old, in severe back
pain and emotional pain, unable to do the things I loved. I could barely walk
let alone hold a positive conversation and socialise. I remained strong, but at
the time the thought of being hit by a bus would not have made me flinch for a
second.
For 9 years I spent thousands of dollars on
medical physicians. In this time I also developed knee problems, a bad shoulder,
foot pain and was wearing orthotics to deal with my reportedly leg length
issue. I followed up by going to a rehab clinic doing forms of light exercise.
In all, I managed through the pain and found a few stretches that through trial
and error seemed to help.
Years later I had a relapse after spending 8
hours driving a bob cat. I managed to rupture my discs again, taking me back to
where I had started from, in severe pain and unable to move. At that point, I
went to various doctors and really started to get frustrated, having been
through this before I did not want to be told again to rest and take pain
killers.
I found out through a good friend of a place
that was inter-state which he had been attending and it had been life changing.
A place that deals with chronic back and neck injuries and body imbalances
every day. This was the start of my introduction to CHEK Australia.
After deciding to go to CHEK Australia for the
first time I went to my local GP to get a referral for some updated scans and
x-rays. On seeing the doctor he insisted I was doing the wrong thing and that I
continue resting, take some anti-inflammatory and Panadine Forte. This was not
exactly the advice I wanted to hear after suffering with the pain for several
years. Reluctant to give me a referral and after 45 minutes of politely arguing
I got my referral and was on my way.
When I commenced at CHEK Australia I met Jan
Carton who put through the most thorough assessment yet and at that point I
knew I had made the right decision.
Within days I was virtually pain free and had
significantly improved.
I remember telling Jan how I had seen one of
the top neurosurgeons in Sydney who advised that I had 2 bulging discs and that
they do not repair themselves and I would have to manage and live with this for
the rest of my life. At this point, I even contemplated surgery on my back,
which I soon realised this was not a path I was willing to go down. Jan looked
at me with a slight smile and said to me, if you do the right things a disc
injury and back problems respond so well to treatment. Reassuring me, that I
still had my whole life ahead of me.
CHEK Australia has been instrumental in
transforming my life and the way in which I approach life. I made significant
lifestyle and nutritional changes and became more focused on what was right for
me. It has not only made me a happier, healthier person, but a better
person. I am stronger and more agile
than I have ever been.
This was the turning point in my life where I
packed up my house, moved my family from Sydney, changed my career and today I
am a full time CHEK Coach.
For a long time I have had a passion for health
and wellbeing and having experienced the CHEK Program and being qualified as a
CHEK Coach it has allowed me to pursue my passion and help others find the
happiness and satisfaction that I have found. As a CHEK Coach I have learnt a
holistic approach to treating the body as a whole and to treating the cause of
the problem not the symptom.
I have taken the road less travelled and that
has made all the difference.
