KJ Strength and Performance

🏆 Congratulations to our June member of the month… Ritchie 🏆

Hardworking and determined, Ritchie shows up and gives every session his best—even on the days he doesn’t feel like it. Once focused mainly on strength training, he’s now a regular in our HYROX classes too.

With a new baby at home and even with very little sleep, he still makes time to train, knowing that some exercise is always better than none. That consistency and mindset are what make him stand out.

Ritchie is a pleasure to coach, always up for a chat, makes friends with everyone around him and is a valued part of our KJ community. Well deserved! 💪👏

Meet Andy! 🏋🏻‍♂️⚽️

1. What’s your role in KJ?
Manager / Senior Head Coach & Youth Development 💪🏼

2. How long have you worked at KJ?
5 years 🗓️

3. What are your qualifications?
BBus Business Administration (Level 7 - CIT) 🎓
Sports, Recreation & Leisure Certificate (CETB - FAI Academy Course) ⚽
PFCA Functional Fitness Coach Certificate 💪
HYROX Certificate 🏃‍♂️

4. What made you become a coach?
Always had a love for health and fitness, turned my hobby into work ❤️🏋️

5. What’s your favourite part about coaching?
Watching people develop over time. Seeing little wins make my day 🙌📈

6. What’s your coaching philosophy in one sentence?
Make sure you are enjoying what you’re doing. Do it for yourself cause nobody else will 🔥

7. How do you stay motivated to train?
Always self-motivated. Music is a must! 🎧⚡

8. What advice would you give someone just starting?
Start slow and trust the process. Always focus on good form and technique! Quality not Quantity 🐢✅

9. What’s the best advice you’ve ever received about training?
Training doesn’t have to be complicated, keep it simple! KISS – keep it simple stupid 🎯

10. Favourite hype song?
Anything with a bouncy beat, I like all music 🎶

11. Favourite type of training?
Strength training 🏋️‍♀️

Meet Maeve! 💖💪🏼

1. What’s your role in KJ?
Coach 🏋️‍♀️

2. How long have you worked at KJ?
Just over 1 year⏳

3. What are your qualifications?
BBus Sport & Exercise Management (Level 8 - MTU) 🎓 (3 weeks to go!!)
ASCA Level 1 accreditation (in progress)
EQF Level 4 Personal Trainer (REPs Ireland)
EQF Level 6 Clinical Exercise Practitioner (in progress - REPs Ireland)

4. What made you become a coach?
I’ve always had a passion for health and fitness ❤️‍🔥 and knew I wanted a job that benefits others. So coaching just made sense 🤝

5. What’s your favourite part about coaching?
Getting to know the clients, building relationships with them and seeing how exercise positively impacts their lives ✅

6. What’s your coaching philosophy in one sentence?
Focus on consistency over perfection 🎯

7. How do you stay motivated to train?
Knowing how much better I feel after it. Whether it’s 15 minutes or an hour, you’ll never regret a workout ✨🙌

8. What advice would you give someone just starting?
Doing something is better than nothing. Slow and steady wins the race 🐢

9. What’s the best advice you’ve ever received about training?
Control the controllables! Life can get busy and often disrupt your training schedule, but do what you can! You can’t control everything in life, but you can control the effort you put in and putting your health and wellbeing first 🤍

10. Favourite hype song?
Can’t Hold Us by Macklemore 🎶

11. Favourite type of training?
Usually strength 🏋️‍♀️ but starting to enjoy running more too 🏃‍♀️