Trainer presented with inaugural award

TRAINER: Audrey O'Keefe receives the award from Jim Pitt, president of NABBA. PICTURE / PAUL BROOKS

Last week Audrey O'Keefe of ReVitalise Natural Health and Fitness was presented with an inaugural national award for trainer of the year.

Last year the National Amateur Body Building Association (NABBA) decided to create an annual award for the country's top coach / trainer.
"So every time someone competes, as part of the entry form they put down the name of their coach, so then that person will be put forward," says Audrey. "So depending on where that competitor is placed, their coach gets points. At the end [of the year's competitions] the coach / trainer with the most points wins coach / trainer of the year."

The award is open to trainers, coaches and nutritionists as stipulated by the athlete.
Audrey qualifies as all three.
"But that depends on each client I have and depending on their needs. I also have clients in Waiouru, Taihape, Auckland ... so to those people I am probably more motivational nutritionist."

NABBA's headquarters are in Palmerston North, so national president Jim Pitt drove to Whanganui to personally present the award to Audrey.
"Coaches and personal trainers throughout New Zealand are starting to work together quite nicely, now," says Jim. "They're now starting to get to know a lot of different criteria within the bodybuilding competitions that we run and this is why we brought the coaches and trainers award in. This is the first year we've actually done it.
"We had 146 coaches and trainers involved in this, so Audrey has done exceptionally well," says Jim.

"I'm only as good as my team," says Audrey.

The coaches and trainers come from Invercargill right up to Whangarei.

Audrey says with the award now part of the competitions, trainers will have more invested in their athletes.
"Trainers are very competitive anyway, by nature," says Jim, "And they like their athletes to win."
He says they'll now be even more competitive. "It's going to be fun. From the 146 we now have a database of all the different coaches and trainers."

NABBA has been operating in New Zealand for 30 years. Jim has been president for the entire time.
"We built NABBA NZ from nothing." The 'we' is Jim Pitt and Marianne Poole.
"We're the biggest federation in New Zealand. We've got 15 area reps now throughout New Zealand."
Audrey is the Whanganui rep.
"All these people are doing their bit, producing good athletes. From that we'll select teams and send them overseas to the World Championships, the Universe Championships and the Asia Pacific Championships. We run 13 shows a year. It's a busy time."