This self-study approaches the complexity of the internationalisation of the academic workforce in Health and Physical Education Teacher Education (HPETE), particularly in early career stages. Although scholars have been exploring the transition from Health and Physical Education (HPE) teachers toHPE teacher educators, less is known about the journeys of graduating doctoral students with no substantive teaching experience in K-12 settings entering teacher education. Moreover, as the HPETE labour market continues to globalise, and as increasing numbers of early-career academics accept international roles in countries other than those in which they completed their doctoral studies or their own HPETE, in-depth explorations of how these academics develop their professional identities are critical. The present self-study addresses these two important gaps in the literature by exploring an early-career HPE teacher educator’s process of identity construction while navigating the complexity of working in an international context and doing so without school teaching experience. This work utilises critical moments to explore perceptions of professional self-worth, understandings of competence and efforts in relation to approaching teaching through distinct pedagogies, relationships inside and outside the institution, and the impact of the doctoral training focused on the research component. This self-study contributes to the development of insights that can support international early-career teacher educators to engage in the exploration of their individual journeys towards identity development with the collaborative support of critical friends. Additionally, this paper aims to call out to a broader discussion on how to support international early-career teacher educators navigating change and adaptation in the HPETE space.