STROKE NO LIMITS COACHING

STROKE NO LIMITS COACHING

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Working a Vision Personal Training Blakehurst, Received 2 massive awards, Personal Trainer of the Year, for NSW and Nationally. Things were on the move and the personal growth I had achieved in the few years I had changed my career. To which the circle of influence was a major part in this story. My cousin Shane was my mentor, who pushed me and challenged be throughout my life, from our Football days, to now in the coaching business. But as in life there are always curve balls.

 

My Dad 53 years old suffered a stroke, losing speech and paralisation to his right hand side of the body, after collapsing and taken to hospital by ambulance, suffering from a minor stroke, was sent home, being dismissed with hospital diagnosing him with a virus, we again sent him back to hospital another 2 times, 3rd time with the referral from his GP, but doctors still sent him home saying he just need to rest to recover from the virus. A few hours later at night experienced the major stroke causing all the effects that he is now suffering from and the position he now has to deal with for the rest of his life.

The time period from the first minor stroke to the major stroke was 3 days, to which we made 3 visits to hospital and 2 visits to his GP. Refusal from the hospital to do an MRI, which would have detected the original stroke, preventing the major stroke 3 days later.

 

I was then 34 years old, when began looking after my Dad with no help from any government services, cooking, dressing, cleaning and maintaining his appointments with doctors, physio, speech therapist and other medicals, having to move him to a unit unable to have him move in with me, due to circumstances having to pay both my rent and his to keep a roof over his head. Still to today unable to work but have worked hard with him to improve life and being able to live the best possible life he can in his current condition and state, My Dad has come a long way, as he is still so young and has so much more to offer in life, with a grandson as well who was born during the time of stroke.

 

During this time, I have maintained a full time job, with demanding hours of mostly + 12hr days 5am-9pm, 6 says a week, having to balance, my dad, work, time with my now wife, along with other training commitments, have now been able to get him a place to live with support from the government services, as well been able to get to a level of active ability to get around in wheelchairs and cooking simple food for himself. He is so full of life and during this experience has never put his hands up in complaint or given up on being able to have a better quality of life, still smiles and has a much fun he possibly can. Most Inspiring person I know, to be so upbeat and takes everything in stride, constantly lives in pain from his right leg, continuously throbbing with pain, still does what he can with no complaints. My plan is to raise awareness of the causes, the signals, what to push for when at hospital with doctors to get the correct actions required, to show people that anything is possible, nothing will or can stop you from achieving what you want from life if you have the correct attitude and want it hard enough, you can accomplish whatever you desire.

What you focus on grows, one step at a time with consistent steps forward for goals, desires, making the most out of every circumstance.

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About Benn Coubrough

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With 20+ year's experience in competitive football, coaching and personal training, Benn brings a wealth of knowledge to coaching, having caoched across many different groups across Sydney and Newcastle, from Roads to Trails as well as the youth.  He also as trained with a few elite groups in Sydney, Newcastle and Victoria.

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Benn says the best part about running is the simplicity and hopes to inspire other runners on their journey. “Running is my time to be with myself. I can throw my shoes on and just get out there.” His passion is taking people from what they perceive as their “limit” to higher limits, joining them for the journey and watching them achieve their dream is Benn’s reward.

A personal attitude: desire, determination and discipline sums up Benn’s approach to his own training and coaching is his strong sense of accountability: “knowing I’ve set myself different challenges to achieve gets me out the door each morning and setting a high standard for my athletes.”

Football was the original passion, endurance running events came later. Competing in NSW Football State League and South Coast Premier League during his youth when an injury, a torn hamstring forced a change in pace. To reduce the risk of reinjury in this high impact sport, Benn eventually switched his focus to endurance events, initially building up to running thirty minutes consecutively, to running and triathlon, competing in his first full Ironman 2014.

