Jasmine is one of my online coaching clients who has been training with me since Spring 2021. During this year she’s seen her showjumping results rocket to the next level picking up leading rider of the show at the Wales Midsummer Festival, winning at championships at the Welsh Masters plus 2 qualifiers & recently finishing 8th in the Working Hunter of the Year at HOYS after trying her hand at showing! She has kindly agreed to give us a little insight into who she is, what she does & how she’s fitted training into her life around everything else she does!
1; Can you tell us a little about what it is you do for a living?
I work as an Equestrian events photographer covering competitions across all disciplines, I do everything from BS jumping shows to pony club camps to the International Premier Dressage League. I also do portrait shoots for other horses & riders as well as some commercial work.
I have a number of regular freelance photographers on board too who work for me so we can cover more events as well as occasionally taking on work myself for other photographers at big shows & events or for press coverage such as the Horse & Hound.
It’s busy! My days are either on the road, staying in hotels & away at shows, or at home on the laptop editing, printing photos & sending out orders for clients so it’s always different but full-on & then I fit in showjumping my 3 horses around the business.
2; Why did you start training with Katie?
I’d been struggling for years with my approach to food & fitness. I was stuck with my self-confidence & had picked up some really poor eating habits over the years that were starting to really impact me. I’d struggled with maintaining my weight & actually being happy with the weight I was for around 12 years & I just couldn’t find the balance of losing weight whilst maintaining a healthy mindset around food to support my training & riding. I’d got to the point where I’d slightly given up caring as I’d reached my heaviest & it was having a big effect on my self-worth & esteem.
My approach was very much all or nothing, I was either being super restrictive & using exercise as punishment, or doing nothing & having binge eating episodes, and subsequently having a love/hate relationship with food.
Over the years I’d tried various PT”s in gyms, every nutrition fad & gimmick out there, shakes, diet pills, training 6 days a week, eating nothing, binging but hadn’t found anything that worked for me or for my busy lifestyle. I didn’t know how to keep on track whilst away at shows or working away & staying in hotels by myself.
I knew my riding was being affected & I was struggling with my energy levels so I knew I had to find a balance between eating well & enjoying life as it was really taking a toll on me every day. I wanted to do my horses justice as much as I could & I just thought if I could get myself stronger, lighter & riding in a better position that would all have a positive impact on their performance & make life easier for them.
3; What’s been the best thing about training with Katie for you?
So obviously the physique changes have been amazing, I’ve lost 11kg in total now but the best thing about losing weight has been the changes it’s made to not only my body shape but also what a boost in confidence it’s given me! I finally am actually starting to feel happy in my own skin & physique which is amazing.
With Katie’s support & guidance we came up with a sustainable & realistic plan that worked for me around managing jumping my horses & photography business. Time was definitely not a luxury I had so it was all about having a programme that gave me what I needed in the time I had & I could work into my days even if I was away.
When I first enquired I honestly thought it was going to be 6 hour-long sessions a week, which I realise would have a) finished me off and b) wouldn’t have fitted into my life!
What Katie has provided me with is a thorough understanding of nutrition, small everyday lifestyle changes & an attainable & productive training schedule which has worked with the small bit of spare time I have.
I love how realistic Katie is & how she works with adapting your existing lifestyle rather than trying to create a new one (not just gym, chicken, broccoli-like other PTS do!) & does so in balance rather than an all or nothing approach. That’s why I think it’s both sustainable and enjoyable.
The results I’ve had with the horses towards the end of the season have just been amazing too & I definitely put a big part of that down to how much fitter & stronger I’m feeling in the saddle. I can definitely feel myself riding better & the horses going their best.
4; What are your fitness & horsey goals for this year?
Now that I've achieved my weight loss goals I’d like to start to increase my running, I may aim for a 10km race over the coming winter months. It would be cool to see what I can achieve now I’m so much fitter & stronger!
The horses have had a fantastic year. I’ve just come back from HOYS competing in the Working Hunter of the Year where we finished 8th. It was amazing & I was over the moon with the whole experience & result, especially considering I only did 3 working hunter competitions prior to HOYS & my second one was where I qualified! I've had a fab Summer season too winning leading rider at the Welsh Midsummer festival as well as winning a championship at the Welsh masters & 2 qualifier classes.
I’d like to aim for the HOYS silver league next year & just keep the horses progressing through the ranks over the winter so we come out stronger than ever next year. Maybe a Sunshine tour trip is on the cards if we’re lucky!!
5; What would you say to anyone considering working with Katie and would you recommend her coaching?
100%, do it. It’s been worth every penny for me and I wish I’d done it sooner!
Keep up with Jasmine’s adventures over the winter season with her team of horses through her Instagram page here. If you want any more information on the photography services she provides you can check out her website here or head to her photography page on Instagram!