The Balance Guy

Malachy became interested in fitness and weight loss when he put his rear end out through the seams of yet another pair of 40" trousers sometime in '95 or '96. Over the 2 years that followed, he dropped to a 32" waist, down over 70lbs. 

From there his journey began, and it was a long and winding one, that has literally taken him up mountains and down glens, and over 200km across sub arctic Finland in a canoe, all part of obtaining a B. Sc. in Health, Fitness & Leisure from ITTralee, which includes personal training and fitness class instruction. It also provided the opportunity to train as a 'Being Well' tutor (stress, nutrition, exercise  & lifestyle design) for the Irish Health Service Executive (HSE).

After graduating, his curiosity still wasn’t satisfied, so he went on to study Nutritional Therapy, Sports massage and Neuromuscular Therapy, and several fitness specific continuing education courses, including Kettlebells, Pilates, and Yoga

Along the way there was blood, tears (and titanium pins, plaster and morphine!) & sweat by the bucket load. Looking back on it all there is very little he would change. He came to realise that, when sufficiently motivated, you can accomplish anything you set your mind to. He demolished his food demons after being heavily overweight for about 12 years. He successfully quit smoking after a 10+ year  habit. He has been there. 

That's why he loves to help. He understands exactly how how difficult it is to make permanent positive changes in our own lives. But it is possible, and the sense of achievement at making changes which can be sustained is tremendous. 

Somewhere in the middle of all this, he took up circus skills, firstly learning to juggle (eventually!) then firebreathing, laying on a bed of nails, walking on stilts, and tightrope walking. He performs and teaches all over Ireland, and has also taught in Germany, Poland, Italy and Holland. For the last 4 years he has been teaching the life skills of persistence, problem solving, communication, and teamwork to teenage students in a local school. The class is on their timetable as 'Stiltwalking & Circus Skills' 

Ever curious and creative, he is constantly learning, and brings his understanding of performance psychology to help his clients get life changing results, both online and at his private personal training studio in Tralee.