Moving from football to running races required a completely different approach. “On football field, I’d run 10-15km in a match but it’s stop-start, a lot of sprinting compared to endurance races, I’ve had to learn how to use different energy systems: rebuilding the engine, training myself to run further distances and running longer.  “Running became a new focus for me, a new goal and a sport to work around the injury.”

Hyperactive and never still, Benn’s competed in multiple Ironman and running events around the world. Not satisfied with the standard events on the racing calendar, in 2016, Benn dreamt up his own event, to further test his body and mind, and find his limits: a 24-hour Ironman comprising of four consecutive, back-to-back 4 x Half Ironman.

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Close to finding his limits; Benn was nearly forced to pull out developing hyperthermia during the last quarter of the race, at 2:00am, pulled through and completed the challenge at Parkrun 7:00am. A Guinness World Record-worthy effort and a personal new limit set.

Benn’s approach is 100% belief in his athlete's potential by giving them the support they need to achieve their goals. “The best part of my role as a coach is showing them the path to achieving their dreams and walking through the process with them. Showing them what they thought was impossible, possible.

At his first 50k ultra-marathon, UTA 2018 he found a new limit and attraction to running, specifically on the trails, spending most of 2018-2019 training for the UTA 100 and other Trail races, achieving some good results with 2nd place GNW 50miler and 3rd in the 70km Alpine Challenge.

 

Having a broken toe towards the end of 2018, now able to get back into some speed, using this to work on developing to improve and build towards bettering his results in 2019-2020. To which came back strong with a 18th place UTA 100km in 2019. This then lead in more racing and podium places in Alpine Challenge 100km 2nd 2019. Elephant Trail Race 3rd and 2nd places 2019 & 2020. Tarawera 102k was meant to be the one but a fall early meant he had to struggle on and finished 20th. Covid Then hit to which led to no racing, but some hard training and being consistent and desire for a challenge came along again - Great North Walk 270km FKT attempt - Was on schedule to record the time, but from a shoe choice error from 200km, his foot was swollen and couldn't put it down after 250km - so was forced to stop 20k short, still a monster effort. This led into 2021 - UTA 100k with a 15th Place. Elephant Trail 50k 2nd, Covid Hit again. Early 2022 was meant to race Jindabyne but a fall and a whole in the knee led to 6-8 weeks off running, lots of strength training without bending the knee. Got back into it and off a week of running registered for Buffalo Stampede 42k Sky Marathon. The next race was the Guzzler Ultra 105k - Finishing 3rd Place. UTA 100k came along again but a disappointing result of 36th place from having to walk the last 20km. Happy to finish and to see the running community and just soaked in the atmosphere finishing in a time of 10:42. UTK 50k was next and 11th Place off a block of training to end 2022. 2023 brings a whole new opportunity with racing, business and personal, Tarawera 165k - UTA 100k & UTMB Mont-Blanc 171km races. Relaunching Stroke No Limits Coaching and getting Married. Excited to be back focused on a Business Front growing Footmotion Maitland (Pure Performance) Building back the SNL Coaching and many adventure with the Fiancé Nicole and her two amazing kids.

 

Benn’s Highlights 2015 - Present

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• Tarawera Ultramarathon Miler 2023 #12 Place

• UTA100 2019 #18th Place, 2021 #15 Place

• The Guzzler 2022 100k #3rd Place

• UTK 50km 2022 #11th Place

• Tarawera Ultramarathon 102km 2020 #20th Place

• Elephant Trail Race 2019,2020,2021 #3rd #2nd #3rd

• Alpine Challenge 70km 3rd Place 100km #2nd Place

• Great North Walk 50miler 2nd Place

• Marathon PB 3:02 hour Gold Coast 2014.

• Half Marathon PB 86mins Sydney Running Festival

• City to Surf 56mins 2014

• Ironman 70.3 4:57hours 2017 Port Macquarie

• 3 x Ironman Distance Port Macquarie x 2, Wanaka 2, Roth Germany

• 15 x Ironman 70.3

• 24 hour Inroman . 4 x Half Ironman

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