Raising Weights &
Lifting Kids

I grew up as one of four, mostly raised solo by my mum—big shout out to her, she’s a proper legend.

As I got older, I realized 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 my 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 from the NFL, NHL, pro rugby, and Olympic sports across 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. Reality hit hard, and I suddenly became very aware of what I was lacking. Where I come from, we’d call this bricking it!

Then it clicked: why not use the same principles I’d been teaching athletes for years? If those principles could help athletes perform at their best, why not adapt them to help us dads, too?

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 journey.

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