A lawyer turned personal fitness trainer and
holistic health & wellness Coach (Part 1)

After studying and practicing law, Teurai Chanakira found her calling in fitness training and health & wellness coaching. Originally from Zimbabwe, she moved to Australia after studying and practising law in the UK. Creative at heart, Teurai followed her passion. She considers that, ‘the mind, emotions and the body must work together to achieve the result you want!’

Early years – the pathway to a law degree: Teurai says of her father, ‘I wanted to make him happy.’

Teurai was born in Zimbabwe but moved to Germany with her parents when she was 13. After six years, she went to the UK where she completed the last two years of high school.

Her father really wanted to be a lawyer while growing up, but he could not go to the university due to racial restrictions in Zimbabwe at the time. He ended up being an ambassador, but he carried on with his dream. ‘He was someone who was very much into academic. You had to go to the university, to become something like a lawyer or a doctor or something like that. That was the culture at home. When it came to things like choosing a career path, dad was not very happy. So, I wanted to
make him happy.’

At the university, Teurai studied law, obtaining a Bachelor of Laws and a Master of Laws from Birmingham University and Wolverhampton University, respectively. She thought, ‘I will become a lawyer, I will just make money, I will be happy and that will be my life.’ However, the reality was different. Teurai could not really find herself in a courtroom.

‘Every day it was a drag to the point that I wondered what I was doing to myself’

Teurai practised law as a solicitor at a law firm in Wolverhampton in the UK, but she was miserable. She worked on a range of matters, including criminal, family, property, immigration law cases, thinking that she may find the elusive fulfilment, but her passion was in another field. She felt lost and miserable. ‘It was not coming from my heart. Every day it was a drag to the point that I wondered what I was doing to myself.’

In her search for inner energy to carry on with work, Teurai remembered good stories she had heard about Australia after finishing her master’s degree, ‘oh Australia is very good if you are a migrant, …there are opportunities there.’ She thought, ‘maybe if I change countries, I will enjoy law.’ She decided to do an Australian law degree (in Cairns). ‘That is how I came to Australia, as a student in 2008.’

‘Ah, I can’t do it anymore’

In Australia, Teurai had to complete 12 subjects for a Graduate Bachelor of Laws (with Honours), which she obtained with a Distinction average and a commendation for academic excellence. While studying, ‘I worked as a legal editor at a publishing house, where they published legal books, statutes, new laws that were coming out (that judges were producing) – editing statutes books that law students and other people would read.’ She also worked in places like refugee law clinics (e.g., the Cairns Community Legal Aid Centre), thinking that maybe if she helps people who are in need, she will find fulfilment in her job. However, when it came to her essence g, Teurai knew that law was not her passion. Moving to Australia had not changed how she felt about law. ‘I was miserable. I just got to that point where I thought, I can’t do it anymore.’

The beginning of her entrepreneurial journey – Becoming a qualified trainerin the Australian fitness industry

Teurai did not practiced law in Australia, and she has no regret. Armed with her creative talent, she decided to follow her passion. It was a difficult decision. Her family and friends all asked: Why? All they saw was that she was wasting the massive investment into obtaining law degree, but Teurai set her sight beyond her past achievements. She was ready for the next chapter, and she knew she could do it. After losing her mum to breast cancer and separating from her partner, she moved
to Melbourne where a new direction to her journey started.

‘I think this is my call and it felt right in my soul. I never felt like that when I was doing law. There was light. I felt alive.’

In Melbourne, Teurai took up a customer service job at Bupa. At that point she decided to enrol in a fitness course. ‘So, I would work during the day and in evenings and weekends, I attended classes.’

‘I had always enjoyed fitness while growing up. When I started studying fitness coaching, I was so enthusiastic! In the class I was so interested in everything, you know, I was engrossed in everything the lecturers were saying. At some point, I thought, ‘this is my call’ and it felt right in my soul. I never felt like that when I was doing law. There was light. I felt alive.’

The only African woman in the fitness class and at the gym -Thinking outsidethe box

Teurai was passionate and wanted to do things differently. ‘You know at that time, being a black woman, I was the only African black female in the class. Often at the gym where I was working, I was the only African woman. It was like…a personal trainer was someone who goes to the gym and trains someone. People were not thinking outside the box. I started thinking, ‘why do I have to be someone who trains people at the gym only? Why can’t I also write books? Why can’t I have my own themes? And I started thinking about different ways to make it happen.’

Teurai is passionate about fitness, health, and wellness coaching. She empowers her clients and is committed to achieving results by drawing inspiration and resilience from her personal journey. When asked, ‘What motivates you? She said, ‘Mum passed away in 2010, I got divorced following an abusive marriage and dad passed away a year later, in 2017. I was diagnosed with depression, but I refused to take medication. Instead, I started using things like exercise and doing a lot of reading. I went for counselling. I used all the services that they have in Australia, and I got better. Now I feel like I am really becoming myself.’

I think that’s why I like when I say, ‘holistic health coach’.

Teurai’s approach to health and fitness is holistic: the mind, emotions and the body must work together to achieve the result you want! ‘I talk to my clients not just about physical fitness but also support them emotionally and mentally to give them that confidence. As migrant women, some of us have been through mental health issues; people who moved from overseas they come here, they don’t know what they are doing when settling.’

Fitness to a Tee – offers a range of fitness, health, and wellness packages

Teurai started her fitness business (Fitness to a Tee) by training people in a gym, but she has transitioned to online training. She offers a range of packages including Ready to Go, Healthy Foundation, I Choose Me, Embrace The Skin You’re In and Hotty @ 40. These packages also include meal plans. ‘One of the good things about the meal plans is that I also include the traditional food.’ For more information about how you can train with Teurai, please visit www.fitnesstoatee.com.au/personal-training.

A Personal Fitness Trainer and Holistic Health & Wellness Coach turned writer (to be continued – stay tune)