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Fitness and Nutrition Awards 2019

Evolution Sports Qatar Best Multi-Sports Youth Coaching Company - Qatar What started out in 2007 with just four boys and a few worn-out footballs, has since evolved to become the largest multi-sports coaching provider across the whole of Qatar in just over ten years. To discover the secret behind Evolution Sports Qatar’s incredible success, we take a closer look at its journey to where it is today.

A Wellness Revolution Best Online Health & Wellness Coaching Training Coach 2019 & Leading Experts in Holistic Training & Education 2019

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Welcome to the Fitness and Nutrition Awards 2019 Since the beginning of time, the Fitness and Nutrition industry has been popular, mainly because it is one of the few industries that each and every individual can take part in either with or without cost, young or old.

With Fitness and Nutrition – there is always a positive outcome, both physically and mentally.

We’ve seen the rise of trends and crazes throughout the decades as this industry evolves with technological, medical and professional advances. Regardless of the current trend or factor, Fitness & Nutrition remains the highest priority when it comes down to personal health and development.

Amazingly, there is a constant inclusion and demand within the industry, with new products being created to go hand in hand with new scientific studies as to what would should and shouldn’t be doing or putting into our bodies and to be the best person we can be in health.

Laura Brookes, Senior Editor Phone: (+44) 0203 970 0082 Email: l.brookes@aiglobalmedialtd.com Website: www.ghp-news.com AI Global Media, Ltd. (AI) takes reasonable measures to ensure the quality of the information on this web site. However, AI will not assume any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, correctness or completeness of any information that is available through this web site. If errors are brought to our attention, we will try to correct them.

The information available through the website and our partner publications is for your general information and use and is not intended to address any particular finance or investment requirements. In particular, the information does not constitute any form of advice or recommendation by us or any of our partner publications and is not intended to be relied upon by users in making or refraining from making any investment or financial decisions.

Appropriate independent advice should be obtained before making any such decision. Any arrangement made between you and any third party named in the site is at your sole risk and responsibility.

Contents 4. A Wellness Revolution: Best Online Health & Wellness Coaching Training Coach 2019 & Leading Experts in Holistic Training & Education 2019 6. ITL Health: Best Magnesium Supplements Manufacturer - UK 7. British Wheelchair Basketball: Best Paralympic Sports NPO 2019 – UK 8. Virtual Runner UK Best Inclusive Sports Initiative 2019 - UK 9. Neuro-Sys: Best International Drug Development & Discovery Development Company 2019 - France 10. Indiv Yoga Best Yoga Teacher Training Specialist – Switzerland & GHP Distinction Award for Women’s Yoga Retreats 2019 11. Les Slinn Personal Training Best Personal Training Centre - South West England 12. True Group Best Asian Fitness Brand 2019 & GHP Distinction Award for Yoga Classes & Facilities 13. Bill Ross Fit Best Full-Service Health & Fitness Business – Colorado & Health Coach & Personal Trainer of the Year - Denver 14. Fitmedia Leading Providers of Children’s Fitness Analysis & Testing - UK 15. Ability Fix Best Aquatic Fitness App Developers 2019 16. Ke Wynn Medical Fitness Center Medical Fitness Center of the Year 2019 - North West Malaysia 17. Gym Unique Limited Best Modern Indoor Fitness Facility - County Durham 18. Evolution Sports Qatar Best Multi-Sports Youth Coaching Company - Qatar 19. Vitamimos Best Youth Nutrition Education Centre – Portugal & GHP Innovation Award for Obesity Prevention Initiatives 2019 20. Advantage Sports UAE Best Community Sports & Wellness Specialist - Abu Dhabi 21. 180 Fitness Best Personal & Group Training Centre 2019 - Ottawa

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Best Online Health & Wellness Coaching Training Coach 2019 & Leading Experts in Holistic Training & Education 2019 A Wellness Revolution represents the future of healthcare. Perhaps that is a bold statement to make, but through its leading wellness coaching it is helping to create future leaders in the industry that understand the importance of holism in healing. We spoke with Founder Cathleen Beerkens to find out more about her pursuit to create a new, wholly better paradigm in the healthcare and wellness industries.

“Together we are committed to promoting education about holistic wellness, focusing on the connections between body, mind and spirit through our accredited and comprehensive course, community classes and continued education program.”

- Cathleen Beerkens, Founder of A Wellness Revolution Change is coming to the global health landscape. There’s a developing understanding that people are, at their heart and fundamentally, individuals with unique needs and requirements.

More than that, there’s a realisation that health is more than just the body – more than the physical, measurable symptoms.

It’s a complex interplay between the mind, spirit and general wellbeing, all feeding into the bigger picture of ‘you’. In a word, health is becoming more holistic and medicine, in turn, is moving to consider a whole host of variables that were, not that long ago, considered almost irrelevant.

Cathleen Beerkens founded A Wellness Revolution with all of this in mind, recognising a need to guide health to a future that was defined by a greater understanding of everything

that influences wellbeing and wellness. Medically trained, Cathleen saw the problems first-hand that were born of a thoroughly cookie-cutter, one-size-fits-all approach to generalised healthcare. Further, she realised, ultimately, that being completely and truly ‘well’ is a different thing to being merely physically healthy.

In that, A Wellness Revolution remains driven in its goal of creating a new health paradigm, and a new generation of health leaders who are equipped to deliver real changes to the way people think about their own health. Whilst personalised medicine is gaining momentum on the back of developing technology – specifically when it comes to innovation in genetic sequencing- the symbiotic relationship between individual thought patterns, behaviours, mental state, eating habits

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and so on are only just being understood and capitalised on.

Much of the ground gained in this arena can be put at Cathleen’s feet, and her efforts to reinvent best practices in the industry through coaching. “I believe that coaching is the answer right now to help the medical profession make a necessary shift towards better, more effective care.

We believe that when people understand the body, mind and spirit connection – the way we work as a whole – they start to change, and they start to heal on another level.”

A Wellness Revolution trains individuals to become Certified Health and Wellness Coaches through their accredited and comprehensive courses. “The coaching course is accredited by the International Coach Federation (ICF) and, upon completion of this course, one will earn 63 hours for ICF

Approved Coach Specific Training Hours (ACSTH)™”, Cathleen adds.

It’s clear that Cathleen understands the importance of regulation and its role in ensuring that health and wellness coaching achieves the heights it so deserves. Expectations need to be established – and uniform – to allow for greater integration in the medical arena. “Guidelines need to be in place, and there needs to be regulation to ensure that everyone understands what health and wellness coaching can achieve, and how it can compliment traditional medicine.”

Securing legitimacy in an industry which seems rigid and unyielding naturally remains a challenge, but it is one that Cathleen is confident can be overcome through education.

