By Kate Mac From KATE MAC NET

I thought I would through back to about a year ago when I was getting the Cayman National Rugby ready for their season which was their most successful season yet. Here is the link to the story that was written up and also aired on Cayman27.

http://www.cayman27.com.ky/2014/06/13/caymans-ruggers-stretch-toward-historic-game

I was honoured to help these guys and saw such an improvement in a short period of time. It was teaching these guys that got me into ‘Broga’ which is Yoga for guys. It was where I found my niche and have continued doing it since returning to Australia.

– Dave Clancy, Coach of the Cayman National Rugby Team:

“Kate came on board with the Cayman National Rugby Team’s sports medical team for the 2014 season to assist with the preparations towards the 2014 NACRA Championships (North American and Caribbean Rugby Association). In my role as strength and conditioning coach, I identified a need to increase the players mobility in an effort to improve their functional movement and performance along with preventing potential injuries. The second need was to have someone address the dietary habits of some of the squad members. In Kate we found someone who had expertise in both areas and the enthusiasm to work with the guys. Kate’s influence was evident through a weekly yoga classes that saw the players go from strength to strength along with a decreased injury count, especially muscular, over the period for which Kate was involved. Kate displayed a superb knowledge of the area and an adaptability to tailor it to the needs of the players and my requirements from week to week through different phases of our preparations. We have since adopted many of the yoga movements in warm-ups, cool-downs and in our national squad travel protocol.

Kate’s contribution to the program however did not stop there, with many of the players seeking dietary advice to reach the goals they could not quite accomplish with training alone. Kate’s methods and knowledge were refreshing whereby her flexible nature in diet provision and attention to detail in her assessment was accompanied by one to one shopping excursions which were insightful, practical and effective in educating the players about their nutritional needs and how to fill the fridge.

Kate’s influence on a national rugby squad has been remarkable and is a breakthrough that I have no doubt will be adopted for years to come and with other teams and countries around the globe in time.”

IMAGES:
After a strong rugby session the shoulders need to be released
YOGA 1
YOGA 2

Kate Mac is Radio DJ/ TV Presenter from Perth Western Australia who has just returned home from The Cayman Islands, where she called home for the last 3 years. During her time there she was the morning rock chick on a local station called CayRock and midday announcer on X1071, a top 40 station from 10am to 3pm. But before this Kate made a pretty big mark in the Australian Entertainment world and plans to pick up where she left off.

In 2009 she graduated with a Post Graduate Diploma in Broadcasting from the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (Same one as Heath ledger and Hugh Jackman!) and received the Award for the student with most potential in Commercial Radio.

She very quickly snapped up a job in Perth as an announcer on one of the biggest national stations in Australia, Nova. In 2010 she was nominated for Best Newcomer on Air at the Australian Commercial Radio Awards and that was just the beginning. She started on weekends but, soon made her move to weekday mornings then later on was given the afternoon spot and was part of the on air team when Nova937 got their first #1 spot in the ratings. Throughout her 8 years at Nova she grew very comfortable when it came to humiliating herself and rubbing shoulders with some big international and national names. John Legend, 30 Seconds to Mars, Sneaky Sound System, Kimbra and The Scissor Sisters just to name a few. She grew accustom to hosting big events and doing live broadcasts from some of the biggest festivals in Australia – On The Brightside and Future Music and even helped host The End Of Polio Concert which drew massive names such as John Legend. She presented many online series for the company and had a great rapport with everyone she worked with. In 2011 a major client who were in fact voted the best restaurant/bar Australia wide snapped her up and she worked broadcasting live from the Breakwater every Sunday for almost a year. There’s not a lot Nova didn’t through at her. One of her biggest achievement was finishing a 1kg Burrito in under 8 minutes.

Kate isn’t just about radio either. She juggled this with working as a presenter on a television program called ZoomTV which is broadcasted nationally across Australia. The show started online in 2010 and she grew with it as it became a national program. Kate wrote her own stories and presented with the team and proved she could do more than present. She could drive any type of car out there and even fly a Tiger Moth plane. ZoomTV was all about testing anything that drives, flies and floats and trying to do it in front of the cameras. Adding to her TV capabilities Kate also hosted the Boating in WA TV series two years in a row, which stretched her abilities to not just writing and presenting, she directed and produced as well with great success.

Along with all this Kate is a successful voice over artist with her voice being used in many Nova promotions and commercials. After being signed to Frog Agency for 3 years, Kate decided to part ways when she left Australia during her time in the Cayman Islands her voice was plastered over many commercials and promotions.

She has always known that her passion was in the music industry. She’s played many instruments, but found guitar to be her true calling. She’s sung in cover bands and mucked around with originals influenced by Led Zeppelin, Steve Miller Band, Creedance Clearwater Revival, Laura Marling and Missy Higgins. Growing up with three brothers Kate listened to a lot of punk rock with Nirvana, Brand New, Taking Back Sunday and Foo Fighters being a big part of her life along with and her dad who always had The Beatles on.

Kate has recently branched out into the health and fitness world too. Qualifying as a certified yoga instructor and a school in the Cayman Islands and recently completing her Health Coach certification with New York based university, The Institute for Integrative Nutrition. She worked closely with the Cayman National Rugby team to improve their performance and nutrition which ended with them all achieving their best fitness results to date. You can follow her blog here for health and fitness advice and follow the journey as she merges her love for broadcasting and general wellbeing together.

For more on this story go to: http://katemac.net/cayman-rugby-boys-trade-grass-for-yoga-mats/