Coaches
Meet the Active Attitude Coaching Team…
Ashleigh McCaw (Director)
About Ashleigh:
Ashleigh has always enjoyed sport and being physically active. From an early age she was swinging on bars in the playground and doing handstands. As a youngster, Ashleigh played netball and did competitive gymnastics. She started coaching gymnastics at the age of 14 and has been involved with instructing children’s physical activity ever since. She enjoys teaching gymnastics, swimming and athletics, as these sports develop fundamental movement skills which provide the foundations for other sports.
Ashleigh has previously worked in gymnastics and swimming organisations and for Gymnastics New Zealand. Ashleigh is looking forward to getting more Northlanders involved in gymnastics and helping to develop youth sports coaching as a recognised profession in New Zealand.
Qualifications/Training:
- Bachelor of Sport and Leisure (Hons).
- Fitness Business Diploma
- Certificate in Personal Training
- Certificate in Sports Administration
- Gymnastics New Zealand Coaching Qualifications (Gymnastics/Gymsports): Basic Skills, Recreation Coach, Play Gym Leader, Junior Women’s Artistic Gymnastics Coach, Junior Tumbling Coach & Junior Aerobics Coach.
- Swimming NZ Swim Teaching Certificates: School Age, Adult, Early Childhood, and Teaching Swimmers with Disabilities.
- Trained Level 3 Run Jump Throw (Athletics) Coach
- Trained Get Set Go (Athletics) Coach
- Gymnastics New Zealand Elementary Aerobics Judge
- Coaching New Zealand (Level 2)
Favourite Sport: Gymnastics
Favourite Healthy Food: Strawberries
Favourite Quote: “It’s is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly.” – Theodore Roosevelt
Felicity Searle (Aerobics Academy Team Leader)
About Felicity:
Felicity has recently moved from Australia, where she developed a background in Sports Aerobics. Coaching and sport are her favourite things to do. She competed for Australia twice at the FISAF Word championships, and then went on to be a National Champion Coach of numerous teams and pairs for the last couple of years. She is really excited to be joining Active Attitude in her role as a Coach and Coordinator of our Aerobics Academy. Felicity is also studying to become a Primary School Teacher.
Qualifications/Training:
- Gymnastics Australia Sport Aerobics Level 1 Coach
Favourite Sport: Sport Aerobics
Favourite Healthy Food: Strawberries
Favourite Quote: “Don’t worry about failures, worry about the chances you miss when you don’t even try!”
Rebecca Woodhead (Trampoline & Tumbling Team Leader)
About Rebecca:
Rebecca has recently joined our Active Attitude team as our Trampoline and Tumbling Team Leader. She been involved with the sport of Highboard and Springboard Diving since the age of seven. Rebecca competed as a junior and senior athlete representing the country of Great Britain, her GB diving career lasted over a decade. Rebecca’s favorite board was the highest board (10m platform) and her best dive was Forward three and half somersaults in the pike position. She started coaching diving at the age of sixteen years and then later progressed to be the England Talent Programme Manager creating future Olympic Gold Medalists. Rebecca also coached for 4 years at another club in Auckland and then recently moved up to Whangarei. She loves coaching all ages and abilities, her main focus is for each individual to feel like they are improving towards a goal.
Rebecca is a mum of three gorgeous children. Her hobbies include surfing, stand up paddle boarding and she is currently training to be a Surf Life Guard at Ruakaka Surf Club.
Qualifications/Training:
- Bachelor of Sport and Exercise (Hons)
- Level 2 Diving Coach
Favourite Sport: Diving, trampolining and surf life saving
Favourite Healthy Food: Green Thai curry or any curry
Favourite Quote: “Whether you think you can or think you can’t you’re right” – Henry Ford
Kellie Clarke
About Kellie:
Kellie is a super mum of three…two are our Active Attitude participants – Jerecho (an Active Attitude Coach and athlete) & Willow (an Active Attitude “Coach in Training” and one of our Aerobics Academy members). She has grown up in a gymnastics environment with her siblings being gymnasts and her mum also being a gymnastics coach. Kellie has been a part of the Active Attitude coaching team since 2013.
Qualifications/Training:
- Gymnastics New Zealand Qualifications (Gymnastics): Coaching Today & Understanding Movement.
- Trained Run, Jump, Throw, Level 3 Coach (Athletics)
Favourite Sport: Gymnastics
Favourite Healthy Food: Rock melon
Favourite Quote: “Every child deserves a champion: an adult that will never give up on them, who understands the power of connection and insists that they become the very best that they can possibly be.” – Rita Pierson
Natalie (Nat) Cossey
About Nat:
Nat always wanted to become a teacher, and from coaching at Active Attitude while studying towards her Sport and Recreation qualifications she has found that coaching is her passion. She comes from a family who love sports and being outdoors.
Qualifications/Training:
- Bachelor of Sport and Recreation
- Gymnastics New Zealand Qualifications: Foundation Coach
Favourite Sport: Netball
Favourite Healthy Food: Ambrosia
Favourite Quote: “Don’t worry about failures, worry about the chances you miss when you don’t even try.” – Jack Canfield
Chelsea Edmonds
About Chelsea: Chelsea has been at Active Attitude for over 2 years. She comes from a big family who all love being physically active. Chelsea is extremely family orientated and has 6 brothers and 1 Step-sister who play sport in their spare time, she has 21 nieces and nephews – most of them are also doing sport, so you can really see where her love, passion and drive for children being active comes from. When Chelsea isn’t at Active Attitude she enjoys spending time with her partner and their 2 sons.
