This is a place for people who want to create sustainable change.
People who are ready to take steps forward.
People who want to move towards their goals and feel better overall.
We work with these goals: weight loss / fat loss, athletic performance, muscle gain, improving relationship with food, increasing energy and overall health.
If this sounds like you … we need to talk!
The Fortitude Way
Our aim is to form supportive partnerships with our members, educate them on the how and why of their goals, highlight their progress and show them the benefits nutrition can have on all areas of their life.
We believe all foods have a role to play in day to day life and an individual can utilise them for the desired function through mindful choices.
We provide support and accountability to each one of our members and are with them every step of the way ... to coach, collaborate, strategise and to help overcome barriers they may face along the road towards reaching their goals.
At Fortitude Nutrition Coaching, we use a habit based approach to help our members create sustainable change and keep their results for life.
Our Coaches
Josh Smith, Owner & Nutrition Coach
An ex musician and school teacher who lived a previously less than healthy lifestyle. After a life changing accident, Josh vowed to never take his health or fitness for granted again. Josh found copious amounts of conflicting information surrounding nutrition and created a company that purposes to educate people on how they can use nutrition to improve their lives.
Josh has a major passion for changing behaviour through habits.
Qualifications
Accredited Sports Nutritionist
Certificate of Applied Sports Nutrition (Sports Nutrition Australia)
MNU Certified Nutritionist (Mac-Nutrition Uni)
PN1 & PN2 Certificates in Exercise Nutrition (Precision Nutrition)
Behaviour Change & Motivational Interviewing (MI) Workshop (Stages of Change)
Essentials of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) - Institute for Better Health (IBH)
Advanced Behaviour Change (Stages of Change)
Graduate Diploma in Performance Nutrition (The IOPN)
Mackenzie Baker, Nutrition Coach
Mac's interests in training and nutrition began for the purpose of mountain bike racing but later shifted towards aesthetics during his brief time in the fashion industry.
While Mac takes great pride in any transformations his clients achieve, he believes the role of a coach extends beyond a physical transformation and considers all facets of total health and happiness that nutrition can affect. Mac has a passion for education and helping clients develop long term diet autonomy and creating sustainable habits.
Qualifications
Accredited Sports Nutritionist
Postgraduate Diploma in Performance Nutrition (IOPN)
Certificate of Applied Sports Nutrition (Sports Nutrition Australia)
MNU Certified Nutritionist (Mac-Nutrition Uni)
PN1 Certificate in Exercise Nutrition (Precision Nutrition)
Behaviour Change & Motivational Interviewing (MI) Workshop (Stages of Change)
Advanced Behaviour Change (Stages of Change)
Currently Completing
Masters in Sports and Exercise Nutrition
Shannon Beer, Nutrition Coach
After completing her law degree, Shannon decided to switch paths to become a nutrition professional and explore more of the world.
Shannon believes that our training and nutrition should enhance our life, not consume it, and health is about far more than simply aesthetics and performance (although that's nice too).
Qualifications
MNU Certified Nutritionist (Mac-Nutrition Uni)
Cert III in Fitness (IFA)
Motivational Interviewing (MI) Foundational (Psychwire)
Essentials of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT): The Beck Approach (Psychwire)
Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT) for beginners (Psychwire)
Currently Completing
Food, Nutrition and Health at University College Dublin
Dr Zoya Huschtscha PhD, Sports Dietitian
Zoya is an Accredited Practising Dietitian (DAA), Advanced Sports Dietitian (AdvSD) and recently completed her PhD in the area of Sports Nutrition.
Zoya has gained experience in various clinical and sports nutrition areas and has helped clients in a range of nutritional areas including weight loss, chronic disease management and performance nutrition. However, she has a special interest in sports nutrition for strength sports, body re-composition, weight management, ageing and gut health.
