The Cave

The first significant “cave” moment of my journey arrived in my early twenties. After a traumatic event, I spiraled into a breakdown that forced me to step away from my career as a mechanical engineer. I was lost, but in that stillness, I discovered the healing power of movement, of giving, and of helping others. I dove into physical challenges, raising money to support the maternal healthcare sector in The Gambia. With each challenge, I rebuilt myself, one step at a time, body and soul.

Finding The Elixir

Then, in 2024, I trained for an Ironman Triathlon in Zurich—a 2 ½ mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride, and a marathon. I didn’t even know how to swim when I started! But learning to swim became a metaphor for learning to navigate my emotions. Finishing the race in 15 hours and 55 minutes was more than just a victory—it was a turning point in my recovery. I began to understand the power of pushing limits, of finding meaning in challenges, and how much joy there is in giving back.

This lesson took me across continents as I cycled from San Francisco to the southern tip of Mexico, ran ultra-marathons, and climbed mountains, raising more funds and creating The Gambian Maternity Foundation. With the support of friends, we gathered and delivered much-needed medical supplies to The Gambia. I learned how much joy and fulfillment came from pursuing my purpose and from knowing that our lives and our goals could change the lives of others.

The Return Home

Returning home, I was inspired to help others transform their health and wellness, so I became a Personal Trainer. Leaving engineering behind, I joined the Chek Institute and dove into biomechanics and healing. For the first time, I’d found a field that genuinely captivated me. While I’d always enjoyed tactile work, like building things and creating music, the Chek system made learning exciting and opened my heart to a new way of serving people. I transitioned from mechanical engineering to what I now call "body engineering," dedicating myself to helping others overcome physical pain and complex health challenges.

The New Adventure

Life felt full and amazing, and in 2018, I opened my first gym, Gymbia, in Hackney Wick. Gymbia was a safe and welcoming community, with 70% of our members being women and a strong LGBTQ+ presence. I loved seeing people find strength, healing, and community in that space, and we built something beautiful together.

Return To The Cave!

But alongside the light, my shadow was waiting. I was still running from unresolved trauma, and I realised I was using overwork as an escape. My "push-through-anything" mentality led me to an unbalanced, hyper-driven mindset that strained my relationships and health. I threw myself into building Gymbia, obsessively working 16-hour days, desperately trying to sustain something beautiful but ultimately burning myself out. In time, the financial and emotional strain was too much, and I had to close Gymbia, losing everything I had built. I was left in debt, exhausted, and feeling that my sense of self had collapsed along with my business.

More Elixir...

This breakdown marked the beginning of my true healing journey. For the first time, I looked deeply into myself, seeing my pain and mistakes not as something to hide from but as teachers. With the help of mentors and a new spiritual perspective, I began to uncover my "shadow" self, the parts I’d buried or ignored. I learned the importance of self-compassion, forgiveness, and love. I took ownership of my failures, accepting that every experience—good or painful—was part of my growth.

While recovering, I worked in a physiotherapy clinic and added a powerful fascial bodywork system to my Chek training. Through this, I began helping clients who felt they had no other answers for their pain. As I watched their transformations, I found my own healing rekindled.

I began to recognise that my life was a cycle of self-death and rebirth, echoing the phoenix archetype that I had always been drawn to. This became the inspiration behind Fænix Coaching, which I envisioned as a place where people could find their own strength in transformation.

The New Journey

Since then, I’ve embraced the role of a holistic health practitioner, seeing my clients’ journeys as a mirror of my own. Each time I’ve walked through fire, I’ve found a deeper understanding of how to help others do the same. But my path has still held more challenges and wisdom to gain. I’ve faced mold toxicity, long battles with parasites, and even illness from electromagnetic exposure. And through these trials, I’ve only strengthened my resolve and refined my approach, learning about powerful healing technologies like bioresonance, which I am now trained in to help others heal from within.

Back In The Cave!

I must love this place, haha!

In late 2023, another transformation began. I was forced to confront my inner feminine energy, the side of me I’d long neglected. I’d always operated in a hyper-masculine way, pushing forward, achieving, and barely stopping to rest. Jungian psychology teaches that each of us has an "anima" or "animus," a complementary inner gender. I had unknowingly shut out my anima, my softer, intuitive, nurturing side. And now, she came forward to lead me on a healing journey that was emotional, sometimes painful, but also profoundly beautiful. I began to honor and integrate my own feminine qualities, becoming more balanced, sensitive, and whole.

Transformation

With this integration, I rebranded Fænix Coaching to Fænix Coaching & Therapies to reflect this fuller approach. Today, I help clients on both physical and emotional levels, using bioresonance, bodywork, and coaching to release stored pain and foster healing.

The phoenix has become a powerful symbol of balance in my life—an integration of masculine and feminine energies and a guide for both my clients and myself.

I am honored to support individuals from all walks of life, helping them find strength, resilience, and joy.

I am deeply grateful for the incredible people who have supported me—my family, friends, mentors, my partner, and the Great Spirit, who has guided me through every stage of this journey as well as deeply grateful for the journey itself for all i've learned & how i've grown.

If my story resonates with you, and you feel ready to turn your challenges into strengths, I would be honored to support you on your own path to transformation.

With love,

Jess Fænix