Our Coaches
MEET OUR COACHES
WE GIVE YOU THE BEST
Our professional coaches will help you meet your fitness goals and ensure that you’re always improving.
Teddy
Head Coach / Owner
Teddy is the owner and head coach at Bandon Strength and Conditioning, and he’s been lifting weights since he was just 15 years old. What started as a personal passion quickly became a lifelong pursuit, both in practice and education. He earned his first qualification at 21 and has continued to expand his knowledge and refine his craft through years of hands-on coaching and ongoing education.
Over the years, Teddy has built a coaching foundation that blends academic expertise, practical experience, and genuine care for people. He’s deeply passionate about helping others discover their own strength, physically, mentally, and emotionally, and about creating a space where everyone, regardless of background, age or ability, feels supported and challenged.
Teddy’s training philosophy is rooted in quality movement, consistency, and education. Whether he’s coaching barbell lifts, mobility work, or movement mechanics, his focus is always on helping members train with intention and longevity in mind.
Qualifications include:
NCEF Gym Instructor Level 1 • NCEF Personal Trainer Level 2 • Hard Style Kettlebells Level 1 • Neuromuscular Therapist • Sports Massage Therapist • Pre-Post Event Massage Therapist • KG Elite S&C Level 1 + 2 • British Olympic Lifting Level 1 • Irish Olympic Lifting Level 1 • FRC Mobility Instructor • Kin-Stretch Instructor • IOFBC Behavioural Coach Level 1 • Paddle Board Instructor
Above all, Teddy believes that training should make you stronger for life, in and out of the gym. His goal is to continue evolving as a coach and leader, keeping Bandon S&C the community it was always meant to be: one built on hard work, good energy, and shared progress.
Fun fact: If Teddy’s not in the gym, you’ll probably find him near the water, paddle board or surf board in tow.
May
Coach
May began her career in nursing and care roles before making the move into the fitness industry after becoming a mum in 2017. She’s a qualified NEFPC Personal Trainer, Gym Instructor, and Group Fitness Instructor, and over the years she’s carved out her niche in strength and conditioning coaching, with a particular passion for functional movement and women’s health.
What May loves most about coaching is helping people feel capable in their own bodies. She focuses on building confidence in the gym, improving technique with weightlifting, and finding a style of training that feels enjoyable and sustainable. She’s passionate about functional movement, whether that’s improving performance, recovering from injury, or simply moving better through daily life.
May has a special interest in pre- and post-injury training, women’s health, and functional strength, and she’s always learning more in these areas. Recently, she returned to university to study psychotherapy and counselling, deepening her understanding of how physical and mental health connect, and how that relationship can support meaningful change for her clients.
Growing up, May was always active and outdoors, hiking, swimming, and exploring, and that love of movement continues to shape how she trains today. Her own routine combines running, endurance training, weightlifting and the odd Hyrox, balancing challenge with enjoyment.
For May, Bandon S&C is more than a gym, it’s a community. She finds constant inspiration in the members she coaches and takes pride in being part of their journey toward becoming stronger, healthier, and more confident versions of themselves.
Fun fact: May’s happy place is anywhere by the sea, bonus points if it involves a cold dip at sunrise.
Karim
Coach
With a background in nursing for nearly seven years, Karim brings a unique blend of care and discipline to his coaching. She’s a qualified Fitness Instructor (EQF Level 3) and Personal Trainer (EQF Level 4), combining her medical knowledge with a passion for helping others move and feel better.
Karim’s coaching journey began thanks to a bit of serendipity, after starting work at the gym, Teddy encouraged her to pursue coaching, recognising her strength and enthusiasm for training. Karim took on the challenge, and hasn’t looked back since.
She finds the greatest satisfaction in helping members refine their technique and see measurable improvement. Watching someone master a lift or gain confidence in their movement never gets old, and Karim’s eye for detail helps members progress safely and effectively.
While she’s a fan of barbell work, Karim has also discovered a love for the conditioning side of training, noticing how much her own endurance has improved through mixed aerobic and strength sessions.
Karim’s personal fitness journey began after struggling with weight gain despite healthy eating habits. Encouraged by her doctor to start exercising, she committed fully to his training and ultimately lost 15kg, gaining confidence, energy, and mobility along the way. It’s a transformation she’s incredibly proud of, and one that fuels her empathy for others on their own journeys.
Looking ahead, Karim aims to deepen her expertise in CrossFit coaching and develop a stronger foundation in nutrition and personal training. Her goal is to help others achieve results that last, both inside and outside the gym.
Fun fact: Karim swears she couldn’t think of one… but we suspect there’s a story or two hiding there somewhere!
Rory
Coach
Rory is a qualified Personal Trainer and Group Instructor, certified through Image Fitness. His path into coaching began as a teenager when he started helping friends in the gym, sharing what he’d learned and watching them grow stronger. That spark of mentorship turned into a lifelong passion for coaching and continuous learning.
