“Sarah’s style of coaching, being heart-led, is exactly that. She is honest to the core and genuinely cares. I could tell from our first session that she shares many of the same values as me and truly wants to help people make sustainable changes in their lives.”

~ Leanna Murray

Qualifications & Professional Training

A foundation in health, human performance, psychology and behaviour change.

  • Bachelor of Physical Education (BPhEd)

  • ICF-Accredited Professional Coach Training

  • Certified Health & Wellness Coach

  • Advanced Certificate in Nutrition

  • Certificate in Psychology & Behaviour Change

  • ACFEB Approved Practitioner — Eating Disorder Essentials

  • Certificate in Wellbeing Management

From health to human behaviour.

My background is in health, mindset and behaviour change, but what interests me most is understanding why people think, decide and behave the way they do.

Through my work in health and wellbeing, I began noticing something interesting. Most people already knew what they needed to do. They understood the importance of exercise, sleep and looking after themselves. But knowing what to do didn’t always translate into action. I became increasingly interested in why.

My role is to help people understand what’s influencing their thinking and behaviour, so they can make clearer decisions, respond more effectively to challenges and make changes that matter to them.

I don’t believe meaningful change comes from simply being told what to do. Everyone brings different experiences, beliefs and challenges. My role is to ask the right questions, challenge unhelpful thinking and help people develop the awareness and tools to make their own decisions and take action.

I believe that when you better understand yourself, you have greater control over how you think, respond and act. And that’s where meaningful change begins.

  • I've always believed that people are capable of far more than they realise.

    That belief is grounded in both professional experience and personal understanding.

    With a background in physical education, exercise prescription, health and behavioural science, I've spent much of my professional life interested in what drives human performance, what gets in the way, and what makes meaningful change possible.

    But I've also come to understand that performing well and living well aren't always the same thing.

    My own life has included periods of struggle, uncertainty and loss. Experiences with an eating disorder in my younger years, and later six miscarriages before growing our family, shaped my understanding of the complexity of human behaviour and resilience.

    They taught me that knowing what to do isn't always enough to change what we do. That pushing harder isn't always the answer. And that how we think, what we believe and the way we respond to life's challenges can profoundly influence what becomes possible.

    Those experiences didn't make me a coach, but they shaped the coach I became.

    Today, I bring together my professional training, lived experience and understanding of human behaviour to help capable, driven people better understand themselves, move beyond unhelpful patterns and create meaningful change.

    I'm particularly interested in the space where performance meets personal fulfilment. Helping people achieve what matters to them, without losing themselves in the pursuit of it.

    I live in Bannockburn, Central Otago, with my husband and our three children. Outside of coaching, you'll usually find me running or walking in the hills, challenging myself through endurance sport, arriving ten minutes early (always) and appreciating the simple things that make life feel full.