Kim Williamson, 44, 'I quit the business world to become a personal trainer'

Living on the land

I was raised on a dairy farm near Maungaturoto in the north of New Zealand. The property has been home to my family since 1933, passing from my grandfather to my father, who now works there with my brother. It was a wonderful, carefree childhood. I learned to ride a motorbike at age 10, and mastered driving a car at 12! There wasn’t much to do, so creating your own fun was key.

Being impulsive

Before moving to Sydney in 2000, I lived in the UK for two years, a far cry from life on the farm. Then, one day, a good friend told me she was going to Africa. Bored with my day job, I asked her to sign me up. Little did I know it was a five-month overland tour from London to Kenya! My spontaneous nature leads to all kinds of interesting situations—like becoming a tour leader in Africa for two years, or quitting the business world after 25 years to follow my long-held career passion of becoming a personal trainer.

Getting fit after 40

It surprises people to hear it, but I’ve only taken up regular exercise in the past few years.
A back injury due to years of office work inspired me to try Pilates, then personal training and CrossFit. After losing five kilos, I felt better than ever, so launched Spice It Up PT (facebook.com/SpiceitupPT) part-time, while still working as a business development manager. I’m thrilled to say I’ve now quit my day job and have never been happier. I got a card recently from a 65-year-old client who lost 30 kilos and thanked me for saving his life! It doesn’t get much better.

The upside of ageing I’m not worried about getting older.

I’m proud to be in my 40s and love inspiring clients. Before becoming a trainer my life was pretty static; I worked 9 to 5 and didn’t know much about wellness. Now? I’m fitter, healthier and stronger than ever. I’m full of energy, life has meaning and I can’t wait to see what the future holds.

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