What Rory loves most about coaching is seeing people feel stronger, more mobile, and more energetic in their daily lives. He enjoys swapping training insights with members and exploring different exercise approaches, whether it’s CrossFit, powerlifting, or sport-specific conditioning. For him, coaching is like solving a puzzle: the more you learn, the more pieces you discover, and the picture just keeps expanding.
From a powerlifting background, Rory’s favourite movements are the deadlift and pull-ups. He’s fascinated by the technical aspects of lifting, how small adjustments in leverage or positioning can make all the difference, and he loves helping members achieve their first pull-up, celebrating that moment of pure accomplishment.
Rory’s own fitness journey started young, playing almost every sport imaginable before discovering his true passion for strength training at 16. After years of powerlifting and competing through UCC’s Powerlifting Club, he faced a setback at 22 with a spinal injury. Through two years of rehab, Rory learned to train smarter, rebuild strength safely, and redefine success. His experience shaped his philosophy on sustainable, intelligent training.
Today, Rory blends his love of strength and CrossFit-style conditioning, inspired by his first visit to Bandon S&C as a student. He hopes to keep expanding his coaching expertise, particularly in training people across all ages and diving deeper into neuromuscular therapy and injury rehabilitation.
Fun fact: Rory taught himself how to breakdance at age 12… and he insists life wouldn’t be the same without milk chocolate rice cakes.
Kate
Coach
Kate holds a Fitness Instruction EQF Level 3 and Personal Trainer EQF Level 5 qualification. Her journey into coaching came from her own deep relationship with exercise, the gym has always been a cornerstone for both her physical and mental well-being. She’s passionate about helping others experience that same sense of empowerment and balance through movement.
For Kate, the most rewarding part of coaching is seeing members grow, whether it’s mastering a new skill, hitting a PB, or simply showing up and pushing through a tough WOD. She thrives on the energy and camaraderie of the community, and loves that every class brings people together to lift, sweat, and support one another.
Her favourite movement is the deadlift, and she has a soft spot for gymnastics too. The challenge of learning new skills keeps her motivated, and nothing beats that feeling of achievement when hard work pays off.
Kate’s own fitness journey began several years ago when she first tried CrossFit in Dubai, and she was instantly hooked. The mix of strength, conditioning, and constant progress completely changed her mindset around fitness, shifting her focus from aesthetics to performance and longevity. When she moved home, she found that same sense of community at Bandon S&C, and now she’s proud to be part of the coaching team that makes it so special.
Looking ahead, Kate hopes to continue growing within the CrossFit and Strength & Conditioning space, with a particular interest in how exercise supports mental health. She’s passionate about promoting lifelong fitness and helping others see training as a sustainable part of a healthy, happy life.
Fun fact: Kate loves to travel, she can’t finish one holiday without having the next one booked!
Maebh
Gym Manager
Maebh has been part of Bandon Strength & Conditioning almost as long as the doors have been open, joining as a member in November 2016 and quickly becoming one of the gym’s most familiar faces. Before life with two little girls, she was an avid competitor, taking part in multiple team events including two Filthy 150s and a Celtic Cup (and yes, you can still spot photos of vintage pre-kids Maebh around the gym).
Her professional background is in childcare and education, holding a Level 8 degree in Childcare and spending several years working across various settings before moving into a secondary school as an SNA, where she remained for six years. She has always loved working with children and young people, bringing patience, organisation, and a calm head to every role she takes on.
Creativity isn’t new to her either, from 2013 to 2019, Maebh ran a cake-decorating business and was responsible for many iconic gym cakes over the years, including the legendary savoury breakfast cake (which she firmly believes deserves a comeback).
As a member, her favourite lift is the back squat, and while her numbers may have changed since having kids, her technique, thanks to years of coaching at BSC, still holds strong. She’s a fan of Olympic lifting, has recently fallen in love with Revelate, and will do just about anything to avoid burpees.
Her favourite part of the gym has always been the people. Maebh still remembers walking into her first class, nervous and unsure, only to be met with warmth, reassurance, and two friendly faces she’s still friends with today. Over the years she’s shared workouts, laughs, parenting stories, and countless conversations with an incredible community of like-minded people, many of whom are juggling work, kids, and life just like her.
In November 2024, Maebh stepped into the role of Gym Manager, supporting Teddy with admin, social media, sales, and marketing. She’s also the voice behind the weekly newsletter, and the go-to person for all things membership related. Whether you’re a brand-new member or someone who’s been here since day one, Maebh is the friendly point of contact who keeps everything running smoothly, and occasionally brings baked treats when the occasion calls for it.
Fun fact: Anything kinder bueno flavour is Maébh’s ultimate weakness. She takes fancy dress very seriously and is a firm believer that homemade costumes are elite.
START TRAINING WITH US
YOU WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED
Our Strength & Conditioning classes provide a safe environment to meet new people and make friends. The professional coaches are always there to support you, guide your workouts, check that technique is sound. So come on in!