Qualifications/Training:
- Leadership Certificate in Health and Fitness
- Gymnastics New Zealand Qualification: Foundation Coach
Favourite Sport: Swimming
Favourite Healthy Food: Summer fruits
Favourite Quote: “Don’t look back, you’re not going that way” – unknown
Bridget Lambert
About Bridget:
Bridget was the driving force behind getting our Competitive Trampoline classes off the ground here at Active Attitude. Having been involved in competitive trampolining throughout her childhood, she is keen to pass on her passion for the sport. Bridget has three children who are also Active Attitude members.
Favourite Sport: Trampoline
Favourite Healthy Food: Watermelon
Favourite Quote: “A Champion is defined not by their wins, but by how they can recover when they fall” Serena Williams
Dean Watson
About Dean:
Dean is a student at Waikato University and currently assists us over Summer with holiday programmes and events. Dean loves dancing, singing and acting.
Favourite Sport: Competitive Rock’n’Roll Dancing
Favourite Healthy Food: Tropical fruit such as Pineapples, Watermelon and Mango.
Favourite Quote: “Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.” Dr Seuss
Jerecho Clarke
About Jerecho:
Jerecho is one of our Active Attitude Coaches and is a student at Pompallier Catholic College. He has been a member of Active Attitude since we first started our Dargaville Gymnastics Club in 2012. He now coaches and trains at our Whangarei Active Attitude Gymnastics Club.
Qualifications/Training:
- XTND Youth Leadership & Coaching Qualification.
Favourite Sport: Basketball
Favourite Food: Fried Bread
Favourite Quote: “Who needs luck when you have motivation and passion on your side.”
Danielle Kalkhoven
About Danielle: Danielle is an Active Attitude “Coach in Training” and is a student at Pompallier Catholic College. Danielle has been one of our Aerobics Academy athletes since 2016, and was a Northland Aerobics representative in 2017.
Qualifications/Training: Currently in her first year of the XTND Youth Leadership and Coaching Programme.
Favourite Sport: Aerobics.
Favourite Food: Pesto pasta and coconut yoghurt.
Favourite Quote: “Train your mind to see the good in every situation”.
Lucy Bland
About Lucy: Lucy is one of our Active Attitude “Coaches in Training” and is a student at Whangarei Girls High School.
Qualifications/Training: Currently in her second year of the XTND Youth Leadership and Coaching Programme.
Favourite Sport:
Favourite Food:
Favourite Quote:
Jessica Woollam
About Jessica : Jessica is one of our Active Attitude “Coaches in Training” and is also a student at Dargaville High School. She has been involved with Active Attitude since we first started our club in Dargaville in 2012.
Qualifications/Training: Currently finishing of the XTND Youth Leadership and Coaching Programme.
Favourite Sport:
Favourite Food:
Favourite Quote:
Katie Thirkettle
About Katie : Katie is one of our Active Attitude “Coaches in Training” and is a student at Bream Bay College.
Qualifications/Training: Currently in her second year of the XTND Youth Leadership and Coaching Programme.
Favourite Sport: Gymnastics
Favourite Food: Butter Chicken
Favourite Quote: “Tough times never last, but tough people do” – Robert H Schuller
Thomas Davidson
About Thomas : Thomas is one of our Active Attitude “Coaches in Training” and is a student at Pompallier Catholic College. Thomas has been a member of Active Attitude since we first started our club in Dargaville in 2012.
Qualifications/Training: Currently in his first year of the XTND Youth Leadership and Coaching Programme.
Favourite Sport: Gymnastics
Favourite Food: Bacon
Favourite Quote: “Study your opponents and train against them and you will have gold.” -Sun Tzu.
Willow Clarke
About Willow : Willow is one of our Active Attitude “Coaches in Training” and is a student at Pompallier Catholic College. She has been a member of Active Attitude since we first started our club in Dargaville in 2012. She now coaches and trains at our Whangarei Gymnastics Club, where she is a member of our Active Attitude Aerobics Academy. Willow has represented Northland at Aerobic Gymnastics since 2015.
Qualifications/Training: Currently in her first year of the XTND Youth Leadership and Coaching Programme.
Favourite Sport: Aerobics
Favourite Food:
Favourite Quote:
Emily Hewitt
About Emily : Emily is one of our Active Attitude “Coaches in Training” and is a student at Whangarei Girls High School. She represented Northland in Aerobic Gymnastics in 2017.
Qualifications/Training: Currently in her first year of the XTND Youth Leadership and Coaching Programme.
Favourite Sport: Aerobics
Favourite Food: Cheese and crackers
Favourite Quote: “You never know how strong you are until being strong is your only choice.”
Piper West
About Piper : Piper is one of our Active Attitude “Coaches in Training” and is a student at Whangarei Girls High School. She has represented Northland in Aerobic Gymnastics since 2016 and was one of our original Active Attitude members who started with us back in 2012.
Qualifications/Training: Currently in her first year of Active Attitude’s Coach in Training Programme.
Favourite Sport: Aerobics
Favourite Food: Nectarines
Favourite Quote: “Everyday may not be good, but there is something good in everyday.”
Leah McRae
About Leah: Leah is one of our Active Attitude “Coaches in Training” and is a student at Whangarei Girls High School. She has represented Northland in Aerobic Gymnastics since 2015.
Qualifications/Training: Currently in her first year of Active Attitude’s Coach in Training Programme.
Favourite Sport: Aerobics
Favourite Food: Berry Smoothie
Favourite Quote: “Beauty begins the moment you decide to be yourself”
Briar Horan
About Briar: Briar is one of our Active Attitude “Coaches in Training” and is a student at Christian Renewal School.
Qualifications/Training: Currently in her first year of Active Attitude’s Coach in Training Programme.
Favourite Sport: Horse Riding
Favourite Food: Asian Salad
Favourite Quote: “Let your smile change the world, but don’t let the world change your smile”