Zoya is passionate about performance-based nutrition which has stemmed from her personal sporting experience in various sports throughout her life including; basketball, squash and more recently strength sports such as strongwoman where she competed nationally and has taken out the title of 2019 Victoria’s strongest woman (u73kgs). It is through her sporting experiences that she understands first-hand the challenges her athletes and clients may face and the importance of nutrition for all areas of performance.
Zoya employs an individualised and evidence-based approach in her practice, and works with her clients by empowering them with the knowledge and practical skills to help make long-term sustainable changes.
Qualifications
Accredited Practising Dietitian (DAA).
Accredited Practising Sports Dietitian (SDA).
Doctorate in philosophy (Sports nutrition and physiology) - Monash University.
Masters in Nutrition and Dietetics – La Trobe University.
Bachelor human nutrition with Honours- La Trobe University.
ISAK Level 1 Anthropometrist.
Certificate III and IV in Fitness
Advanced Behaviour Change (Stages of Change)
Competition History
Victoria’s strongest woman 1st place 2019 (u73kg)
Australian Strongman Alliance 1st place 2019 (u82.5kg)
Best in the West 3rd place 2017 (u82.5kg)
Arnold’s Strongwoman 2017, 2018 (qualified 2020)
Best in the West 2nd place 2016
Tom Clark, Sports Nutritionist
Tom’s first introduction to training came as a 5-year-old who’d constantly beg his dad to let him come on runs with him.
While he’d always loved training, Tom’s passion for nutrition was ignited through his undergrad degree while working as a PT.
Courtesy of the academic bug, Tom spent a year making mice fat and anxious and calling it “research”, before starting his medical degree.
Tom loves working with a range of clients and seeing them achieve their goals, and particularly enjoys problem-solving and big picture thinking about how to get the best out of your training and nutrition.
Qualifications
Bachelor of Advanced Science, First Class Honours
Sports Nutritionist (P)
Advanced Behaviour Change (Stages of Change)
Currently Studying Medicine at the University of Queensland
Alex Rodriguez, Dietitian
Alex is a nutritionist, soon to be graduated dietitian, passionate about helping people build healthier relationships with their food and bodies.
He passionately challenges diet culture and nutrition + exercise misinformation on a daily basis and with everybody he engages with about nutrition.
He practices with empathy, compassion and persistence, and encourages his clients to set realistic goals and be kind to themselves throughout their journey to building a healthier version of themselves.
After recovering from an eating disorder and lifelong body image challenges, Alex aims to pursue the space of disordered eating and eating disorders, using his lived experience to help others on their own recovery journeys.
Qualifications
Bachelor of Nutrition Science (Monash University) (2020)
Masters of Dietetics (Monash University) (Jul' 2022)
Certificate IV in Fitness (2019)
Passions
Disordered eating
Eating disorders
Gut health, IBS & coeliac disease
Amateur sports nutrition
Paris Mooney (Student Dietitian)
Qualifications:
The University of Sydney: (Student Dietitian)
Bachelor of Science (Nutrition Science)
Current Masters of Nutrition Science and Dietetics student
Interned for Sports Dietitians during my undergraduate
My passion for nutrition and performance came from a highly active childhood. Playing elite sport my whole life made me wonder how my nutrition can enhance my performance. Even at an Australian leve we still weren't taught in our preparation camps how to fuel our bodies. It was only through personal injury that i was given the tools to understand how nutrition can affect my rehabilitation. I thoroughly believe in educating others to make evidence-based nutrition choices for themselves to enhance their lives and performance. Power is in the client's hands as that is when changes are most effective. I'm a big believer in making a healthy lifestyle not a chore. It should be something you enjoy and feel good about doing.
I used to be quite a perfectionist with nutrition prior to meeting with Mac. I have now become flexible, intentional and health-driven when considering nutrition choices. My "why" behind food decisions has changed, and I think that is the most invaluable lesson to take home. I have understood that my nutrition will continue to evolve depending on the situational context I am in, rather than sticking to a rigid and impractical script. My nutrition ensures that it is optimal for my personal goals, and I am leaving very little room for gains to be missed.