I grew up on a farm in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, where the dirt roads and wide-open veld stretched as far as the heart could want to canter to the one side and mountains edging the view to the other. From the moment I could string a sentence together, horses were my language. By age six, I had my first pony, and by my early teens, I was competing (and winning) at national breed championships on South African Boerperds. Life felt limitless, until it wasn’t.
At thirteen, a fall compressed three vertebrae. Doctors warned that, with scoliosis already present, any more impact sports or activities could be detrimental. They advised me to stop riding. I heard them… and then quietly chose not to listen. The fire inside was louder than the fear outside. I healed, got stronger, and got back in the saddle, because quitting on the thing that made me feel most alive was simply not an option.
Years later, an invitation to work at Wiesman’s Stud in the Eastern Free State changed everything. There, I met a behavioural scientist and zoologist who invited me to study animal behaviour in Wales, UK, with them. In the rolling hills of Wales and the Free State, they opened my eyes to ethology, learning theory, neurology, and the elegant dance between physiology and behaviour, not just in horses, but in all living beings. I fell in love with the science of why we do what we do, the motivations behind behaviour and the fascinating ability that ‘will’ offers living beings. Horses had been my first teachers; now I wanted to understand every creature capable of choice, as I have had a passion in raising and releasing back into the wild all sort of animals in my life time I found that my passion for assisting development, support in fostering fortitude and promoting growth though different stages is crucial for excellence and I was determined to not stop there.
Back in South Africa, I began freelancing in Kyalami, assisting and training “mis-behaving” horses with learning theory and positive reinforcement, helping private clients and institutions like the Onderstepoort Veterinary Faculty, De Wild and the Elephant sanctuary when called upon. Little did I know that my life would take an unforeseen challenge again in 2013, when another accident broke three ribs and re-compressed vertebrae. Surgery was recommended. I was terrified of going under the knife, so I chose the harder road: intensive rehabilitation without it. With an extraordinary medical team, fierce determination, and one very clear goal (competing at Nationals again in 2014), I made it back into the show ring another time. That victory lap wasn’t about ribbons; it was proof that the human spirit, properly directed, can move mountains, or at least recovery protectories.
Then, almost as quickly as it had risen, the dream of building an educational, training and rehabilitation centre to aid people’s understanding of horses and animals, along with developing leadership in people and valued surety within themselves, it all collapsed due to circumstances beyond my control.
For the first time in my life, I thought, “Maybe horses aren’t my future.” I took an admin job, got quiet, listened, learned all I could and improved in a world so far from the one I was used to. I was so honoured and blessed with this opportunity that showed me a side of corporate business that I now absolutely love, as it became a part of me and the impact that I have in the world today. Still, my deepest drive has never been only about horses. It has always been about helping living beings step into the fullest version of themselves. Horses were simply my first classroom.
Around that time, I met my husband. We married, built a home, and welcomed children, beautiful, complicated, sleep-depriving children whose health challenges pushed me to the edge of myself. In the exhaustion of night feeds, specialist visits and feeling utterly invisible, I wrestled with self-doubt deeper than any physical pain I’d known. Who was I if I wasn’t the girl at the stables working and understanding horses, or in an office with skirts and heels – the one to call on for assistance and support or to calm an upset client?
What value did I have in changing diapers and running errands?
The answer came through a friend of my husband’s who introduced us to doTERRA essential oils. We saw real improvement in our children’s health, and sleep finally returned to our home. At doTERRA’s first African convention, I sat in a session led by a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach, and something shifted. I took the CliftonStrengths assessment, hired my own international coach, and over the next four months watched pieces of my life puzzle click into place with breathtaking clarity.
I enrolled in the Gallup coaching certification, dove headfirst into positive psychology and neuroscience, and never looked back.
Today, I am a Globally Accredited Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach, speaker, and lifelong student of human potential.
That ten-year-old girl galloping bareback across the Natal veld, whispering secrets into a black Boerperd mare’s neck, had no idea where the road would lead. If I could go back and wrap my arms around her, I wouldn’t need words. The tears of gratitude rolling down my cheeks onto that silky neck would say everything: Thank you for never giving up. Thank you for teaching me that perseverance, wrapped in love, can rewrite any prognosis.
Today I am still that girl, just with a few more scars, a lot more wisdom, and an unshakable commitment to three things: raising a family rooted in love and resilience, helping people discover and own their unique strengths, and inspiring them to live courageously on purpose.
Because I know what it feels like to be told “you can’t,” and I also know what it feels like to prove that you absolutely can.
Welcome. I’m Christie, and I’m here to walk with you as you step into everything you’re meant to become.
Get in touch to book a consultation or to get a quote.
