Third Age Fitness

Melissa McConaghy is a Fellow of the Australian College of Physiotherapists, Specialist Neurological Physiotherapist and holds a Master of Health Science (Neurological Physiotherapy). She has been working with Parkinson’s patients for 20 years and was recently awarded Australian Physiotherapist of the Year. As an educator, clinician and author, Melissa is a strong believer in exercise and its importance in the management of progressive conditions.

In addition to founding and curating the largest ONLINE global Parkinson’s Conference, INSIGHT into PD in 2018, she has authored the Amazon best seller The New Parkinson’s Treatment: Exercise is Medicine and she founded PD Warrior, an early intervention approach for treating Parkinson’s disease. PD Warrior has now been taught to thousands of health professionals world-wide and is currently under license in nine countries. She currently sits on the NSW Branch Council of the Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA), is recipient of the ‘Contribution to the Profession Award’ as awarded by the NSW Branch Council and is the past Chair and National Representative of the NSW Neurology Group for the APA.

Seminar: Exercise Updates in the Parkinson’s Population

Michelle is a passionate strength and fitness professional with more than 30 years of experience training women, older adults, and clients with disabilities. She is a full-time trainer and assessor at Richmond Institute, working alongside the elite sporting environment of the Richmond Football Club. Michelle delivers the Certificate IV in Leisure and Health, the Dual Diploma of Spot, and nationally recognised short courses including First Aid and Level 1 Sports Trainer.

An advocate for women's wellness and strength at every stage of life, Michelle is an ASCA Level 1 Strength and Conditioning Coach, holds Cert III and IV in Fitness, and is a graduate of Sport Science. She trains hard in the gym - because it feels good and it gets real results.

Seminar: The Benefits of High-Intensity Resistance and Impact Training for Improving Bone Mineral Density in Osteoporosis Clients

With over 25 years of experience in education, Christie commenced her career as a secondary school health and physical education teacher. Over the past 20 years, her professional focus has centred on creating and implementing risk management education resources and programs tailored for diverse professional audiences. Christie possesses a keen interest in the role that education plays in risk management by contributing to heightened awareness and behavioural change.

Seminar: Understanding Risk and Insurance in Exercise Delivery

Kate Barnes is a highly experienced nutritionist with over 13 years in private practice, helping individuals create lasting change through practical, evidence-based nutrition. She holds a Bachelor of Applied Science and a Graduate Diploma of Human Nutrition and is registered with the Nutrition Society of Australia.

Kate has a special interest in healthy ageing and is passionate about helping people extend their health span as well as their lifespan, so they don’t just live longer but live better by increasing the number of years spent in good health.

Seminar: Eating for Longevity: Decoding the Nutritional Shifts of Ageing