About | Strong Beyond 50

Hi, I'm Wendy Maree

About Me

I’m an experienced Online Fitness, Nutrition, and Health Coach, a Certified Girls Gone Strong Women’s Coaching Specialist, and a qualified Yoga teacher. My mission is to empower women to overcome obstacles and embrace healthier, happier lifestyles. I’m here to support you in prioritising your wellbeing and celebrating your true self.

As a Personal Trainer since 2012, I discovered my passion for Women’s Health Fitness. I’ve heard countless stories from women harmed by extreme exercise and dieting, often marketed by an industry that frequently overlooks their needs, especially during midlife and menopause.

A Unique Approach

Realising the impact of these issues motivated me to develop an empowering approach to training, nutrition, and mindset that fosters sustainable results through kindness to our bodies. Exercise is not a punishment; it should energise you.

By working with your body and challenging yourself appropriately, you can achieve lasting results and reclaim your vitality.

To enhance my ability to help others, I'm furthering my studies in nutrition, sleep and recovery, pelvic floor health, body image, and women’s health conditions like endometriosis and PCOS.

Work Health & Safety Expertise

With over 30 years of experience as an OH&S, Return to Work, Training, and Quality Professional, I don’t just understand the impact of demanding jobs—I’ve lived it! I spent years in highly stressful, desk-bound roles, juggling heavy workloads, tight deadlines, and the mental strain that comes with them. I know exactly what it’s like to feel chronic pain, stiffness, and exhaustion from sitting for long hours and dealing with constant work pressures.

But I also know there's a better way!

Appropriate strength training, gradually becoming more active, and levelling up my nutrition changed everything for me—it helped me rebuild my body, reduce pain, and improve both my physical and mental resilience. Now, I use my expertise to help others do the same. Whether you’re an individual looking to move and feel better or a business wanting to support staff with early intervention, injury prevention, and workplace wellness programs, I can help.

Because looking after yourself shouldn’t feel like another job—it should fit into the life you already have.

Life-altering experiences

My personal journey profoundly enriches my coaching, allowing me to offer deep empathy and understanding as I guide clients toward their goals. I’ve been there—I know the struggles, the setbacks, and the victories, and I’m here to help you navigate your own path forward.

In my late 20s, I was suddenly struck down by Guillain-Barré Syndrome, a rare and life-altering neurological autoimmune condition that left me paralysed and hospitalised for three months. Treatment during my hospital stay led to rapid weight gain, and weight management has been a challenge ever since. With recovery spanning many years, the condition left me with ongoing problems including troubling nerve sensations, sleep issues, and debilitating anxiety—made all the worse through perimenopause. It wasn’t until I started strength training that I found relief from chronic pain and fibromyalgia.

With physical limitations after my illness, I shifted from dance and aerobics to gym workouts. This transition led me to discover my passion for strength training and a holistic approach to health.

Over the years, I sought relief through various modalities, including $$$$ chiropractic, and tried myotherapy, osteopathy, physiotherapy, massage, and "dry needling" (never again!). Unfortunately, they all felt like a waste of money and provided little benefit. It wasn’t until I discovered the biopsychosocial approach in 2015 and began working with a brilliant Exercise Physiologist that I experienced the real life-changing benefits of appropriate exercise. He taught me the techniques of lifting heavy weights, shifting away from the cardio and endurance-based strength training I had been doing, and I haven't looked back since. With a growing body of scientific research highlighting the benefits of weightlifting and high-impact training for women, I now share this empowering philosophy with my clients. This approach aligns perfectly with my training methods, incorporating progressive strength training and Athlete Strength & Conditioning to ensure they are continually challenged at just the right level—without extremes.

Growing up as one of four siblings in a close-knit family, I experienced profound loss when we lost our beloved Mum to cancer just 11 days before my wedding. Tragically, in February 2022, our baby sister Min was killed by a drug driver in a head-on collision. These experiences have deepened my understanding of grief and mental health challenges, as well as the physiological impacts of trauma and sedentary behaviour. They allow me to connect with clients on a deeper level.

Like many women, I devoted years to caring for others, balancing community service and family commitments. A challenging perimenopause led to early menopause at 49, and I’m now managing health conditions that arose from prescribed medication (Diamox) intended to prevent altitude sickness. Despite these challenges, strength training remains my cornerstone for both mental and physical well-being as I navigate the medical system in search of answers.

A sensitive, kind, and empathic soul who cares deeply about the environment and animals, I love spending time outdoors—hiking local trails, walking on pristine beaches, kayaking, and organic gardening. Strength training keeps me fit, mobile, and injury-free as I age. In October 2024, I achieved the adventure of a lifetime—a 56km trek from Phaphlu to Pikey Peak in the foothills of the Himalayas in Nepal. I’m dedicated to empowering others to lead active lives for better health and longevity.