ABOUT RIK

A different perspective
on change.

My working life has taken me through some quite different worlds, from environmental science and outdoor education to running a business and coaching people. Each has shaped the way I see the world, and each has taught me something about people, the circumstances that shape them, and the ways in which we find our way forward.

My degree in Environmental Science explored the relationship between people and the environments they inhabit, covering areas including ecology, human management and environmental law. It gave me an appreciation for complexity, for the connections between things, and for the importance of understanding the bigger picture rather than looking at individual parts in isolation.

That perspective continued into my work outdoors. As a qualified bushcraft, kayak and climbing instructor, I spent years helping people develop practical skills, discover the natural world and experience themselves in a different setting. Being outdoors can offer something beyond the skills themselves: an opportunity to step away from everyday pressures, build confidence, reconnect with nature and develop a deeper understanding of yourself.

I also spent seven years running my own tree surgery business. It was a significant chapter of my life, combining practical work, independence and the responsibility of building something of my own. Eventually, however, my health would bring that chapter to an end.

When life changes direction.

Being diagnosed with ulcerative colitis changed my life profoundly. It wasn't simply a health condition to manage; it altered what I could do, how I lived, and the future I had imagined for myself. Eventually, I had to stop running my tree surgery business and reconsider what came next.

That experience led me to retrain as a personal trainer and begin a new chapter in my working life. But the significance of that change went beyond a different career. Living with a chronic condition has meant learning to adapt when circumstances are no longer what you expected, to reassess what matters, and to find new ways forward when the old ones are no longer possible.

It has given me a personal understanding of how complicated change can be. Knowing that something needs to change doesn't necessarily make it easy. Our lives are shaped by far more than our intentions: by our circumstances, our experiences, our responsibilities and the patterns that develop along the way.

Sometimes, moving forward means finding a way to do things differently. Sometimes, it means rethinking the direction entirely.

Understanding people, not just their goals.

Over the years, my work in personal training has brought me into contact with thousands of people, each with their own lives, priorities and challenges. I've worked with athletes, parents, busy professionals, and people navigating injuries, disabilities and other personal difficulties.

That experience has given me countless hours of working closely with people through the process of change. I've seen the importance of understanding the individual behind the goal, and how much a person's circumstances can influence what feels possible for them.

Two people can face the same challenge and experience it in entirely different ways. What helps one person move forward may do very little for another. Understanding those differences matters.

My background has taught me to look beyond the obvious, to be curious about the wider picture, and to recognise that meaningful progress rarely happens in isolation from the rest of a person's life.

A more considered approach.

All of these experiences, professional and personal, have shaped the way I approach my work today.

I'm interested in understanding people as they are, in the context of their actual lives. The pressures they face, the patterns they find themselves repeating, the things that matter to them, and the obstacles that can make change difficult, even when the desire to change is there.

I believe that understanding should come before assumptions, and that lasting change begins with a clearer picture of what is really happening. From there, it becomes possible to explore new perspectives, identify what might help, and find a way forward that feels both meaningful and workable.

There are no universal answers, and no two lives are the same. The aim isn't to impose a formula, but to develop an understanding of the individual and work together towards changes that make a genuine difference.

Life doesn't always follow the direction we expected. Sometimes, a different future begins with understanding where we are, how we got here, and what might be possible next.