“Current medical practitioners simply do not have the time to

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A Wellness Revolution

Executive and Senior Management Committees A Wellness Revolution do what Health and Wellness Coaches do. Health and Wellness Coaches look at every part of your life to see where ‘blockages’ could be. Where improvements can be made. One-on-one client/coach relationships are crucial in the process to create moments of selfreflection and epiphany. A medical practitioner doesn’t have that luxury of time in a hospital or clinic environment.” In a word, health and wellness coaching is more focused on the individual needs of the person: what they eat, their lifestyle, their thoughts, their behaviours – their lives. It seems almost obvious in hindsight: to think that these variables need to be considered to ensure a truly healthy and well person, but this is the prevailing challenge that Cathleen and her coaches face.

To change a paradigm that has been established and reinforced for decades.

“Coaching is about helping people to realise they have control of their lives. It’s about helping people to make different lifestyle changes that will help encourage a healthier life.

It’s about nourishing spiritual wellbeing and reprogramming the subconscious. Sometimes coaches can help their clients on a deeper level by referring them for more integrative support to recommended practitioners, therapists or doctors.”.

“Health and Wellness are not about the destination they are about your daily journey of choices.”

There can be no doubt that Cathleen’s work is fuelled by an incredible passion for wellness, and the unique benefits that coaching offers. “Over the six months it’s amazing to see our students really ‘wake up’.

They want to be better, to eat better, to live better. We teach our students about digestion, and how our emotions guide us like a compass, guiding us in a certain direction. The course also teaches about the new sciences, particularly Epigenetics and Nutritional Glycobiology. These new sciences help the coaches understand the importance of how our cells work and how our cellular health is influenced by lifestyle choices and nutrition.

“Despite being an online course, we do offer much of it live. We have speakers who are experts in their field who, in turn, can help our students gain a deeper understanding of themselves and the nature of holistic care. The course offers four hours of learning a week, with an additional two hours of homework. There are also tests, as we have to have tests to be a regulated course and for students to integrate the material

and bring a high standard of quality. These tests are oral, and many students say that these are the best part of the course,” Cathleen continues.

beings. As part of our ongoing development, we are planning a YouTube channel to help bring people more information about health and wellness.”

This course is a product of years of development, with new additions and updates being integrated frequently to ensure that all new coaches are trained to the highest standards.

Ultimately, the aim throughout it all is to help people to achieve a more balanced life, with due consideration taken to the role of the body, mind and spirit.

“Health and Wellness Coaching is currently in its infancy, and we remain totally excited to be involved in the developments of this very important influence in the present-day medical system.”

All in all, it’s easy to see how current medical practices seem ill-equipped to tackle this movement away from simply administrating medicine to cure a physical symptom. Equally, whilst developments in healthcare are continuous, it is important to ensure that efforts are being made to expand beyond the increasingly dated practices of generations past.

As we come to the end of the interview, Cathleen talks for a moment on the more immediate future of A Wellness Revolution: “We are excited to be involved in this core mission to help people through lifestyle changes. We understand, at this time on the planet, the serious effects that stress, altered food and our toxic environment is having on all living

“A Wellness Revolution believes that health and wellness coaching is extremely powerful in helping people to adapt and evolve to become the best version of themselves. It is not just merely the absence of disease, it is also the concept of prevention and changing lifestyle habits that help people make the necessary changes to take more responsibility for their wellness,” Cathleen concludes.

Change, after all, is not always a bad thing. Change leads to progress, to innovation, to growth, to development. A revolution is coming to the health landscape, and with it, a brighter future indeed.

Company: A Wellness Revolution Name: Cathleen Beerkens, Founder Address: Amsterdam, The Netherlands Website: www.awellnessrevolution.net

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Best Magnesium Supplements Manufacturer - UK Renowned for their cutting-edge research and expert knowledge, ITL Health is dedicated to creating premium supplements that are innovative, ahead of their time and affordable for the average consumer. Founded by George Esser just over ten years ago, discover the secrets to this supplement manufacturer’s success following their deserved recognition in Global Health & Pharma’s Fitness and Nutrition Awards.

Born in 2008, ITL Health is the brainchild of George Esser, a philanthropist blessed with the mind of an inventor. The firm’s flagship product is undoubtedly MAG365, magnesium supplements that are the most natural, absorbable, effective and fast-action available on the market today. Beginning with one product, the firm continued to expand and innovate, creating a range of magnesium-based products that do wonders for the body’s systems.

Combining magnesium carbonate and citric acid, MAG365 features unique processes that have put the firm’s magnesium supplements at the forefront of the industry. By adding hot water, the carbonate in the magnesium disperses and causes a fizz of activity. During the fizz, the magnesium ion is forced to bind to the citric acid, creating ionic magnesium citrate, the aforementioned unique process, and resulting in the first form of magnesium supplement that ITL Health are known for today.

From there, the company took the product one step further, introducing MAG365 BF. Pioneering the industry, this was the first bone formula on the market that didn’t contain added calcium. The human body requires co-factors to take the calcium from the organs, arteries, brain, eyes, joints and more and transport it into the bones and teeth, as well as excrete any excess. ITL Health’s bone formula contains those muchneeded co-factors and more for optimal bone, brain and cardiovascular health.

Every single ingredient that ITL Health use in their supplements are researched thoroughly to make sure customers are getting exactly what they’re promised. A customer may not be aware that Vitmain K2 degrades in the presence of magnesium and calcium, and so the firm use a double encapsulated Vitmain K2 to ensure its integrity from the time it’s manufactured until it’s consumed. Whilst the encapsulated version costs much more to make, the firm absorbs much of that cost to ensure customers are still paying affordable prices for their supplements.

Looking to the future, ITL Health are committed to streamlining the manufacturing process and reinventing how supplements are made. Producing their goods on a smaller scale means that the firm can cater to smaller target markets whilst still expanding globally. Not prepared to back anything that they wouldn’t take themselves, the MAG365 product line is small for now. However, the team are currently developing a topical line of products and more ionic supplements to increase bioavailability in products that traditionally have a lower absorption rate.

Selling mainly through independent health stores, ITL Health’s target audience is broad.

An estimated 80% of the population has a magnesium-deficiency, and since it is a co-factor in more than 600 enzymatic bodily processes, many symptoms can be mitigated through the firm’s products.

Ultimately, there is a reason that there is significant difference between a £14.95 tub of ionic citrate powder, and a £5 bottle of magnesium oxide; quality and absorbability.

Not content with being recognised across numerous platforms and industry awards, they remain diligently focused on their founding values and to produce a line of supplements that, simply, work. All in all, ITL Health’s MAG365 products are delivering high absorption rates and hugely effective health benefits for magnesium deficiencies, cementing the firm’s status as a leading UK deliverer of supplements.

As well as getting the product on shelves, the firm also spend time educating and supporting store staff with valuable knowledge, letting them try the products for themselves. For some of those stores, not only is MAG365 the top-selling magnesium supplement in the store, but the best-selling product overall. It doesn’t get better than that.

