Amy Renall (left) finishing the Rangitoto 4.6km swim in November, fourth overall female and first in age group. Photo / Supplied
Amy Renall (left) finishing the Rangitoto 4.6km swim in November, fourth overall female and first in age group. Photo / Supplied
Swimming a length of a pool might not be a big deal to some, but to a Hawke’s Bay woman who has never even put her face in the water, it’s a huge achievement.
Diane Miller, 64, watched Amy Renall, a swimming coach and founder of @me Online Nutrition and Fitness, teaching a man to swim at the Hawke’s Bay Regional Aquatic Centre.
“I have been doing aqua jogging for four years but still didn’t have the courage to put my face in the water. I’ve had a couple of bad experiences in the water,” Miller said.
“But after watching Amy and having a bit of banter with her I asked if she could help me. She said she would love to. I said I would think about it a bit more.”
She said at her first lesson all Renall asked her to do was get her fringe wet. “I kept putting my head down and then bringing it up before it hit the water. I said, ‘Done it’. Renall said, ‘No, you haven’t. Try again’.”
“Eventually, I did it. Now I can swim the length of the pool. My family is absolutely amazed.
“Amy has just been incredible. I have never for a minute felt unsafe. She would get in the pool with me and stand in front of me holding my hands.
“It made a huge difference to my confidence and my fitness levels plus I have lost eight to 10kg.
Amy Renall, is a swimming coach and founder of @Me Online Nutrition and Fitness. Photo / Supplied
“Amy just fits herself into people’s circles. She is just awesome. Now I can have a paddle at the beach and finally next summer we plan to use a kayak we bought 10 years ago. I was too scared to get in it but Amy has taught me the skills I need to use it. I can’t praise her enough.”
Renall started her online business @me two years ago after working for the police for 17 years.
“I have always been involved in sports but when I look back now I think it was my nutrition that held me back — I didn’t nail it. So I decided to study it.”
She hasn’t looked back since.
Renall says she likes to keep things simple.
“Everybody is busy. So my job is to find quick and easy ways for you to be as healthy as you can be.”
“Everyone is a bit down at the moment. I am hearing a lot of the same chat after the floods. People are struggling to get out of a hole as we slowly rebuild. That’s why it’s so important to take some me time.
“You can’t be a good mum, dad, friend, etc if you are not looking after yourself.”
The other important part of @Me is accountability.
“Recording what you eat through the app and actually writing down everything you eat makes you really aware of your choices.”
While Renall coaches people of all ages she says most of her clients are 40-plus. “It’s a time in life when all the things you have been doing suddenly don’t work. Menopause is one of the driving factors in this.
“That doesn’t mean you should just give up. All of us, men and women, want to live good, healthy and long lives. You want to be moving for as long as you can. My coaching is simple and gradual and will last for years. It’s not just ‘let’s get rid of 5kg and then see you later’.”
She says timing is important. “You have to be ready for the ups and downs. You have to be resilient, there is no quick fix so you need to make a commitment to succeed.
“Of course, there are going to be days when you need a day off or a night out, That’s okay. I believe in the 80/20 approach, try to stay focused for 80 per cent of your week. So when that slice of pizza falls into your mouth, it’s actually okay. Be kind to yourself, enjoy the treat then refocus.”
Renall has a passion for swimming and loves to race. She recently won a race from a starting lineup of 185 women.
She says, in her opinion, social media on cell phones is the worst thing for our health and well-being.
“People compare themselves to what they see on screen and then feel like shit about themselves and grab a muffin. It damages confidence. What we need to do is have positive people around us.”
When it comes to food, she says she thinks sugar is the worst thing for us. “It might make you feel good briefly but then comes the crash. I’m not saying cut it out completely because I love a good croissant but to minimise what you do have.”
