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Using AI with Garmin and Strava Health Data, Joel Richards Built a Personal Trainer to Optimise His Physical Performance

The Australian Financial Review

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Description

As millions embraced fitness apps and wearables, Joel Richards went further – vibe coding an artificial intelligence coach to optimise his physical performance.

Summary

This article explores a software engineer's use of 'vibe coding' and LLMs to create a bespoke AI personal trainer by integrating wearable biometric data. While it demonstrates the rapid democratization of AI application development for consumer health, the content focuses on individual productivity and fitness optimization rather than systemic safety. It does not address existential or catastrophic risks, nor does it discuss frontier model safety frameworks or AI governance policy. The significance is limited to the societal adoption of AI tools in daily life and personal data management.

Body

Euan BlackHealth and wellness reporterSep 7, 2026 – 5.00amEvery morning, Joel Richards gets a Slack notification telling him how he slept overnight and what his resting heart rate was. At the end of each week, he receives a more detailed report outlining his biggest hits and misses over the previous seven days as he trains for a 100-kilometre rowing event in December.The messages don’t come from a highly organised personal trainer but an AI-powered app that the 40-year-old software engineer built for himself.Loading...SaveLog in or Subscribe to save articleShareCopy linkCopiedEmailLinkedInTwitterFacebookCopy linkCopiedShare via...Gift this articleSubscribe to gift this articleGift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.Subscribe nowAlready a subscriber? LoginLicense articleRead MoreFitnessWellnessTrendsAIEuan BlackHealth and wellness reporterEuan Black is the health and wellness reporter at The Australian Financial Review. He was the work and careers reporter. Email Euan at euan.black@afr.comFetching latest articles