In addition to MAG365, ITL Health has an additional brand called PrizMAG, which is a line of pure magnesium bisglycinate capsules, and is one of the first on the market to contain no fillers, binders, magnesium stearate (for easy manufacturing) or magnesium oxide.

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Company: ITL Health Contact: Lynae Morningstar Website: https://www.mag365.co.uk/en/

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Best Paralympic Sports NPO 2019 – UK With more than 17,000 people playing across the United Kingdom, wheelchair basketball is a vital sport in enabling players to become more resilient and independent in their daily lives.

British Wheelchair Basketball (BWB), the representative body of the sport across the UK, has grown to become one of the best Paralympic Sports NPOs this year. Discover their accomplishments, as we profile the charity’s great work.

An intensely fast-paced and equally fast-growing sport, wheelchair basketball allows disabled and non-disabled people to play together competing in domestic leagues and competitions. The sport is instrumental in bridging the gap and enabling everyone to come together on a level playing field. With a potential participation growth of up to 70,000 more players, BWB is at the forefront of advocating for the sport, and all the good it can accomplish.

Focused on improving both dextrous skill and physical strength, wheelchair basketball is an incredibly important sport in helping disabled people develop. Not just physically either, but in a mental capacity, it is useful for players to interact with one another and form strong relationships. In a survey conducted

by BWB, 79% of members said that the sport had a positive impact on their mental health, and 21% of all national league players are non-disabled.

The charity itself is the national governing body for the sport across the United Kingdom, as well as being home to the four hugely successful GB wheelchair basketball teams that have competed at the Paralympics. Domestically, four competitive leagues run from September through to May each year, including the National League, Women’s League, University League, and Lord’s Taverners Junior League.

Unity, drive, pride and grit are at the heart of everything that the charity does with their

activities and delivery. Embodying the very best of all four, all delivery partners that BWB work with capture the essence of what it means to encourage people through the medium of wheelchair basketball. Should people wish to get involved in the sport, BWB have the answer for that too. Individuals can access numerous opportunities to discover the sport throughout the whole year, including Regional Skill Camps, Inclusive Zone Basketball sessions, and Have A Go sessions.

Perhaps one of the greatest sporting moments in recent history for wheelchair basketball was the victory for the GB Men’s Team over reigning Paralympic champions the USA to secure the 2018 World Championship title – the first time in history a GB team has brought home World Championship gold medal.

As more moments of triumph are sure to be experienced, there is an increased drive to broadcast the sport, following the charity’s best ever year for online streaming of domestic competition via BBC Sport.

Undoubtedly, the biggest upcoming opportunity for BWB to really showcase its incredible work is during the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics. Currently, the GB wheelchair basketball teams are experiencing unprecedented levels of success. The Men’s Team are World and European champions, and the Women’s Team hold silver medals in both competitions as well. With Junior Teams also experiencing phenomenal success on the world stage, there has never been a

better time to get involved in the sport and support the charity.

Sport has an undeniable ability to bring people together, whether it be supporting a national team round a barbecue on a Sunday afternoon, playing at a local leisure centre on a week night, or cheering on an Paralympian because they from a local area. The work of BWB is instrumental in carrying that forward, bringing disabled and non-disabled people together in a sport that has unparalleled benefits both physically and mentally.

Company: British Wheelchair Basketball Website: www.britishwheelchairbasketball.co.uk

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Best Inclusive Sports Initiative 2019 - UK

With its innovative concept, Virtual Runner UK is a unique race organiser that motivates individuals to start running and, more importantly, stay active. As part of our overview of some of this year’s leaders in the Fitness and Nutrition sphere we profile the firm to find out more about how it is driving participants throughout the UK to embrace running as a form of exercise.

Since its inception in 2014, Virtual Runner UK has raised almost £500,000 for charity through its races. Alongside this incredible achievement, the organisation also works with an expansive community of race participants, helping them to enjoy running by combining it with technology. This offers a unique benefit on two fronts – the first, naturally, is convenience. The second is a sense of community and support, a vital element in reinforcing and maintaining new habits.

With these in mind, it can be no surprise that Virtual Runner UK now boasts some 50,000 runners, with that number only growing as the company picks up momentum. Led by Susan Wheatcroft, the organisation aims to help race participants from across the country to do their bit for charity whilst at the same time train and run challenging races that will help them to improve their health and stamina.

Virtual running works exactly the same as any other type of running but the difference is that the entered race can be run at any location, at any pace, inside on a treadmill or even outside in another country.

All participants have to do is enter a race and provide evidence that they have completed it, making this a much more convenient alternative to traditional large-scale races, which often require significant large-scale organisation. By virtue of the virtual nature of the race, runners can take part year around, regardless of the weather or ground conditions. After all, in this increasingly health-conscious climate, Virtual Runner UK is certainly a tempting alternative, and often a welcome one for those dreading the cold weather ahead.

Seeking to build upon its current, exceptional achievements, Virtual Runner UK has ambitious plans for the future. The organisation’s next big target is to hit its fundraising goal of £500,000 for the year and to continue to support others in achieving their fitness goals. More recently, Virtual Runner has opened up their offering to walkers, cyclists and even swimmers, ensuring that everyone can take part. Ultimately, the founding aims of the company will remain central to its success as it continues into the new year and beyond.

Company: Virtual Runner UK Name: Susan Wheatcroft Address: Wollaton, Nottingham Telephone: 07728491907 Website: www.virtualrunneruk.com

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Most Dedicated MS Fitness Expert 2019 Multiple sclerosis is a truly debilitating condition that can often cause serious disability, affecting the brain and spinal cord and causing a wide range of potential symptoms. However, one fitness firm is not taking it lying down. Discover how MS Fitness Challenge is winning the battle against the condition, as part of Global Health & Pharma’s Fitness and Nutrition Awards 2019.

Working with people who suffer from multiple sclerosis, MSFC is offering guidance and support in an effort to educate and train people about the benefits of exercise, nutrition, and mindset in battling the condition. Relying on the donations of generous supporters to deliver their programs, the firm is a keen advocator of fitness lifestyles, helping to conquer the condition through carefully managed courses and events.

Partnering with fitness professionals across the globe, MSFC is aiming to certify individuals to work one on one with sufferers of multiple sclerosis. Through a myriad of fitness events, online education courses, training camp events, nutritional counsel, and ongoing motivation, fitness professionals can help people living with MS radically change their lives and successfully reach their health and wellness goals.

A truly one-of-a-kind fitness charity, the work of MSFC is paramount in ensuring that fitness professionals across the world have the ability to be inclusive of individuals living with MS. There is no other comprehensive fitness charity dedicated to improving the lives of individuals who have the condition, and the company is endorsed by the National MS Society, Multiple Sclerosis Foundation, and EMD Serono, a worldwide pharmaceutical firm.

Founded by David Lyons, the charity draws on his own experience of living with MS. Having been a fitness professional for more than forty years, thirteen of which David has lived with MS, this fitness professional created innovative and effective methods of exercise despite the condition. With more than two and a half million people living with MS worldwide, David is keenly aware of the challenges facing his charity, but never lets them stop his work.

