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Who won what?
Annual Awards
Every year since 2013, there has been the Fit Awards. A Black tie Gala dinner of celebration.
Sport 360 & REPS UAE are the main organisers who bring all people of the Fitness industry together to recognise and celebrate success over the past 12 months.
Many fitness professionals aspire to be a part of the night as it represents a sense of achievement and it's a great way to meet other professionals who share the same passion as you do.
Swapping Gym gear for a Suit
It's not often you see fitness professionals in anything other than gym gear, which usually involves a pair of shorts, a t-shirt and trainers.
However, for certain events, we do like to dress up for the occasion.
Here is photo, taken at the end of the night after receiving Male Personal Trainer of the Year award.
Everyone had rushed off to the after party which explains the empty seats in the background. Fitness professionals do like an after party!!
The Awards
There were a total of 17 categories which involved Individual and Business/ Facility categories.
Most categories involved a voting system where members of the public would cast their vote on who they believed to be the best candidate.
Overall, it was a superb evening which was inspiring and rewarding.
Fit Awards 2017 - All the Winners...
Fit Awards 2017 - All the Winners in one photo
WINNERS IN FULL
Individual Categories
Personal Trainer of the Year - Male
1. Michael Poole
2. Nicky Holland
Personal Trainer of the Year - Female
1. Charlotte Mathers
2. Derryn Brown
Group Instructor of the Year
Stefani Bertoncini
Pilates/Yoga Instructor of the Year
Cloe Sommadossi
Fitness Manager of the Year
James Sidhu
General/Club Manager of the Year
Nikesh Naik
Rising Star of the Year
Ketija Line
Business/Facility Categories
Facility of the Year
(Up to 2,000 Members)
1. Talise Fitness - Madinat Jumeirah
2. Real Pilates
Facility of the Year (2,001+ members)
Talise Fitness - Jumeirah Beach Hotel
Ladies Only Facility of the Year
Al Seef Village Mall - Fitness First
Yoga/Pilates Studio of the Year
Real Pilates
Fitness Brand of the Year
1. Fitness First
2. Gold's Gym
Health Food Operator of the Year
Pura
Product/Retail or Brand Activation of the Year
Ultra Boost X Launch
Best Use of Social Media for Health & Fitness
Unleash - Fitness First
Fitness Work Environment of the Year
KHDA
Fitness Training Provider of the Year
Empiric UAE
Female Fitness Influencer of the Year
Zena Habi
Male Fitness Influencer of the Year
Peter Barron
Fitness Training Provider of the Year - Empiric UAE
(Pictured - The Empiric UAE team. From left to right - Diago Haddadi, Catherine Hanson-Farid (Director of Operations REPS UAE) Nicky Holland, Cara Standley (Owner Empiric UAE) Will Robb, Fiona Brown, Tamara Walpole)
Education is important within the Fitness industry as it gives the trainer the opportunity to upskill, grow and develop.
New methods of training are constantly being introduced and it is important that each fitness professional moves with the times.
At Empiric UAE, we are passionate about providing fitness courses for those wanting to progress and improve their skills set.
I joined Empiric UAE as a Tutor in 2016, delivering Level 2 and Level 3 PT courses. Teaching is something I really enjoy and like personal training, there is a job satisfaction at the end when you see people achieve and get results.
There were 7 Fitness Training Providers shortlisted.
- Empiric UAE
- Fit First Class
- IQ Lifestyle
- MEFITPRO
- Pilates Academy
- Real Pilates
- Fitness First The Academy
All of which are strong providers in Dubai and the Middle East. For Fitness courses with the best provider in the UAE, check out the link below
Male Personal Trainer of the Year - Nicky Fitness
(Pictured - Nicky Holland, Personal Trainer & CEO Nicky Fitness)
One the night, it was announced that two awards, a 1st and 2nd place would be given to the Male and Female Personal Trainer of the Year.
This was due to the high volume of candidates and also the judging process.
Out of all the Personal Trainers in Dubai, only 8 Male and 8 Female were shortlisted.
Male shortlist
- Alex Dovhanynets
- Danny Cordero
- Gilbert Dougherty
- Ivan Cirkovic
- Meddy Boudad
- Michael Poole
- Nicky Holland
- Robert Forster
Female shortlist
- Anna Holmes
- Barbara Boing
- Charlotte Mathers
- Dani Calvert
- Derryn Brown
- Rhian Adams
- Rowena Karaman
- Smitha Thomas
The final judging process involved a Scenario where each PT had to research a 12 week Case Study for a 25 yr old Male with Type 2 Diabetes. It had to include training and nutrition advice along with safety precautions and client needs.
This was presented infant of a panel of 8 judges.
After that, each PT was asked to coach a client through a series of gym based exercises, including a squat, deadlift, military press and a lunge.
The last part of the final judging process involved the judges asking health and fitness related questions to the trainers and questioning their case study.
It was tough...but also enjoyable as it gave each trainer to opportunity to express themselves, showcase their knowledge and compete for the award.