New Skills Active Video Follows An Apprentice Who’s Always Expanding Her Skills

Nicole Shand is passionate about helping everyone in the community to access sport, recreation and physical activity – but especially postnatal women.

Nicole completed the Skills Active Aotearoa Apprenticeship in Recreation and Sport (Coach/Instructor), and she talks about the process of gaining her qualification in a brand new video.

She found the time to study in between her job at Sport Tasman, and being a mum herself to four children.

“My partner and my kids are my biggest support,” Nicole says.

“Without them, actually being able to do all of this would be impossible. There's not much spare time for everyone, so everyone gets their little bit. My partner's just awesome and appreciates and supports everything that I do.”

Nicole says that although she has been working in sport and exercise for a long time, she is always striving to gain new skills, and gain as many tools as she can to help her clients – particularly women who have recently had babies, and might not be getting all the support they need.

“I’d like to be able to have a full online program for pregnancy and postnatal exercise, and be able to have midwives linking in with that, and other therapists.”

As well as starring in a Skills Active video, Nicole was also a finalist in the recent Skills Active Apprentice of the Year competition, which recognises outstanding individuals working in sport, recreation or performing arts. For more on her story, check out the video.

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