One of the key challenges with multiple sclerosis is that each person will develop unique symptoms, limitations and obstacles, and so a fitness program must be tailored to each individual. David is constantly creating new programs for MSFC to address the needs of the MS community, and is the only MS fitness professional with more than forty years’ experience to be inducted into the National Fitness Hall of Fame. Wary of the so-called professionals who don’t have MS experience spouting potentially harmful guidance, David’s ongoing challenges are keeping the community properly educated about being safe.

The MSFC is only able to exist through the ongoing support of its sponsors and individual donors, who keep David and his vital work going. In order to keep up with the tremendous needs of the MS community and the charity’s work with tens of thousands of people with MS worldwide, more support is always needed.

Many celebrities have taken the time to support David’s work, including fitness icons

such as Arnold Schwarzenegger and Lou Ferrigno, and Shark Tank’s Daymond John.

Undoubtedly most important however, is David’s wife Kendra a registered nurse, with whom he founded MS Fitness Challenge and has changed so many lives for the better.

The pair’s undying support of each other, and those with MS across the world, is something the world sorely needs a lot more of.

David is continuing to grow MSFC, impacting the lives of people living with the condition across the world in so many awe-inspiringly positive ways. With more training camps, more partnerships with MSfocused companies, better fitness training certifications, and a stronger-than-ever desire to help the millions of people with MS across the world, David’s work is a level of inspiring that everyone should aim for.

Company: MS Fitness Challenge Contact: David Lyons Website: www.msfitnesschallenge.com

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Best Yoga Teacher Training Specialist – Switzerland & GHP Distinction Award for Women’s Yoga Retreats 2019 Founded in 2009 and now celebrating its tenth anniversary, Indiv Yoga is Switzerland’s leading yoga school, training student teachers of all ages how to apply the traditions and benefits of yoga and meditation to all types of people. Following their double win in Global Health & Pharma’s Fitness and Nutrition Awards, we profiled the school to learn more about their work.

With more than twenty years’ experience of practicing yoga, founder Charlie Stewart-Brown has created a school where her students can learn to help others experience the wealth of benefits that yoga offers, regardless of abilities, strengths and weaknesses. Not only home to the country’s best yoga teacher training specialist, Charlie also holds a myriad of retreats, and workshops designed to take yoga into corporate life, international companies and educational institutions.

Offering a mix of different yoga styles and techniques, any student teacher at Indiv Yoga can learn how to practically apply the traditions and benefits of yoga and meditation.

Charlie holds a number of Yoga Alliance training courses, designed to certify trainees to teach yoga to adults and children alike. The school teaches the RYT200hrs certification, which certifies trainees to teach anywhere in the world, and the RCYT (registered children’s yoga teacher) certification course for

those who want to be able to teach children 2-15 years old specifically.

As part of Indiv Yoga, Charlie also offers yoga and mindfulness retreats, where clients range from CEO’s to housewives, looking to relax whilst learning practical and simple techniques for daily use. The school also boasts an international student base, with certified male and female students between the ages of 19 - 68 years old from all over the world, including Europe, USA, Canada, Taiwan, Morocco, Hong Kong and Lebanon.

Charlie offers some of the best yoga training available, with daily studying of everything that revolves around yoga, including philosophy, scriptures, anatomy, physiology, medicine and science. Passionately bringing her knowledge to clients and students of all ages and situations, Charlie is a yoga scholar herself. Having studied and taken part in many courses over the years, she has dedicated herself to teaching yoga full-time, and has specialised in Yoga for Special Needs and Yoga for Anxiety.

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Clients also include international companies, where Charlie gives workshops to employees on how to implement the benefits of yoga and meditation in the workplace, or in day to day life.

Indiv Yoga also offers seminars to educational institutions, where staff working with children can learn how to implement those same daily techniques and yoga practices with children of all ages. Not confined to Switzerland alone, Charlie hosts retreats, courses and workshops across Europe, in places such as London, Cyprus, France and Portugal, reaching an international clientele.

What differentiates Indiv Yoga from other yoga schools is the philosophy that the ancient techniques and benefits of yoga and meditation can be applied to every individual in a number of ways. Therefore, Charlie does not train her student teachers in any one yoga style that will limit the people they can teach. Rather, they learn how to apply all the different aspects of yoga and structure different types of classes to suit all different types of people, including special needs, anxiety and psychological disorders,

the elderly, amputees, and many others.

Future developments mean that yoga will continue to grow as a multi-billion-dollar industry, spreading worldwide and delivering even more incredible health benefits, both mentally and physically. As the Yoga Alliance has made it harder for people to get certified as a yoga teacher, Charlie and Indiv Yoga are working harder than ever to stay ahead of developments and ensure that they deliver the very best training in the industry.

Ultimately, it is Charlie’s undeniable passion and enthusiasm for yoga that has resulted in Indiv Yoga becoming Switzerland’s leading yoga school. With the increase in knowledge and information, the school aims to become even better professionals offering both veterans and novices of yoga the chance to train as the best yoga teachers possible.

Company: Indiv Yoga Contact: Charlie Stewart-Brown Website: www.indivyoga.com

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Best Personal Training Centre - South West England Support and taking it at one’s own pace is vital for fitness success, as well as constant encouragement. Helping clients across the South West of England achieve their fitness goals, Les Slinn Personal Training offer a truly bespoke training service to help anyone seeking to get fit. We caught up with founder Les to understand his motivations, successes and future plans for the business.

Prior to founding his own personal training business in 2005, Les Slinn worked as a leading personal trainer with a mainstream gym. But that wasn’t enough for him. Realising he truly cared about his clients as more than a number in a system, Les took the bold decision to give up his job and pour his energies into opening both his and the town’s first personal training studio in Swindon.

Determined to gain more training qualifications, Les went on to add GP referral, applied nutrition, health related exercise for children, psychology and behavioural change certificates to his collection. Thus, Les Slinn Personal Training began to take shape. Les talks us through the expansion since the company’s inception, saying, “It soon became apparent that I was out growing of this unit and needed to expand into the current 2,000 sq ft unit. The amount of people I was training was increasing, so in 2007 I took on my first PT Richard Phillips to help with the workload. I now currently have 5 PTs, 2 sports therapists, and 3 external class instructors working for LSPT.” Working with clients ranging from eight to eighty years old, Les’ training is suitable for anyone looking to get fit for any number of reasons. Some have wanted

to lose weight or be more toned, and some have come in for a sports-specific role, whether it be football, ice hockey, ice skating, or rugby.

The team have worked with people who have been experiencing tough times, especially those suffering with cancer, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, and various mental health conditions. Always professional and courteous, Les and his team have dealt with many people over the years, and are well-equipped to work with any client. Having worked with all manner of clients, Les explains how his team ensure every client gets a unique experience.

