Bear Bones’ Bradley Morris voted Gympie’s best coach 2024
Some true living legends of Gympie sport have taken out the top six places in the quest to find Gympie’s Best Coach, with the winner saluting his fellow coaches.
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A strong man in his early 30s with a passion for strength training has been voted Gympie’s Best Coach of 2024, taking 12 per cent of the vote.
Bradley ‘Coach Brad’ Morris, 31, brought the Bear Bones gym to life three years ago with his direct approach to training and love for all things strength, but his true love is in powerlifting.
Learning from some of the greatest coaches, mentors and athletes in the country, Brad said he aimed to create the best of the best and was determined to teach unified techniques throughout the big three lifters, creating strong and safe athletes.
He said he was grateful and honored to be named the best coach of 2024.
“It’s something that you have to be thankful to those who voted for you,” he said.
“It’s an honour and it validates the work that I do and what I can deliver.”
“I salute the other coaches who were on the list for this year’s contest for their efforts. I feel lucky because this is my job, but there are other coaches who are working on a volunteer basis and they give back to the community for free.
“They work hard balancing personal life and helping others; they should be be celebrated and commended for their hard work.”
Gympie and District Netball Association president and coach Colleen Millar came a close second with 11 per cent of the vote, and Gympie Hockey stalwart Ben Fitzpatrick took out an equally close third, with 10 per cent of the vote.
Glen Warren from the Gympie Cats AFL came fourth with 8 per cent of the vote, and Darren Burns from the Gympie Devils Rugby League came fifth with 6 per cent of the vote.
Congratulations and thank you to all of these living legends, and to all the coaches nominated for the poll.
“I’m a local, born and bred here in Gympie, and I started Bear Bones in 2021 and began coaching later that year,” Brad said.
“My specialty is in powerlifting, and I have roughly 70-100 athletes in my roster, and the training changes depending on the time of the year especially when athletes are preparing for competition,” he said.
There are 20 people at the gym preparing for the Australian championship in Caloundra from August 1, 2024.
“My goal is to get them as strong as they could ever be so that they can compete at the standard of their level.
“We also have four juniors who will be challenging for the Australian title and a couple of more experienced lifters who will be challenging for the world titles.
“We have four nutritionist who handle what the athletes eat and multiple coaches who handle weight lost and rehabilitation,” Brad said.
“The majority of my clients or 80 per cent of the athletes in my gym are locals who want to improve their physique and some train at different gyms, but that doesn’t matter what age, shape or gender, you just have to compete with yourself.
“The youngest of my athletes is 12 years old and as long as I get your parents permission, you're welcome to my gym and I can give you the basic fundamentals of lifting and you can have fun.”
Coach Brad has always loved bodybuilding, strength and powerlifting which took him to engage with the best coaches, mentors and athletes across the country.
Brad has his coaching and powerlifting licence, PT licence including other certifications such as first aid.
“Even though you’re qualified you have to continue learning from others because it’s an ongoing thing, there are some people out there that might be better than you so you have to be willing to learn from others,” he said.
“My ambitions have surpassed lifting as I have competed in national, and I have been invited to world class comps and international level.
“In 2023, I took seven of my lifters to the Queensland state titles and they all finished at the podium coming in first, second and third positions,” he said.
Brad said there’s not much money in lifting and that the sport is more about the achievements and breaking world records.
“As a coach I spend more time on the floor where my lifters can benefit from my presence being around and assisting them. If they want my coaching, I will plan a one on one tailored plan focused to help them gain what they want, whether it’s online through Apps or face to face.”
Brad and his fiance Mimi Rogers work together managing the gym, handling everything from administration, bookkeeping, and keeping the gym on point including cleaning.
Brad said he just wanted to continue to help his lifters grow and work hard to reach their peak and reap the reward of their hard work.
“Thank you to everyone who voted for all of us, regardless if you didn’t win this time and thank you to my team from Bear Bones and the other coaches who work beside me,” he added.
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