Karen's story
Where it all began —
and where it's going.
Karen's passion for sport started the way most great things do — in the backyard, playing whatever was available, with whoever was around. That love of moving, competing and learning spilled naturally into a career that has taken her across Australia and the Pacific, through elite sporting environments, national tours, and into coaching, therapy and Feldenkrais practice.
What makes Karen's background unusual isn't just the breadth — it's the depth in each area. Twenty years of providing coverage services to sporting teams. A degree in Exercise and Movement Science. Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner. Accredited coach developer. And now, a pickleball coach bringing all of that to a sport she loves.
The beginning
Sport trainer & team coverage — the early years
Karen began providing sports trainer and coverage services to local, representative and state sporting teams — combining remedial massage, sports taping, fitness training and injury prevention across netball, cricket and indoor cricket.
Career highlight
2000 Sydney Olympics & Paralympics — volunteer massage therapist
A career-defining experience working as a volunteer massage therapist at the Sydney Olympics and Paralympics. This provided extraordinary insight into the elite athlete environment and what it takes to perform under pressure on the world stage.
National & international
Cricket & indoor cricket — 8 World Cups across 6 countries
A decade-plus of national and international sport. Women's National Cricket League with Qld Fire (2003–2008), national titles and team management. Alongside this, sports trainer for Australian and Queensland indoor cricket teams across eight World Cups in Melbourne, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, England and South Africa — plus Trans Tasman tours and Masters events.
Feldenkrais
Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner — training 2005 to 2008
Karen completed her Feldenkrais practitioner training over three years, qualifying in 2008. This added a powerful new dimension to her work with athletes, coaches and everyday clients — bringing a nervous-system-led approach to movement, performance and wellbeing that now underpins her practice.
Personal highlight
Ten Pin Bowling — State team, Pan Pac Masters & Darrel Holt
Selected for the QLD South State team to compete in the Darrel Holt National Handicap Tournament — where Karen's team won the tournament and she finished as the #1 ranked female. Also competed at the 2006 Pan Pacific Masters. Two proud personal sporting achievements that sit alongside everything else in a very full sporting life.
Coaching begins
Netball coaching — Queensland State League & beyond
Karen moved into netball coaching in 2007, working across Queensland State League, QPL, and junior competitions. Combined with ongoing indoor netball coaching at superleague level through to 2021, this laid the foundation for her coach development work.
Research & study
Bachelor of Exercise & Movement Science — skill acquisition research
Returning to university while continuing to coach, Karen completed her degree with a research focus on skill acquisition and the motivational factors that contribute to ongoing development. This became the backbone of her evidence-based approach to coaching and coach development.
Coach development
Coach development, accreditation & mentoring — KMT Performance
Combining practical coaching experience with research frameworks, Karen began facilitating coach accreditation, running workshops and providing individual mentoring for coaches and umpires at club, association and state level across netball and other sports.
Netball Queensland
Coach & Officials Development — Netball Queensland
Five years working within Netball Queensland's coach and officials development program — facilitating accreditation, supporting the development pathway and working with coaches and umpires across the state. This role deepened Karen's expertise in designing and delivering development programs at an organisational level.
Community
Walking Netball — player & umpire
Walking Netball holds a special place for Karen. As a player and umpire, she's part of a community that brings people together regardless of movement ability, background or age — friends who share a love of the game in whatever form works for them. It's a reminder of what sport is really about.
National network
Coach Developer Australian Network
Member of the Coach Developer Australian Network — a national community of practice for people working in coach development across sports. Staying connected to current research, best practice and peers in the field to continue growing as a coach developer.
What's next
Pickleball coaching, refereeing & course facilitation — Topp Performance
Karen has embraced pickleball with the same energy she brings to everything — coaching individuals and groups, refereeing competitions, and working towards facilitating pickleball coaching courses. All of it underpinned by 30+ years of sport, movement and performance knowledge.
Sport history at a glance
Many sports. Three decades.
Local to international.
🏐
Netball
Coach · Trainer · Umpire
QLD State League · QPL · Indoor Superleague · Junior World Cup · Netball QLD · NPL
🚶♀️
Walking Netball
Player · Umpire
Community player · Umpire · Bringing the game to everyone
🏏
Cricket
Trainer · Manager
Qld Fire · Women's NCL · National Titles · U.19
🏟️
Indoor Cricket
AUS & QLD Trainer
8 World Cups · 6 countries · Trans Tasman · Masters
🎾
Pickleball
Coach · Referee
All levels · QLD & beyond · Course facilitator (coming soon)
🎳
Ten Pin Bowling
Competitor
Pan Pac Masters · #1 ranked female · State team representative
⚽
Football
Sports Trainer
Brisbane Soccer League · Ipswich Knights 2011
🏅
Olympics
Sydney 2000
Volunteer massage therapist · Olympics & Paralympics