“We offer a bespoke training service in which all clients go through medical screening forms and will then undertake a full fitness test regardless of ability, this includes BP, flexibility, strength, core and VO2 max checks. Once we have this information, we then have a benchmark to work to, and we can design training to guarantee results. All clients who train are looked after and all will wear a heart rate monitor which links to the equipment and personal watches of the trainers.”

Les is keenly aware that his sector is a thriving one, with more people attuned to their bodily needs than ever before.

Fitness and nutrition are

vitally important in leading a healthy lifestyle and increased government pushes towards healthy living are meaning that people are turning to personal trainers as a way of getting fit. Les talks us through his motivation and techniques for helping people.

“It is a flourishing sector which is good, as it means more and more people are looking after themselves by keeping fit. The techniques we use are simple; we care for an individual who comes in, want them to succeed, and will do anything to help that person.”.

Care is at the centre of everything Les and his team do, driving them to work with everyone who steps foot in the door.

From it’s humble beginnings as a dream in Les’ mind to the

excellent training facility it is now, Les Slinn Personal Training has become more than a place of fitness for the people of England’s South West region.

It is a community of support, encouragement and inspiration that anyone can achieve their goals. Les signs off by excellently summing up what his company stands for; “We just want to help as many people as we can, helping them achieve, believe and succeed in becoming what they want to be.”.

Contact: Les Slinn Website: http://www.lspersonaltraining.com/

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YOGA

EDITION

LOGO C 49 M 100 pantone Y0 p90-16C K 60 255U

Best Asian Fitness Brand 2019 & GHP Distinction Award for Yoga Classes & Facilities C 25 M 30 pantone Y 39 p23-4C K0 4745U

AR Roman1 Extra-Regular AR Gothic1 Light-Regular

Established in 2004, The True Group has risen over the last fifteen years to become one of Asia’s largest wellness groups, delivering state-of-the-art facilities aimed at offering people the chance to live a healthy lifestyle through fitness and yoga. The brand now houses 24 outstanding clubs across Singapore and Taiwan. Discover the story of this group’s success as we profile them following their win in our Fitness and Nutrition Awards.

Since its formation fifteen years ago, True Group has expanded to include three main brands: True Fitness (which includes True Yoga), Yoga Edition, and TFX. Each of the three brands provide specialised fitness and yoga facilities and exercise programmes, with some specialising in specific areas.

A home-grown Singaporean and Asian brand, True Group has become a major player in both the Singapore and Taiwan markets. In an industry where bigger players with longer histories have often dominated, this ever-growing fitness group is standing out through delivering quality service and programmes.

Of the three brands, True Fitness and TFX offer gyms that house a large variety of strength, cardio, and functional training equipment. Their specialities include obstacle race training, personal training, and group classes of varying sizes from cycling, yoga and dance, to high-intensity interval training

classes, and much more. Its TFX flagship premium brand houses an array of carefully curated fitness equipment from the world over and a variety of workout experiences that merge boutique and big-box gym concepts.

Launching in December 2019, TFX’s third club will open at Millenia Walk mall in Singapore.

It will become the largest commercial gym facility in Singapore at 41,700 square ft, with a massive obstacle race training zone. But for True Group, the expansion doesn’t stop there. The group is constantly on the lookout for new sites and opportunities to open more clubs and are currently planning further upgrades to their existing facilities to enhance the member experience.

Building on the increasing importance of mind-body wellness, the group launched its premium Yoga Edition brand in early 2019 to complement its True Yoga offering. Both brands provide an exclusive and authentic yoga experience with

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professional yoga teachers from the world over teaching classes and personal training for all levels from Beginner’s Yoga for gentle stretches and muscular toning to barre, hot, wall and aerial yoga, amongst others.

In addition, Yoga Edition is the only fitness facility in Taiwan to offer 4D Immersive Yoga where participants practice amid video projections of azure oceans or quiet bamboo forests.

For anyone looking to make fitness a key part of their lives, starting at True Group is a great way to do it, with a selection of membership types to suit different lifestyles and training options that can be customised to suit any needs. Throughout it all, the staff act as the beating heart of the business, helping members reach their personal goals.

To help achieve this, the group’s staff look to constantly ‘upskill’, with the True Group Fitness Academy providing in-house training for its fitness trainers and the Learning and Development department providing customer service training to front-of-house staff.

Ultimately, the success of True Group across Asia is down to their continued growth and ability to deliver best-in-class fitness and wellness services that make a mark against large international brands. Offering cutting-edge fitness experiences with staff that are as dedicated to success as the members are, these gyms are the place to be to get fit.

Company: True Group Contact: Ken Mok, CEO Website: www.truegroup.com.sg

Sep19408

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Best Full-Service Health & Fitness Business – Colorado & Health Coach & Personal Trainer of the Year - Denver Drawing on the expertise of its Founder and Namesake, Bill Ross Fit offers a complete health, fitness and wellness service. To celebrate the firm’s win of not one but two of the highly-coveted Fitness and Nutrition Awards for 2019 we profile the firm and share an overview of the secrets behind its success.

Providing a complete fitness and wellness package, Bill Ross Fit can offer everything from personal training through to fitness and nutritional support, as well as health and lifestyle coaching.

Founder Bill Ross provides an exclusive service, and does not publicise the results of his work online to protect the privacy of his discerning clientele. Specializing in corrective exercise with weight loss through behavior change, Bill is able to drive lasting change for his clients.

Each service is personalised to the clients’ specific needs, lifestyle and goals. Bill creates bespoke fitness and nutrition plans and works with his clients to ensure that they achieve their aims by using the benefit of his extensive market expertise.

Over the past 27 years Bill has been working in the health and fitness market, learning that every single person is different bio-mechanically, as well as, behaviourally. He uses this knowledge to provide his clients

with an innovative service offering that they cannot find elsewhere.

As a one-stop location for all their health and fitness needs, clients can rely on Bill to provide them with everything from meal plans through to yoga and meditation services, all tailored around them to provide them with results they can be proud of. It is this all-encompassing service offering that sets Bill Ross Fit apart from its other companies in the competitive health and fitness market.

Looking to the future, Bill Ross Fit will continue to evolve to ensure that clients continue to enjoy the exceptional services that they have come to expect and rely on. Currently, Bill is developing a 12-week online program for men to improve their lives through behavior change, nutrition and exercise.

He is also writing a second book to share his experience, and this, alongside the announcing international seminars he intends to host in 2020 on the modern health and fitness world, will help him to share his expertise with both his clients and the wider market.

Company: Bill Ross Fit Name: Bill Ross Address: 2468 South Colorado Blvd, Denver, CO 80222 Telephone Number: 17209856623 Web Address: www.BillRossFit.com

GHP / Fitness & Nutrition Awards 2019 13

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Oct19012

Leading Providers of Children’s Fitness Analysis & Testing - UK In this digital age, data is being utilised in a plethora of new, interesting and effective ways.

