Prologue: The First Step
The journey always starts with one step. Not the kind you plan for—but the kind your soul calls for. Mine began in quiet corners, between curiosity and courage, between what I was and what I could become.
Each stride carried me through different worlds: the electric buzz of CrossFit arenas, the low hum of data centres, the rhythm of community festivals where laughter and sweat merged. I have stood where grief meets grit, where dreams are built with calloused hands and sleepless nights. And still, I rise, one step, then another.
I don’t aim for perfection; I aim for meaning. Every line of code, each layer of the OSI Model, the IP Stack, every life coached, every barbell lifted, and every cross-cultural chat. All these contribute to the same story: a life dedicated to connection, resilience, and growth.
One leg follows the other until the journey is done.
I often find myself missing the music that shaped me, not just as a sound engineer but as a seeker of rhythm and meaning. The studio wasn’t just wires and sliders; it was a sanctuary where chaos became art. I remember the glow of the desk lights at SAE, the pulse of the console, the heartbeat of a band chasing immortality through melody. Then my mind wanders to H-town, thinking of the laughs with Andy Brown “Doc,” as we call him. Where there were steady hands and a steady mind. Teeboes, Jerry, Ushe… where did the frequencies carry you, brothers? Those were the gold-finger years, where every mix felt like a conversation with the universe. Inspired by the beautiful madness of Lee “Scratch” Perry, I once recorded trains passing by the studio, believing that even noise had a soul. Blessed to have witnessed Lee Perry and Mad Professor live, those nights rewired me. My last mix? The B-stage at Soundsplash Eco Reggae Festival. The sound of life itself. Maybe that’s where my diplomacy began, between frequencies, where understanding needs no translation.
The Pit: Strength Beyond Muscle
The clang of steel. The sting of chalk. The crowd’s breath held between exertion and ecstasy. That’s where I found my rhythm. CrossFit wasn’t just a sport, it was philosophy. Discipline disguised as pain, unity disguised as competition.
The journey into functional fitness began earlier, with CrossFit Infinite opening in 2010 as one of the first gyms in New Zealand. Fitmum followed in 2012, created from the simple need to train while taking my daughter along. I was among the first to bring a babysitter into the gym, a move that allowed mothers to train without leaving their children behind. It was a revolution, not in weight but in inclusion.
Then came Two 2 Tango, a competition rooted in the chaos of partnership. Simple idea, do what humans do best: move together. We ran it for twelve years (before passing it on to the bro), even through COVID’s silence. From laughter to lockdowns, it survived. Relationships were built, hearts tested, spirits lifted. It was never just fitness; it was diplomacy in motion.
From this, FittestMum was created, celebrating women’s resilience. What began locally now reaches internationally, crossing continents. A global salute to motherhood and strength.
Through Two 2 Tango, Fittest Mum and CrossFit Infinite, I witnessed humanity at its most raw and beautiful. Where perseverance turns into poetry, and grief transforms into grace. Some battles we win, some we honour, and all of them teach us to rise.
There were days when the arena fell silent. When news arrived that Hannah and her children had left this world, the air grew heavy. She had travelled a different road home. One beyond sight, but not beyond reach. Every competition since has carried her name quietly among the breaths of those who remain. And later, when we lost Matt, another guardian of courage, the lesson was carved deeper: that strength is never wasted, even when its voice falls silent.
Ventures, Vision & Velocity
Business, to me, has always been an act of creation, a blend of chaos and purpose. I built The Smoothie Bowl, Fit Me In NZ, and Juju’s Cave not to chase titles or trends, but to see how ideas come alive when the community breathes life into them.
The madness didn’t end there. We added Too 2 Quit and Triple X, pure kinetic energy. Then came Infinite Festival, a gathering of soul, spirit, body, and mind. A fitness event with the rhythm of a revolution, where sweat met soul and movement became meditation. Each idea is born from organised chaos, every project a bridge between wellness and wonder.
And we did come up with reps and time. Glad to see New Zealand’s own scoring and registration system still going strong. It’s homegrown in Aotearoa. Aotearoa-made, iron-forged, born in the garage, raised in the chaos. The glamping tents? The venture into glamping tents was quite a ride on its own. Drop yourself in the deep bush, middle of nowhere, where the noise dies and the soul finally shuts up long enough to breathe. That place strips the world off your shoulders, detox by nature, no hashtags required. The best part is, as someone said, it’s in the middle of nowhere, you can detach from everything, enjoy nature and the bush. It’s the perfect place to de-stress and detox.
