Inspiring Client Success Story from the Active for Life Green Prescription programme

At 57, Leo Fitzsimmons knew it was time to make a change. After moving from West Auckland to the North Shore, he had started to think more seriously about his health, particularly when he noticed his blood sugar levels were higher than they should be. He didn’t just want to bring those levels down—he wanted more motivation, to lose weight, and to better understand what he should and shouldn’t be eating so he could get himself back on the right path. 
 
Joining the Green Prescription programme became that turning point. 
 
With support and guidance from the team, Leo began making small but meaningful changes to his daily routine. He started walking regularly and soon became part of the StepRx Walking Group, which quickly turned into something he genuinely looked forward to each week. Alongside this, he began improving his eating habits—cutting back on sugary foods and unhealthy carbohydrates, drinking more water, and focusing on better, more balanced meals. Having clear advice on what to eat and what to avoid helped him stay consistent and feel confident in the choices he was making. 
 
What stood out most to Leo, however, wasn’t just the physical changes—it was the support. He describes the Green Prescription team as people who consistently guided him, looked out for him, and kept him motivated. That encouragement gave him a sense of accountability and belonging, which made it easier to stay on track and keep pushing forward. 
 
Before joining the programme, Leo describes his health and wellbeing as being “a bit down,” with little structure or motivation in his day-to-day life. Now, things feel completely different. His blood sugar levels have dropped significantly—from around 8 down to 5—which has had a real impact on managing his diabetes. He’s also experienced improvements in his weight, energy levels, and overall wellbeing. More importantly, he’s developed a routine that gives him purpose—getting up in the morning with something to do, staying active, and continuing to make healthier choices. 
 
Today, Leo describes how he feels in one simple way: “Fantastic… over the moon.” He’s more motivated, more enthusiastic, and feels brighter in himself. The changes he’s made aren’t temporary—they’ve become part of his lifestyle, and he’s proud of the progress he’s achieved. 
 
When asked what he would say to someone considering joining Green Prescription, his answer is clear: “Go for it. It’s fantastic—it gets you on the right path.” Reflecting on his journey, Leo is confident in the impact the programme has had on his life, describing it as “100%.” 
 
For Leo, this hasn’t just been about improving his health—it’s been about regaining motivation, building confidence, and creating a lifestyle that supports his long-term wellbeing. 
 

From Leos Healthy Lifestyle Advisor:  

When we first met Leo, he would come to our StepRX walking group with his McDonalds or a fizzy drink. Now, he shows up with his water bottle and lets us know about improving blood sugar levels in the morning. This is because, since starting with our Green Prescription program, yes Leo comes for our regular walking group; however, he uses this as a time to ask questions about changes he can make in his diet to get his sugar levels down. This includes better food choices and monitoring his carbohydrate consumption, whilst choosing simple ‘swaps’ he can weave into his normal daily consumption with things like his milk choice.  

From Leos’ first walk with us, he was struggling to keep up with the group. However now, his fitness levels have increased, and he can keep up with the group and complete our 2-3km walks. This is because of his motivation, perseverance, and enthusiasm to keep going and showing up week after week. Now, Leo has completed 3 months of consistent walks. Visibly you can notice the differences and improvements he has made in his life. Not just from his positive choices, but his weight loss and improved endurance. 

 It has been incredibly rewarding to work alongside Leo and to continue to motivate him and encourage him with positive lifestyle choices. Leo gets extremely excited to tell his health coach and GP about the numerous positive choices he has made. Now, he has been thrilled to inform us that he is no longer seeing his health coach, as  ‘’he is making all of the right choices’’ to improve his health status. We could not be more thrilled with how far Leo has come!