Fitmedia, in this crowded market, have settled themselves into a rather clever niche – health and fitness assessments for children. Looking to change the way that people look at PE, we profiled Fitmedia to discover more.

Fitmedia is a specialist assessment company which provides a range of health and fitness assessment systems for children.

analysis team crunch the results with normative reference data, a unique resource which has been developed to show how the children have performed, not just against those around them, but against national benchmarks.

They provide tools to evaluate children’s physical, mental and emotional wellbeing.

This is an ability that only Fitmedia has currently, with their matchless record of data norms.

They’re specifically designed for use by schools, clubs, and councils, with systems for children of all ages and abilities.

Led by Director of Strategy and Operations Director Alex ScottBayfield, Fitmedia’s services are provided by skilled professionals.

They only recruit from sports science graduates or those with degrees in physical activity and sport. This gives clients the assurance that those doing the testing are fully trained and practised in the field. It also provides a wealth of experience, both with the children on the ground, and in the analysis and examination of results.

Their recipe is a simple combination of simple tests backed up with a wealth of quantitative data analysis.

Sheila Forster, MD at Fitmedia says ‘We will continue to develop affordable solutions to support schools and sporting organisations to help fight the epidemic of unfit and obese children and young people in the UK’.

At the practical end, children take part in fun and easy tests, within PE lessons. The testing is deliberately low-tech, lowcost and kid-proof, requiring no special space or equipment. The tests can be carried out by the staff themselves, or Fitmedia themselves can come in to run the tests, freeing up teacher time. This freedom lets the client choose the option that works for them.

Once they’ve been done, the analysis begins. Fitmedia’s

These specialised systems have allowed Fitmedia to corner the market in this field, with an increasing recognition of the benefits their assessments can bring.

However, they recognise that the use of this sort of analysis is relatively new in the UK. Some schools and sporting organisations still resist the use of proper statistics, relying on their prior knowledge of the children or their performance in competitive games.

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This is a flawed plan in the eyes of Fitmedia. In their experience, using traditional approaches to PE has shown limitations in increasing physical activity, whilst at the same time has often resulted in alienating and demotivating children who are less interested in sport and competition.

By contrast, assessing fundamental movement skills and fitness areas outside competitive games allows all children to find their niche – particularly those who are normally put off from team games.

Breaking down their abilities into individual skills – whether its running, jumping, strength or endurance – means that every kid can discover – often to their surprise! – things they can succeed at – irrespective of the PE environment.

Fitmedia’s approach helps every aspect of school PE – it breaks down physical activity into key areas and skills; helps children’s understanding of their own abilities; and allows PE staff to see in detail their children’s skills and shortcomings.

As a result, it is growing traction in the world of Children’s Health and Fitness. Fitmedia believes assessment and analysis of this kind can play a key role in getting – and keeping – kids active.

Looking forward, Fitmedia is determined to remain at the forefront of Children’s Fitness Analysis & Testing across the UK. These plans currently revolve around gaining the partnership of another organisation. Using their formidable database, a series of targeted interventions could be taken towards regions where children are unfit and obese.

This is already underway, with schools trusts and national organisations also wanting to use this data. A natural consequence would be expansion out of their London-based offices, creating regional satellite offices around the country.

The systems designed by Fitmedia are inspiring, offering an exciting way forward for the way we look at fitness for children. It’s the way in which this information can be applied to different situations, however, that really sets them apart from other companies. Their plans for growth in the sector give the impression that there’s still a long way for them to go, especially when it comes to ensuring that everyone knows the importance of what they’ve got on their hands.

Contact: Sheila Forster Email: sheila@fitmediafitness.co.uk

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Sep19409

Best Aquatic Fitness App Developers 2019 App developers Paradise have created an innovative solution to helping individuals of all abilities to improve their fitness: Ability Fix, an accessible solution designed to empower a person to get fit regardless of their current physical ability level if they can get into a pool.

We profile this unique solution to find out more.

Cutting-edge aquatic fitness app Ability Fix provides an easyto-follow exercise routine customised for any person who wishes to use the properties of water to improve their health and wellness.

When exercising in any body of water, users are be guided through easy-to-understand aquatic exercises that will incrementally improve their balance, flexibility, strength, and cardio with less pain.

This creative solution categorises its exercises by a person’s ability level. All of its activities are designed to accommodate all types of impairments. Individuals can select from predefined workouts or customize their own routine based on a variety of criteria.

Then, they enter a pool and listen to the entire workout through speakers or waterproof Bluetooth headphones, just as if they were being taught live by a professional aquatic instructor.

There are five distinct levels of aquatic workouts and exercises that meet anyone's specific ability level. As a result, Ability Fix can be used by anyone from those in rehabilitation through to professional athletes. There is no need to modify any exercise since the app records the exercises and the user’s ability level, allowing anyone to use this innovative solution to improve their fitness.

Whilst the app will have a diverse following once launched and can be used in a number of applications, it is particularly beneficial for a medical professional, or caregiver, as it allows them to create an exercise routine specifically tailored to their client and then share it with them.

All the exercises are created as an individual file and can be played in any order, much like a music playlist. This makes it possible for a Physical Therapist to easily recommend a post treatment exercise regimen. It is also easy enough that an adult child could help an ailing parent get the exercise they need.

Unique to the market, Ability Fix is one of the first specifically aquatic fitness apps, making it an ideal solution for anyone working on improving their fitness in water. With so many solutions on the market, being a pioneer is important as it helps the app to offer a truly innovative service that cannot be found elsewhere.

Set to launch at the beginning of 2020, Ability Fix will be launching the app with 50 exercises and three Ai Chi routines. Moving forward, developers Paradise will enhance the app to include even more exercises and functions in line with user feedback and the prevailing trends in the fitness technology market to ensure its solution remains at the very cutting-edge of the latest market developments.

Once the app has launched, Paradise will be recruiting more talent and increasing the number of exercises available, creating predefined workouts to make it even easier to use, and expanding on the social aspects to allow people to further replicate a class experience by being able to chat with one another while doing the same exercise routine.

Fundamentally, through the development of Ability Fix the team at Paradise are trying to help bridge the gap between the clinic and the gym. The firm’s team is excited to see how its solution progresses post-launch and will be hoping it will become a hit with caregivers, healthcare professionals and physical therapists over the coming years.

Additionally, the team will look into bringing the interface to the Apple Watch, and perhaps other fitness trackers, so that it can enhance its usability as the solution develops.

Name: Perry Nixdorf Address: 3430 Executive Pointe Way, Carson City, NV 89706 Telephone Number: 1 775 883-4434 Web Address: www.abilityfix.com

GHP / Fitness & Nutrition Awards 2019 15

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Nov19031

Medical Fitness Center of the Year 2019 - North West Malaysia Looking and feeling good is a major factor in attending the gym. Building a fitter, healthier and stronger body is something that everyone aspires to, but the road to feeling this way can be challenging. Ke Wynn, and his Malaysian fitness center provide their clients with the necessary tools to reinvent their bodies.

