No ordinary Joe
My kids are more important than fame
Visitors to Joe Naufahu’s Auckland gym Ludus Magnus shouldn’t be surprised if they notice the Game of Thrones star working out alongside two much smaller gym buddies – his kids!
The 40-year-old trainer and actor says daughter Eva, 11, and son Freddy, nine, are unofficial members of the celebrity workout hot spot.
“Freddy and Eva have had it thrust upon them from an early age, but it’s not like they have to do it – they just love to come to the gym and jump in,” he tells Woman’s Day.
“They’ll walk in and start training next to me. The beauty of how we train is that it’s predominantly body weight, so it’s safe for all shapes and sizes.”
While hitting the gym is all good fun for the kids, who are from Joe’s previous relationship, being able to mix fatherhood and his professional passions means everything to the rugby pro turned actor.
He’s had a few whirlwind years in which he’s faced arduous stints away from New Zealand while starring in Game of Thrones and more recently, his upcoming World War II film Ni’ihau. He could easily be following up those gigs by chasing more roles in Hollywood, but instead he’s decided his priorities lie right here in Aotearoa.
“Right now, what’s important for me is being here at the gym and being close to loved ones. I went to Malaysia for four months for Ni’ihau and it was really hard being away from my little ones that long.
“You get older and different things become important, like being more present in their lives. Eva’s one of the smartest kids – she was top academic in her year and she’s very driven and focused. Without the support of good parents being there all the time, kids can be affected, so I just want to be there more.
“The gym suffers too when I’m not here. I need to be more present. That was my goal for this year.”
One of the projects that has allowed Joe to stay close to home is his Maori Television series SchoolofTraining, which is currently screening. The show follows 10 contestants competing for a trainer gig at Ludus Magnus gym. “I’m friends with Nicole Horan, the Bachelor producer, and her [ Westside actor] husband Xavier is a trainer here. I said I wanted to do a show about Ludus and she put it all together.” But just because it has a Bachelor touch, don’t expect divas! The competitors have moving stories, like mum Shannon Holloway, 33, who piled on 100kg while battling depression.
Everydayheroes
“For me, she embodied the strength and determination of a gladiator,” says Joe. “The contestants are good, down-toearth people – no show ponies.”
Joe admits there are “brutal” challenges as he and co-hosts Te Kohe Tuhaka and Jordan Vaha’akolo put season two’s contestants to the test, while incorporating the “four cornerstones” of Maori health, which include whanau (family) and wairua (spirit).
It’s a concept Joe has also integrated into his gym since opening the business while grappling with a knee injury that ended his rugby career.
Initially a place to expend his energy and passion for sport, it’s become a tightknit community where his kids crash his workouts, his mum Agnes covers reception, members rally for fundraisers and an entire family of eight exercises together.
Joe’s now planning another gym-based show, which will “tug at the heartstrings”, and is also launching a programme where trainers around New Zealand will be able to enrol in a Ludus fitness certification, allowing them to run their own classes or launch their own Ludus branches.
Together with girlfriend Monica Pritchard, he’s also expanding the gym, bringing in A-list sporting coaches and creating Auckland’s first 360° training space. “Monica is soon to graduate as a doctor and it’s been a real blessing having
her help with the business.”
Acting, though, still remains a passion. “It’s something I’ll be doing for the rest of my life,” he enthuses. “Acting’s not like sports, where you have a limited time frame. You just move from different roles – from the young stud to the father to the grandfather!”
Although he’s a long way from those grandfather roles, Joe did recently celebrate his 40th birthday – without a mid-life crisis.
“No crazy cars!” he tells. “The most extravagant thing I did was go away with my girlfriend around Europe. It was one of the best times of my life. It was like an OE because I’ve travelled for rugby and Ludus, but this was the first time I’ve been able to just holiday.
“My favourite place was Italy’s Amalfi Coast. We had an Airbnb with this massive terrace overlooking the Mediterranean and time just stood still out there.”
The couple also visited Venice, where a cute kissing selfie had pals questioning whether the pair were engaged, but Joe says he didn’t put a ring on it.
He tells, “It was just a really good photo in a really romantic place! Mon’s an awesome photographer. I try to take photos and they’re terrible.”