How did the 20 Week Challenge begin?

broni pic next tilt

‘NEXT’ magazine article written by Amanda Cropp about me!

In 2007 I trialed the Catch Fitness 20 Week Challenge™ with 20 of my own clients when I was a personal trainer.  I quickly decided this was something many more people could benefit from, providing however that I could find them all a personal trainer.

Thankfully almost 200 personal trainers came on board, with many more wanting to be part of it.  Many of those trainers rolled it out year after year, adding their own fabulous spin,  and supporting what ended up being over 3000 entrants!

Who am I

Broni McSweeney (Cert FIT, LLb) 

Winner 2011
Fitness NZ Industry Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Industry

Winner 2010
The Fitness NZ Industry Lecturer’s Award

Finalist 2010
The Fitness NZ Bella Fitness Mentor Award

Owner Catch Fitness since 2006
– Providing over 300 workshops to Fitness Professionals
– Creator of The Catch Fitness 20 Week Challenge™

Lecturer on Personal Training Short Course in Business and Motivation and Exercise Adherence.
AUT  2010 – 2016

Professional Practice Tutor on the FIT course at CPIT (now Ara)
CPIT, 2008 – 2012

Head Body Trainer & Physical Exercise Tutor of awesome Circus Students.
Circo Arts, 2007 – 2011

Fitness Trainer and Group Fitness Instructor
1997 – 2012

Presenter
FitEx, GetNZActive, YMCA Conference,  Business Grow

Active Canterbury Network Member
2009 – 2018

Guest Judge
2011 – 2017 – for the national Fitness Industry Awards

Lawyer
I was a lawyer in Victoria, Australia for two years, before discovering the world of fitness.  The whole uni thing and then working in a legal firm experience probably helped me appreciate the need for Workplace Wellness programes.

Other stuff
Apart from life as a REPs registered group fittie, PT and a lecturer in fitness, as a movement specialist I’ve also:

  • been involved with the delivery of heaps of workplace wellness programmes,
  • assisted those in Drug and Rehabilitation Centers and in home detention
  • provided programmes to groups and individuals with special needs and of mixed abilities
  • written heaps of articles for various publications
  • sat on the TROQ (Target Review of Qualifications) fitness advisory board

What now

You can now find me pumping out resources for people in the fitness industry, creating fitness programmes for our youth and consulting with workplaces about their inhouse wellness programmes.

Personal thanks

The 20 Week Challenge™ wouldn’t have been such a super success without all the PTs who backed me on this idea and the incredible input and support of the likes of;- Tracey and Chris Butler Dempsey, Jo Kent, Jean Scott, Aron Anderson, Phil Benoit, Kris Tynan, Carol and Matthew Hides, Tarsh and Aaron Guy, Desra Barron and her hubby Kent, Amanda Armitage, Leanne Thomas, Lyn Walker, Russell Graham, Belinda Edmondston, Jack Black, Tony Curran, Emily Miazga, Michelle Cawley, Bossman, Tim Webster, Mike Catton, Ruth Gordon, Robyn Perkins, Maree and Jan Stachel Williamson and Cara Sulieman.

Big thanks also to the Greenwood’s who provided me with home and office for a whole year after the earthquakes and to the owners of Olympus Health & Fitness Centre & Heritage Health Club who always encouraged and supported me to do more in this great industry. They are a constant reminder that we all need people who have confidence in us and are willing to patiently show us the ropes to keep edging forward.

And finally thanks to my three incredibly, sweet wise brothers – always there with smiles, support and ideas.