Damien Fitzpatrick is a Former NSW Waratah (72 games), he also played in France, and he was the Head of the Rugby Union Players Association 2019-20.

Damien is described as “A hard worker who leads by example”.

Damien is famous for coming back from injuries that most players never recover from, and he has been described as the embodiment of “Grit”. Damien underwent three knee reconstructions. He was advised against playing rugby again, however he fought his way back into the Australian system after rebuilding his career in Lyon, France.

Following retirement, Damien is the Founder of PILLAR Performance. Where, considering his history of injuries, a lot of the company’s products focus on joint health, flexibility, and longevity.

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Damien continues to grow and develop PILLAR Performance. He is driven by the need to help educate people on the need for micronutrition in high-performance with the help of his team of experts. His desire is to have this element of sports nutrition become as highly regarded as its macro counterpart.

As an athlete, Damien had been using supplements of all sorts from a young age. After several knee surgeries, turning to fish oil was extremely beneficial, allowing him to play much longer than his body should have allowed. Damien came to see that macro-nutrition (protein powder etc) was developed and packaged for elite use, while micro-nutrition was not. It gave him the inspiration to address this gap in the market.

Damien’s major injuries in the early stages of his career taught him hard personal lessons. As an athlete, you're only as good as your body allows you to be and unfortunately for a long time, Damien’s was failing him. The disappointment of back-to-back Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) tears is difficult to put into words, Damien has learned a lot about himself.

Additional information

Damien retired last year after playing 73 matches for the Waratahs and is now doing some very innovative things in the clean sport space which has seen him partner with the likes of the Broncos, Roosters and GWS Giants already.

His sports micronutrients range PILLAR Performance is not only getting recognition for being HASTA certified, but also for their innovations. Their MOTION ARMOUR product for example uses a patented eggshell membrane formula to help protect and defend joints.

His career for the Waratahs alone spanned over a decade, with stints in France for both Stade Francais and Lyon.  

He is also infamous for a series of injuries and subsequent comebacks – including three ACL tears. He may also be the only professional rugby player to have come back from a tibial osteotomy – a six hour surgical procedure with an eccentric French surgeon that left him with metal in his leg and no idea as to whether he would be able to play again. Damien returned and played for seven years following this procedure.

Damien Fitzpatrick’s Book recommendation

The Messy Middle by Scott Belsky – “Finding your way through the most crucial part of any bold project or new venture”

Fiona is the founder of Skinstitut and she developed the company to become one of the most successful professional skincare brands in Australian history. Skinstitut was subsequently sold in 2017, along with sister company, Laser Clinics Australia to KKR, one of the world’s largest private equity groups. Fiona then went on to launch Vita-sol in 2018.

Fiona Tuck is known as the “myth buster” of the health and beauty world, Fiona is an Author, Nutritional Medicine Practitioner, Skincare Expert, member of the British Dermatological Nursing Group and an accredited member of the Australian Traditional Medicine Society.

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Fiona’s extensive experience in the professional skincare industry includes roles as International Training Manager for Dermalogica, Corporate Trainer for Aspect and Cosmedix Cosmeceuticals, Managing Director of Skinstitut and founder of Vita-sol prebiotic beauty food. Her experience ranges from nutritionist, clinic owner, industry educator to skincare product innovation and development culminating in both brand and company development.

Fiona’s smart, savvy and intuitive approach to business led her to launch and successfully grow Skinstitut, an Australian professional corrective skincare range. The Skinstitut concept of using therapeutic dosages of active ingredients minus the misleading marketing claims and astronomical mark up of regular professional skincare was an industry first, causing major disruption within the skincare arena. This resulted in a call for ingredient transparency, lower professional skincare prices and rapid consumer growth.

Fiona launched Vita-sol in 2018 with a mission to support skin health and well-being with the highest quality natural ingredients without the use of synthetic vitamin supplements, fillers or excipients. Fiona believes in a no-nonsense approach to health and well-being and is passionate about bringing transparency and integrity into the skincare and wellness industry. She devotes the majority of her time presenting on skincare and nutrition, media commentary, TV and running her beauty food range Vita–sol www.vita-sol.com

Fiona Tuck’s Book recommendation

Fiber Fuelled by Doctor Will Bulsiewicz - The Plant-Based Gut Health Program for Losing Weight, Restoring Your Health, and Optimizing Your Microbiome

Yen Japney is a Melbourne based entrepreneur who launched her third business, Curves Sculpting while in the midst of Melbourne lockdown and her business has been regularly doubling its turnover.

Yen Japney took everything she learned from her previous entrepreneurial business experiences to create Curves Sculpting and she focuses on giving maximum value whilst constantly improving the business to make a difference.

Yen works in the highly competitive world of fashion and constantly strives to help make women feel their best through using the Curves Sculpting Products.

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Yen’s ethos is “Complexity is the enemy of execution, keep it simple”. Hiring high quality staff has helped Jen learn to confidently delegate tasks so she can focus on the bigger picture. When developing, promoting and market testing products her aim is to keep it simple, and avoid the temptation to over complicate a product or an idea.

Yen focusses on having the correct mindset and the “Get It Done” attitude. She has developed a capable team of supportive people around her and appreciates people who challenge her ideas to strive and improve the products and processes. She believes in never giving up and in developing true resilience.

Yen Japney’s Book recommendation

How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie