Interview With Health and Wellness Life Coach, Carolyn Wellington
- Brainz Magazine
- Nov 2, 2021
- 6 min read
Carolyn Wellington offers a wealth of experience in health, wellbeing, lifestyle, and sports therapy, successfully working with entrepreneurs, elite world-class athletes, television, stage, and theatre, plus achieving her own personal goals of being ranked 7th in Britain as a bodybuilder, becoming a multi health and wellness award winner and establishing herself as health and wellness writer.
After training as a nurse, she realized she had a real passion for sport and helping others. She had grown up in a family environment of fitness, exercise, and positive thinking and knew that to achieve anything, you had to work hard, commit and be consistent. Her road has not always been easy, and she has faced many challenges, losing her sister at a young age, divorce, becoming a single parent, and many more. Her positive mindset and determination have proven to serve her well. She has become a highly sought-after coach, supporting others as they transition to become the best version of themselves.
Her clients stretch from the UK, USA, and globally. Her mission states that "Positive thinking, positive actions equal achievements."
At the age of 61, Carolyn is a great role model for what she stands for and promotes.
Who is Carolyn?
Wow, I must say that there is a lot to me. I am a multi-award-winning health and wellness coach, a sports-remedial therapist with a health and social care background. Health and wellbeing have always played a big part in my life; it all started at home.
My father was always into fitness, music and dance. He and my mother were professional ballroom dancers representing Scotland. My father would always talk about fitness, healthy eating, a positive mindset and the importance of working hard to achieve your goals. I grew up with a wealth of knowledge before I even started on my journey. During my time in school, I had a great love of sport, enjoying team sports like netball and athletics. Aged 19, I trained as a nurse, following in the footsteps of my mother and other family members. At the time, I thought it was the right path for me but soon realised after completing my training, it was not.
Like most people, my personal life has taken several twists and turns, with every life experience bringing me to where I am today and making me the person I am.
Some of the saddest points in my life were my sister passing away at the age of 4 (I was aged 7), my mother passing away when I was only 21. Going through adult life without the support of my mother certainly had some testing moments. My father passed away when I was 50; this was a real turning point in my life. Without my father, suddenly I felt alone and lost, in a world of despair and grief. Time to dig deep, as my father would say, only this time I was digging deep to find my inner Queen and take control of who I knew I could be.
I was always the person that would give my all to everyone and never leave anything for myself. Growing up, I never felt I had completed anything I started, so life, in general, felt unfinished and part of that was my father always telling me to try harder, dig deeper and achieve the bigger things in life. I quickly realised that what I needed to find was peace within myself; focus on my needs. A world of topsy turvy soon became a world of vision and clarity, with me finally in control.
So here I am today, currently living in Derbyshire, UK. I have two grown-up children, a son aged 31 and a daughter of 21. I have had the challenges of being a single mom for several years, and more recently, I got engaged to my fiancé, who lives in Phoenix, Arizona. During the Covid pandemic and travel restrictions between UK and USA, it has been a little hard not being together, but with focus, commitment and determination, we both battled through and finally reunited after 18 months. We now have our wedding date firmly scheduled for August 2022; I will begin my permanent move to Phoenix, Arizona. Exciting times ahead.
What made you become a coach?
Life experiences and the love of people introduced me to the world of coaching. I have always had a natural talent to support people, helping them find the best within themselves.
During the 80’s I was a competitive bodybuilder and fitness instructor, teaching me a new discipline and focus. I was learning the art of showing up, commitment and consistency. I developed a greater understanding of how the body reacts to what the mind is thinking and soon started guiding and supporting others to succeed in fitness, nutrition, self-development, gaining a positive image of themselves. In the 90’s I decided to train and qualify as a Sports Remedial Therapist and combine my nursing and fitness skills. I successfully worked with elite athletes in professional sport, entrepreneurs, television, stage and theatre, the West End and Broadway. Seeing the positive impact I was bringing to others, I trained and qualified as a Life Coach and Tutor, teaching and coaching the skills I developed over the years. Eventually, a business client of mine encouraged me to set up my own business; I soon developed a five-star reputation as a highly recommended therapist and coach extending my skills to coach people in the UK, USA and worldwide. My coaching style is natural, flowing easily and has developed over 40 years. My first coaching session was on my first hospital ward as a trainee nurse when talking to a relative whose wife had just passed away. That was where I learned my craft and the beginning of my coaching journey.
What is it that you do for your clients?
As a coach, it is vital to remember that every client is an individual. No two situations are the same. Firstly, I make sure I work with a person-centred approach enabling me to find the source of the problem. Not always easy to do!
I support and guide clients through their health and wellness journey. The health and wellbeing industry is a vast arena and can bring many challenges. So, I start with a blank canvas letting my client paint their picture of life and the challenges they face.
There can be a variety of things, for example:
Lifestyle changes
Sporting performance
Goal setting
Midlife challenges
Relationship
Fitness and exercise
Stress, Anxiety
Loneliness
Self-development
Bereavement & Grief
Family conflicts
I start by building a good connection with my client. It is essential to engage comfortably and build a trusting relationship, taking time to understand their needs and vision. Working in a group, one-on-one, virtual coaching, telephone coaching, texts, emails, a good coach should build good connections through all platforms, not just one. It is vital to observe my client, their body language, tone of voice and silence because somewhere in there is where the missing piece of the jigsaw may be or the source of the problem.
I have had many years of perfecting my skill and continue to work on it. You can never sit back, thinking you know it all and have the answers because I can guarantee something will show itself; you will not be ready. So, for each client, I begin with a listening ear, no set plan of action, allowing the client to tell their story before I break it down and put a working plan in place together with my client.
Do you work with men and women?
Yes, I currently work with men and women across the UK, USA and worldwide. Due to the Covid pandemic, much of my work is now online.
Who should hire you?
If you are a business, an individual, a group or a sporting institute, anyone looking for a health and wellness coach, I am happy to discuss your needs and requirements. Since the Covid pandemic, health and wellbeing have become even more of a priority in the workplace; more businesses are approaching me to work with their employees to increase productivity, lessen absenteeism, create a better working environment and mindset
What is your big goal and where do you see yourself 10 years?
Oh, I am clear on my vision, the big picture. I have written my goal in my journal, every day moving a step closer to my dream.
My goal is to become a recognised health and wellness coach on television or radio, speaking to large audiences on a large platform or stage. I am currently 61 years of age and believe I am a great role model for the health and wellbeing industry. I practise what I preach and confidently say, ‘Yes, coaching works because I am the product of my own coaching skills.’
