In this deeply heartfelt and honest conversation, Kim is joined by one of her dearest lifelong friends, Jo Plummer. From their early days navigating life as young partners within New Zealand cricket circles to raising families, building careers and supporting one another through every stage of womanhood, this episode is a beautiful reflection on friendship, resilience and self-love.

Jo shares her extraordinary journey from representing New Zealand in water polo to becoming a teacher, childbirth educator and passionate Pilates instructor. She opens up about motherhood, raising four children, navigating the realities of elite sport, supporting a son in professional rugby, and the emotional impact of social media criticism and mental health pressures within high performance environments.

Together, Kim and Jo explore the transitions of perimenopause and menopause, body image, strength training, movement, ageing well and learning to protect your peace.

This episode is filled with wisdom, warmth, humour and the kind of deep connection that only decades long friendship can bring. It is a powerful reminder that women need women, that community matters, and that every stage of life offers us the opportunity to reinvent ourselves with courage, authenticity and grace.

About Jo
Jo had a varied cultural life growing up. Her dad, an Engineer, was based in Indonesia in the 70s so the family lived the expat community life in her early years. Schooling was in Auckland and Jo along with her 2 siblings found passion in Waterpolo, going on to represent NZ at both age group and then the NZ women’s team for a number of year. This set her on her pathway to training in Physical Education while competing all over the world in her chosen sport.

Jo has had the privilege of becoming qualified in a number of fields in her adult life. A trained Secondary Physical Education teacher since 1994 she taught and lectured until about 2003. While taking time out to start and grow a family, she retrained in Childbirth Education and began her own business, Birthwise, in the Franklin District in Auckland in 2002. These private Antenatal education classes grew her passion for empowering women and their support networks to guide them through their journey to parenthood and beyond. It is still a vocation she is passionate about to date.

Jo and her husband Mark completed their family (three sons and a daughter) in 2006 and her journey with Pilates began in 2008. It was recommended to her to help strengthen a weakened low back and pelvic floor after having 4 children. After seeing the immense benefits in such a short amount of time, she had the opportunity to begin training in the STOTT PILATES® method. In 2012 she successfully completed her intensive training and rigorous examination process to become a STOTT PILATES® Certified Instructor in mat work, reformer, cadillac, chair and barrels.

JPILATES was the next step in this amazing journey and a way to continue to do something she was passionate about from home, while juggling a busy household. Hence its birth in 2013.

Nowadays the kids have left home and creating their magic all over the world. Jo’s business is thriving with about 120 client and the introduction of Pilates to more men which is exciting. She has always prided herself in creating not just an environment for people to come and move but a community to support each other.

Her definition of Self Love is: My thought process on self-love has changed through my years of growing and it has been shaped on my experiences both in my own body and the environment around me. My values have changed. It is what I truly need right now.
I think my version of self-love changes in small ways, from week to week, day to day. Self-love at the moment for me means being selfish even when it’s hard.

Her favourite quote is: Gratitude is the ultimate bio hack & the best investment you can ever make is in yourself.

Links to follow:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jpilates.2013/

Quotes:
We have always been a family that have been very active.
I was blessed enough back in the 80s and 90s to represent New Zealand. It has taken me all over the world playing for national teams.
Everything was self-funded and mum and dad did everything to allow us to be able to do that which was fascinating.
Pilates was introduced to me after 4 children, 4 big babies and needing to strengthen a weakened back and weak pelvic floor.
I have been really lucky over the time that I have been able to reinvent myself half a dozen times.
The focus has always still been on educating.
At the backbone of it all, it has been about movement and exercise, which I am so passionate about.
I feel blessed that as I have moved through my lifestyle and my family’s that I have been able to work alongside raising a family.
Not many people can say that they got a lifelong friend like that.
It was some of the best years but also some of the hardest.
It made me resilient to spend time in my own company.
It made me such a strong mother being able to bring up my children on my own when he was travelling so much. I look back now with pride.
We made a conscious decision for me not to work.
My family is my world.
Wherever I am with my kids, that place becomes my favourite place.
These people are human beings. We all make mistakes, learn from our mistakes, grow from our mistakes and we strengthen from our mistakes.
Courage and confidence essential oil has been what has got me through every single rugby game.
Stillness makes you fragile and movement makes you unbreakable.
There is always something you can do to retain and maintain your strength.
I ask does this serve me? Am I protecting my peace and my energy? Am I a good role model for the people around me?
I have learnt to say no without more explanation.
I have learnt to allow myself the space to rest and recharge.
I am learning to love my new body with less judgement and more acceptance.
For me I need to protect the energy in my home.
Like attracts like.
I have created a community of people.
When we have a small group of women that you can go through life with and share every single moment with and not be judged and be there to support us, is the biggest act of self love.
 

SELF LOVE PODCAST SPONSOR LINKS

THANKYOU FOR LISTENING… If you would like to share your feedback on this podcast please head to my Facebook and Instagram pages below. Thanks so much if you take the time to give me a 5-star rating on iTunes so that others find this podcast easily and I sincerely appreciate all of your feedback and comments. It makes it all worthwhile as I know this podcast can plant a seed where big things can indeed grow!

If you would love to work with Kim one on one coaching or be a part of her Self Love & Wellness Mentorship Program to continue to master the art of self-love click here – www.kimmorrison.com

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LINKS:

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MUSIC INTRO & OUTRO
Many thanks to Wes and Charlotte Carr – https://wesleydeanmusic.com/