Recently, we profiled this award-winning company to find out more.

For Ke Wynn, the art of fitness isn’t to be found in pursuing the perfect body according to society’s norms. Far from the ideal situation being one of six-pack abs or the ability to match athletic capabilities, Wynn operates on the principle of corrective fitness, which is taking what your body is capable of doing and training individuals to achieve this potential on their own terms. He is fed by the desire to change peoples’ lives for the better, and this explains his prolific body of work outside of his fitness center in the form of e-books, pieces for high-profile magazines and community work with the “Just-Walk! Penang” initiative. It is his, and his team’s, work within the fitness center that Wynn’s vision really comes to life.

personalized nutritional advice and encourages rest to allow for muscle recovery after good exercise. When it comes to going to the gym, this advice is highly bespoke too, accounting for any number of demands on a client ranging from old injuries to developing Parkinson’s disease.

Wynn and his team are fullyequipped to provide medical fitness services to those with many common health conditions, whether it’s heart disease, diabetes or obesity. These carefully-calibrated exercises are made to fit the needs of the client instead of using generic difficult exercises that can potentially injure someone. It’s not unheard of for Wynn and his team to hear about people being hurt by improper form or overtraining, and therefore their center is focused on extending the body’s durability for the long haul of life.

As someone who was once overweight, Wynn believes strongly in a holistic approach to the gym and maintaining a high level of fitness. This means setting up specific programs and techniques specific to the individual covering several aspects of life. Not only providing fitness advice, Wynn supplies his clients with

This risk of injury can come from any sort of fitness endeavor.

Where weight-lifters can focus on strength at the expense of flexibility, there are also yoga enthusiasts who push the limits of their stretches to the point of joint laxity that can make them vulnerable too. The staff at the Ke Wynn Medical Fitness Center are trained specially to treat each

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client as unique, focusing their treatment on the weaker areas of a client’s physical ability. They are able to offer exceptional bespoke advice to develop an individual’s overall fitness and wellbeing, regardless of their age, strength or health. With considerable experience in those requiring sports rehabilitation, Wynn offers a special corrective exercise program that improves functionality and recovery from surgery or sports injuries. This can involve a sports massage to stimulate repair for overworked or injured muscles.

It’s clear that Wynn’s holistic approach to fitness and general health is providing a solution to

those who need it. By focusing on all aspects of the body, from what you eat to when you sleep, and treating each body as individual, he and his team have encouraged a form of fitness that serves their client incredibly well. Breaking down the societal expectation is difficult to do, but the Ke Wynn Medical Fitness Center has done exactly this. Taking the emphasis off the aesthetics of fitness, Wynn ensures that his clients have bodies fit for the future.

Contact: Ke Wynn Lee Company: Ke Wynn Medical Fitness Center Web Address: www.kewynnpt.com

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Sep19537

Best Modern Indoor Fitness Facility - County Durham Based in Durham, Gym Unique Limited is an indoor, state-of-the-art fitness facility, which hosts an impressive range of fitness equipment, classes and unique activities. With a variety of memberships for their diverse clientele, discover how this award-winning gym is titled the best modern indoor fitness facility in County Durham.

Since their inception, Gym Unique Limited have worked with a diverse range of clients, all with different needs and requirements. Whether it is simply using the gym or requiring additional support, Gym Unique Limited have a selection of memberships on offer for their clients to choose from which will suit their individual needs. By all regards, Gym Unique’s offering has certainly proven popular, with almost 1000 new members signing up within two years of the gym’s opening.

From monthly free personal training sessions and check-ins for members through to eightweek transformation programs, the business ensures that each individual they work with is a client of Gym Unique Limited as a whole. Partnering with various members of staff, clients are guaranteed to receive copious amounts of support and training by the team to ensure that they achieve their end goal.

Providing the business with the platform to offer this level of service, is Gym Unique Limited’s committee of members who are constantly providing feedback to the team. As a result of using this information, the team at Gym Unique Limited have started updated their class timetable every quarter at request of their members. In addition to this, there also a private members discus-

sion forum to chat and engage with all members.

As for how the team at Gym Unique Limited are able to remain this connected with clients, is by ensuring that they are constantly up-to-date with all of the latest technology and tracking both workouts and nutrition. By using class booking apps and smart watch classes, Gym Unique Limited are able to go the extra mile ensuring that they are able to deliver clients’ ideal results.

Ultimately, there are a number

of gyms which open throughout towns and cities nationwide on a regular basis, but for Gym Unique Limited they hope to remain at the forefront of this competitive industry by continuing to provide their clients with the best possible service they can.

Looking ahead to what the future holds, the team at Gym Unique Limited will continue to not only meet their clients’ requirements but also exceed their expectations. Going forward, Gym Unique Limited have exciting plans which

lie in the pipeline, which includes expanding their site to double its current size, as well as rebranding the business to a health club in the years to come.

Contact: Chris Fairless and Aaron Arkley Company: Gym Unique Limited Address: Gym Unique, Rennys Lane, DH1 2RS Telephone: 01919178230 Web Address: www.gymunique.co.uk

GHP / Fitness & Nutrition Awards 2019 17

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Oct19407

Best Multi-Sports Youth Coaching Company - Qatar What started out in 2007 with just four boys and a few worn-out footballs, has since evolved to become the largest multi-sports coaching provider across the whole of Qatar in just over ten years. To discover the secret behind Evolution Sports Qatar’s incredible success, we take a closer look at its journey to where it is today.

Taking care of one’s body is a vital part of ensuring a long and healthy life is maintained, and there is no better time to start than as a child. Not to mention, it can be great fun partaking in a sport or form of exercise. In 2007, Evo Sports was formed with the aim of enabling children from all social and cultural backgrounds to come together on the pitch and enjoy playing a session of organised football. Now, more than twelve years later, the club has grown exponentially, and has seen more than fifteen thousand young people come and go.

Evo Sports has since been a pioneer and leader at the forefront of developing youth sports across Qatar, and has even had a hand in some countrywide and large-scale initiatives. A prime example was the nation’s ultimately successful bid to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The Supreme Committee in charge of making the decision viewed Evolution Sports as a key case study, examining the benefits that the club has had on youth activity, football engagement, and promotion of grass roots sport.

A large part of the successful growth of the club lies in the endless hours of hard work from staff and members, who have been unwavering in their support,

patience and loyalty to the club.

A true family atmosphere has sprung up from those first few organised football sessions, and it is set to continue long into the future. Having secured a move to Doha College, the new campus will boast two full-size football pitches as well as two indoor sports halls, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, basketball courts, and netball courts. This bounty of facilities are sure to propel Evo Sports to being the best youth coaching club in not just Qatar, but the entirety of the Middle East.