Bookings are available; click here.
Juju Cave was the greatest idea ever, not just the greatest idea but also pure madness in the best way. A brilliant spark that didn’t ignite, but damn, it should’ve. Through it all, the rule stayed simple: food should be affordable for everyone, no ego, no nonsense, just people fed and happy.
Each project was a frontier, a landscape of risk, faith, and discovery. Some soared, some stumbled, but all changed me. Late nights blurred into dawns. Mistakes became mentors. And through it all, I learned that leadership isn’t about being in charge, it’s about being in tune.
When I write, I hear Shumba, my 74kg Leonberger, snoring like a distant drumbeat, a reminder that life hums even in rest. Sometimes I wonder if I should record him, like the trains back in those sound-desk days. The mind ponders; creation never sleeps.
The Invisible Networks
Not all battles happen in public. Some are fought in silence, in the hum of a data centre at 3 a.m., in the flicker of a radar screen, or the calm voice over a maritime radio guiding a vessel home.
In IT and telecommunications, I have operated in the unseen. NOC Engineer. Radio Operator. Fault Specialist. Behind every clear signal and every rescued call, there is precision, patience, and quiet accountability. It’s not glamour; it’s guardianship. It’s knowing that unseen effort sustains the visible world.
Complex Faults Specialist was a place where learning never stopped. Engineering became my home, blending logic, empathy, and the relentless pursuit of progress. As time moved forward, so did I. The next step: Cyber Security, because diplomacy now resides in data, and protection is the new peacekeeping.
The Diplomat Within
Diplomacy is not just politics; it’s about people. It’s the ability to listen beyond words, to read a room, to speak truth without noise. Through my years as a coach, mentor, and community leader, I’ve learned that influence is earned quietly. It’s gained through consistency, empathy, and the courage to stand for something greater than yourself.
I love writing. I’ve written quite a bit, some published, most kept private. Words carry significance; they are like prayers, and there’s diplomacy hidden between their lines. Volunteering reminded me of that sacred exchange between language and culture. You share knowledge, and in return, you gain insight into humanity. If time and resources permit, everyone should give it a go.
Whether in CrossFit boxes, at festivals, or across digital borders, I’ve aimed to connect worlds—fitness and philosophy, art and analytics, body and spirit. My studies in Political Science and International Relations deepen that calling: to understand how nations move, how people hope, and how trust is built, one conversation at a time.
In a noisy age, I choose resonance. In a fast world, I pick presence. Through both, I honour those who journeyed before us and all who remind us that a life’s worth isn’t its length but its legacy.
The Pulse of Community
I’ve seen greatness not in boardrooms but in community halls. Not in headlines but in quiet moments of service. Coaching, volunteering, creating—these are my diplomacy in action. Through events, action, shared sweat, and laughter, I’ve built spaces where people remember what it means to belong.
My mission is clear but wide-ranging: to inspire movement through physical, intellectual, and spiritual paths. To show that even through small acts, greatness is possible.
The Ongoing Journey
Even now, I am still moving forward. I remain a student of humanity, of systems, of self. Student of Political Science, International Relations, and Criminology at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington is not an escape from my past, but a continuation of it.
The coach, the engineer, the founder, and the operator—all unite in one purpose: service. Service to truth, to growth, and to the unseen threads that connect us all.
Acknowledgements
To those who walked with me through both the noise and silence, thank you.
You were there when the burdens felt heavier than iron and the nights longer than reason.
Some offered tools, others shared truth, and you stood firm as the ground trembled. That’s loyalty beyond words.
You showed up when dreams seemed like madness and still cheered as the dust rose.
To my crew, my kin, my day-ones, and the ghosts whispering from the sidelines, you made the grind worth every scar.
You reminded me that legacy isn’t built alone; it’s forged in the fire of shared struggle and unwavering faith.
May our paths cross again. In the pit, the code, the sound, or the silence, and when they do, may we rise roaring.
Epilogue: Step With Me
So here I am. One step further, yet still at the beginning. The journey isn’t over; it’s endless. The people we love never truly leave us; they simply change their address to somewhere light travels. When I move, I move with them. When I build, I build in their honour. When I rest, I rest knowing they have found peace.
If these words reach you, perhaps it’s because you are also taking that first step. Toward something unfamiliar but essential. Let’s meet there, between purpose and potential.
Get in Touch.
slynatty@crossfitinfinite.co.nz
021 364 813