Media Release
10 December 2004
Dunedin man first non Aussie to win Australian Personal Trainer of the Year title thanks to Otago University
Fitness guru, business man and this year's winner of the prestigious Australian Personal Trainer of the Year award,
former Dunedin man Joe Waide, attributes his success to his education at the University of Otago.
He won the title from 1,000 other entrants.
Joe's double major, a BCom in Marketing and Management was instrumental in providing him with the tools of marketing
that enabled him to establish and grow his first, Dunedin-based, personal training business at Les Mills gym.
"You can have all the knowledge in the world, but if you don't know how to market yourself and set up as a brand, then
you're not going to go far. I learnt the cold hard facts of marketing at Otago University using myself as the product,"
says Joe.
Now aged 30, the former pupil of King's High School, moved to Brisbane in 1998 and runs two businesses, Inspire Personal
Training and Community Fitness Australia.
Joe is committed to helping others - his most satisfying project involved helping a 118kg man slim to 84kg - and to
raising money for charity.
Joe says he enjoys living in Australia but his strong identification with his Maori roots, he is Nga Puhi, means the
longer he spends away the more he loves New Zealand. He's now waiting for the next Highlanders' visit so he can turn his
corner of Brisbane into Dunedin for a day.
"Every two years when the Highlanders come over, I organise a big get-together. It's just amazing who you meet up with
from Otago. You haven't seen this person in a couple of years and you just start a conversation and you're away again,"
says Joe.
ENDS