I grew up as one of four, mostly raised solo by my mother — shout out mum, your a legend.

As I got older, I saw the gaps left by not having a strong father figure around. There are skills and lessons that, in my opinion, only a father can pass down.

One of those gaps — thanks to some kind of divine intervention — was filled by lifting weights.

One morning in my teens, a builder working nearby knocked on our door. He’d heard me blasting Motley Crüe, figured rightly that it was some unruly kid, and offered me his old weight set.

Over the years, that dusty set of vintage Yorks, crammed into a tiny garage space, taught me the value of consistency and hard graft. I like to think of that builder as some kind of iron angel, setting me on the path I’m still on today.

That path led me to become a performance coach and a sports scientist. I’ve got to work with teams across the NFL, NHL, pro rugby, and Olympic sports, on three continents. I’ve seen firsthand what it takes to help people reach their potential — whether it’s winning medals or reaching personal milestones.

But none of this mentorship experience prepared me for the moment I found out I was going to be a dad. I suddenly became very aware of what I was lacking. Where I come from, we’d call this bricking it!

And that’s how In Pursuit of Fatherhood came to be. I thought, if I’m figuring this out, I might as well share what I learn with other dads on the same path.

So, wherever you are in your journey — welcome. I hope what you find here helps you stop and reflect, or at the very least, keep up with your kids a little longer.