When former Adelaide defender Kris Massie was diagnosed with chronic fatigue in 2002, the trajectory of his life changed forever.
“When I was unwell I was probably lacking a bit of purpose… I was looking at a greater why,” Massie said.
He turned the debilitating diagnosis into a positive - more specifically, a business centred around healthy and holistic lifestyles.
“My wife, Trace, and I met when I had chronic fatigue while playing for the Club, I ended up venturing down to her (health) store and then within a couple of months her and her mum were cooking organic meals for me and the players,” Massie said.
“One thing led to another and we now run our own business called Chi Train, an acronym for Choose, Holistic, Inspiring, and we support people to live a holistic lifestyle.
“We’ve been doing that now for nearly 10 years, working in the city running small group outdoor training, as part of one of the services.”
Massie said the chronic fatigue caused him to make a shift in his lifestyle, while looking at different ways of fuelling his body.
He wanted to share that knowledge with others and from that, the business was born.
“I know Trace has always had a passion for cooking and nutrition elements have been a follow on from that,” Massie said.
“I’ve always loved attempting to make a difference and this time it was not so much about football but through health.
“All of a sudden I had an opportunity to run a healthy choices program, where I would tap on the shoulders of teammates and ask them to come out and speak at schools around healthy choices.
“I loved that program and really connected to the message, so our business was a bit of a flow on from that but working mostly with mature adults and time poor corporates in the health space, rather than students.”
Massie wasn’t completely lost to footy when his AFL career ended in 2010 though, with a call to coaching entering the fray.
He coached Glenelg’s League team for three seasons following time with the Tiger’s under-18s and reserve sides.
“That was, I think, a natural stepping stone from (playing) football,” he said.
“Football for me (now) is just something I enjoy and love supporting when I can.
Massie was born in Sweden to a Swedish father and an Australian mother.
He developed a love for football after moving to Australia to live in Melbourne with his mum when he was seven.
“Growing up, it was my dream to play AFL,” Massie said.
“I went for Collingwood, so I loved going to watch them train.
“I was an only child and I would roll up the socks and kick them to myself in the bathroom doorway at home.”
Massie was drafted to Carlton with Pick No.7 in the 1997 AFL National Draft.
He played 43 games for the Blues, before being traded to the Crows at the end of the 2001 season, playing a further 88 AFL matches from 2002-2008.
During his career, Massie faced off against many key forwards, including Lance ‘Buddy’ Franklin.
“Lining up on Buddy was a great opportunity, It was a great challenge,” Massie said.
“It was a compliment in terms of the coach’s trust and very challenging.
“But (Buddy) had no weakness, no vulnerability.”
Massie, who has three children with Tracey - Mahli is 11, Nahla, 8, Kodah, 4 - says he is grateful for his AFL career, with many fond memories of his time at both the Crows and the Blues.
“I’d describe my AFL career as challenging, I’d describe it as an enormous development opportunity, an incredible rollercoaster and one that probably taught me more about myself than any other career,” Massie said.
“My favourite memories for the Crows were the final five to 10 minutes when you knew you’re going to win and you felt the atmosphere in the ground.
“The fatigue you feel singing the song is overshadowed because of the adrenalin and you have a real connection to your teammates.
“I still watch Crows games and enjoy watching footy.”
