From Rongotea to Russia to Studio Rubix, Palmerston North
Kate is one of the brain childs behind Studio Rubix. The dream was always there to create an opportunity for people to get inspired to live healthier and happier lives, and this is what Kate and Toby, along with their awesome team are now doing. It hasn’t been without its challenges and Kate gives a little insight into that story…
Hi readers; I appreciate the minutes you’re putting aside to hear my story!
Lots of people ask how we came about, how long we’ve been in business, what got us into it. Have we always been fit and active? Do I eat cake? Well, let me tell you a few things…
The seed for Studio Rubix was planted way back in the early 2000’s where I was studying degrees in Exercise Prescription, Nutrition and later a post-grad in Dietetics which in total took nearly 7 years. I was juggling huge hours of study with part-time jobs in health shops and gyms, teaching elderly stability and balance classes for falls prevention, and in my holidays working as a care assistant in hospitals. Basically, I was passionate about helping others in many ways to move better, eat better, or feel better. I was also balancing that with my own health issues, major injuries, undiagnosed Hashimoto’s disease that left me exhausted, and the side effects of too many partying years and 3 am subway fixes.
But aside from that fitness played a huge role. I was always sporty as a kid but when I got to uni I lost the confidence to trial for teams and tended to head towards individual sports. I plucked the courage up to learn to kayak (I fret being in the water) and got into multisport which I encouraged me to build perseverance, discipline, resilience, and courage. I loved the after fact; that I would sit shattered on the finish line thinking, holy I did that!.
Being engaged to Toby, his opportunities tended to determine our short term future as we all know how fickle selection can be. Toby’s professional sporting career took us abroad and then I felt like we were nomads in NZ living wherever he got a rugby contract. It wasn’t until we found ourselves in Krasnoyarsk, Siberia Russia, with a 6month old baby we started to dream about life after rugby. Over the next few years, we researched, budgeted, planned, networked, and decided to take the plunge and start up a business from scratch.
Returning to Rongotea (my child hometown and my supportive parents!) at the end of 2013 with a 2-year-old and due with our 2nd daughter we signed a lease on our baby’s due date (talk about committed to the cause!). The next few years flew by; it was a juggle and struggle between sleepless nights, commutes from the country into the studio at 530am and a slow slog to build a client base. Now we have 5 full-time staff and an awesome client community that we claim to make our ‘jobs’ the most enjoyable out there. We just love what we do.
I’ve specialised in later years as a non-diet approach Dietitian and I am ANTI any dieting mentality out there, I can’t stand the emphasis on achieving unrealistic body shapes and shaming bodies who don’t fit the mould. My focus over the next wee while is to empower as many women and men to think similar to me; to create balance, to stop judging and punishing themselves through diets and exercise, to start feeling happier!
For those who’ve seen me over the past years, my body has transformed many times; I’ve had 4 babies, aged now between 18months and 7 and I feel the strongest and most confident I have in my whole life. In hindsight, I spent way too much time fretting about body image and wasting energy on what I wasn’t rather than what I was. I don’t encourage perfectionism and by all means, I don’t live it either. I love a good feed of fish and chips with my kids and then I also love to base my diet on lots of colourful in-season foods. I love a slice of banana bread most mornings with my cuppa. I don’t exercise crazy every day like I once did in my younger years; I choose a combo of things that make me feel connected e.g. social running group in the bush or the Super 7’s and other events, then exercise that challenges my strength and balance like reformer pilates, and lastly rejuvenating movement like walks and bikes with my kids that either ends in tears or laughter.
Phew…I think that’s enough for now. My ending question to you is “what do you need to do more of to feel happier more often? Or on the flip side; what do you need to do less of?”
