MATT SHEPHERD

MATT
SHEPHERD

It was a series of unfortunate events that lead to something special. At 16, Matt Shepherd, a keen basketballer found himself injured and unable to play. As a fit and active young man, he found it a huge mental challenge, being unable to move around and do the things he wanted to do.

Inspired by those treating him, Matt initially decided to become a physiotherapist so that he could help others in his position. He missed the marks for uni though, so he went off and became a landscaper. It was then that injury struck again. Continuing with various treatments, Matt still loved basketball but he was frustrated that he wasn’t getting to the level he knew he could.

This frustration is what turned into his passion for helping people. As he explored the power of strength training for both recovery and conditioning, he realised he’d found his calling. When Matt started his career as a personal trainer, new recruits were only lasting around eighteen months in the industry. He credits his parents for supporting him to follow his passion, though he was earning next to nothing at the time.

Matt is now a sought-after trainer, helping others to heal pain and ease frustration.

“Due to my own injuries, I get the most satisfaction out of someone coming in and not being able to do something, or being in pain, and taking that away for them.”

Matt’s clients agree. Nicole says; “Matt’s interest in injuries and how they affect you, both physically and psychologically, and his ability to safely push you past what you thought was okay, has made a huge difference. I’m stronger and more flexible than I’ve been for over twenty years. I WANT to move now and love feeling like I have sore muscles because they’ve worked hard, rather than aches and pains because they haven’t.”

After ten years in the industry, Matt has developed a keen sense for what each client needs in order to be at their best. Matt has an intuition that is unlike others in the field. At a glance, he is able to gain a sense of where the client is at, both physically and mentally. Often, Matt has been known to throw a session plan out the window and change direction depending on what is going on for that client. Matt credits his curious nature for giving him the courage to ask the challenging questions.

When a new client comes to Matt, they might have a goal in mind – whether it be weight loss, sports conditioning, training for an event, or just general health – which he sets his mind to achieving, but for him it’s about so much more than that.

“Being pain free, being flexible, being confident – it all plays out in the client’s life, not just in that particular goal. Recently I trained a mum who now feels confident to participate with family things as opposed to sitting on the side and supervising. Its little things like that, that are really proud moments for us. Sometimes for our clients it’s the first time that they’ve put their hand up or actually reached out and asked for help, and it’s all new.”

Assist PT is a family in itself, a community where it’s members are constantly supported and challenged. One of Matt’s clients even remarked on how supported she felt when he came to watch her run her first marathon.

Matts passion for family really shines through, in the way that he and Annette run their business.

“I just love being around family, especially Annette and my son Kai. I think our passion to be around family contributes to what we are creating at Assist PT.”

It is easy to see that the work that Matt and Annette do creates a wonderfully cohesive and holistic approach for their clients. Annette utilises revolutionary mindset coaching techniques and Matt bolsters this with a truly expert level understanding of how the body works best.

They are both clear on what the future holds for Assist PT, and that is continuing to stay at the forefront of their industry through continual learning, growth and professional development. Their studio is always equipped with the best tools which enables them to get the best results.

The one thing that will never change though, is Matt’s infamous sense of humour. Known for giving ridiculous names to various exercises – have you done the Dame Edna or the Fonz yet? – training with Matt is a lot of fun, as long as you can handle the onslaught of horrendously daggy dad-jokes.