Now firmly established as the nation’s best multi-sports youth coaching club, Evo Sports offer a wealth of opportunities in football, swimming, basketball, netball, and fitness. Within each of the first four offerings, kids can participate in coaching programmes, various academies, player development schemes, games programmes, and skill clinics to help refine their technical abilities.

On top of the clubs and academies that the team at Evo Sports offer, the #IAMEvo holiday camps are a wonderful opportunity to ensure that time off from school does not have to mean time off from being active and healthy. Camps are designed to encourage and enhance the skills, performance, and confidence of young athletes.

Each holiday camp is run in such

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a way that all young players can have fun, meet new friends, and learn new skills in a safe and welcoming environment.

Respect is a key feature of the Evo Sports ethos, promoting the things about sports that people love. Self-control, fair play and mutual respect is constantly encouraged, both on and off the field. Sportsmanship is more than just a term reserved for sports themselves, and the coaches at Evo strive to instil the best beliefs in the young people that come their way. The remarkable diversity of cultures, nationalities, beliefs, and origins at each sporting event makes for a truly enriching atmosphere where strong bonds and cross-cultural friendships are formed.

Crucially, at the heart of the club

and all of its various sportsrelated activities, is the desire to come together and have fun. Everybody wants to win when it comes to sports, that is completely natural. But for everyone involved with Evo Sports, it is about so much more than that. It is about dignity, grace, sportsmanship, integrity, compassion, and teamwork. It is about inspiring a new generation of youngsters to be active and remain healthy, to foster crosscultural relationships and to become the absolute best that they can possibly be. To that end, Evo Sports are doing an exemplary job.

Contact: Toyan Greaves Website: www.evosportsqatar.com

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Oct19024

Best Youth Nutrition Education Centre – Portugal & GHP Innovation Award for Obesity Prevention Initiatives 2019 Vitamimos is a truly socially-focused business with the aim to tackle childhood obesity. With numerous accolades under their belt for their extraordinary work, we caught up with Ana Quintas who provided us with a behind the scenes glimpse into this innovative youth nutrition education centre in Portugal.

Founded in 2007 following the challenge proposed

by DNA for the 1st Cascais Business Ideas Contest, Vitamimos aims to be an autonomous, dynamic reference in the area of health promotion and obesity prevention. Today, the firm’s nutrition education centre, located in a public garden (CascaisPortugal), develops several programmes to empower kids and youngsters to adopt healthier eating habits and lifestyles.

Vitamimos has a variety of activities for individuals to participate in, which include hands-on cooking and nutrition education programmes for young people. The children’s cooking classes are designed to introduce the fun of preparing and enjoying healthy food that is both, nutritious and delicious, an essential for tackling obesity. By creating a positive food environment within school classes, Vitamimos will help to motivate children to prepare their own meals. Going into further detail, Ana begins by

informing us of the results this proposed solution will have on young people.

“To date, the results obtained are considered very good.

The evaluation by teachers, participants and families show that we are having the desired impact we set out to achieve.

This unique initiative offers several services in order to counteract childhood obesity.

From a cafeteria in the park, birthday parties with healthy snacks, catering services, cooking classes, workshops in the kitchen garden, along with the school programmes like Health Chefs and Eco-Chefs, each element has been designed with young people in mind.”

In Portugal, 32.1% of children between the ages of six and nine years old are currently classified as overweight, and 14.5% are obese. Childhood obesity affects more social deprived regions, that includes Portugal which has recently suffered a severe economic crisis. As such, this justifies the importance

of Vitamimos’ work, but it also acknowledges the challenges they face. Nevertheless, the organization’s location in Cascais, in the Lisbon District, remains a significant advantage because the municipality provides an important investment on the prevention and health promotion of the population in this area.

Campaign is a delicious symbol which highlights how simple gestures can make a significant difference. Looking ahead, Ana signs off by revealing what the future has in store for the organization, and how the team hopes to further expand their business, presence and services in the years to come.

Supporting the organization in their mission to tackle childhood obesity, is the committed and passionate team working at Vitamimos.

When discussing the techniques Vitamimos employs to ensure they are able to go the extra mile for those they serve, Ana is keen to cast a light on the significant role the team plays in the overall success of the company.

“Ultimately, we wish to spread our initiative, not only in Portugal but also in other Mediterranean countries. In 2020, we will be launching a new programme targeting overweight and obese children that will be based on a new methodology we are testing and developing.”

“Here at Vitamimos, we are fortunate to have a highly motivated and well-prepared team of nutritionists who bring their own creative approaches to tasks and challenges.”

Overall, the team at Vitamimos wishes that everyone would join the cause. Their “Carrot Lollipop”

Contact: Ana Quintas Address: Espaço Vitamimos, Jardim da Qta da Alagoa, R. Henrique António da Mota, 2775700 Carcavelos Telephone: +351 9180 86088 Web Address: www.vitamimos.pt Email: info@vitamimos.pt

GHP / Fitness & Nutrition Awards 2019 19

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Oct19081

Best Community Sports & Wellness Specialist - Abu Dhabi Believing that health is the best kind of wealth, Advantage Sports UAE has grown over the last eight years to become one of the most respected and well-known sports training companies across the Emirates. Spearheaded by veteran tennis coach Matthew Inglis and his wife Maria, discover how this sensational sports company are encouraging more people to get healthy, and have fun whilst doing it.

Founded in 2011 in Dubai, Advantage Sports was born of a passion to share sport and fitness knowledge with the youth of today. Matthew Inglis, a former tennis coach with twenty-two years’ experience under his belt, launched the company before partnering with his wife Maria in 2014. As the ever-growing demand for sporting activities across the UAE required even more from the company, Matthew and Maria expanded into Abu Dhabi to add more sports and diversification to the brand. Now firmly established as a market leader within the realm of sports, health, and fitness, this awardwinning company is garnering the international acclaim it so rightfully deserves.

Since consolidating all operations and activities to solely Abu Dhabi, Advantage Sports has become renowned for its sporting and fitness programmes across the Emirates. Having partnered with various venues, corporations, and educational institutes, the company’s reputation has seen it deliver some of the most high-quality training programmes within tennis, football, basketball, swimming, functional training classes, and personal training.

Across the sports and fitness classes that Advantage Sports

offer, there are a great number of skill classes within. Tennis is firstly broken down into mini, junior, and adult tennis, and for adults, they can choose between beginner, improver, intermediate, advanced, and cardio classes.

Clients can learn to volley, rally, serve, and move across the court, all at their own pace within their own skill bracket. Employing only the finest, most qualified, and most experienced sports professionals in the UAE, each class is taught on the basis of valuing quality over quantity.

equipment. Firstly, the company provide quarterly internal training courses for all staff which cover a wide variety of topics. As well as ensuring that everyone is able to continue and renew training qualifications, staff also attend the annual MeFit PRO MeFitSummit, where they can take part in numerous workshops with accredited trainers and learn from the best educators in the fitness and wellness arenas.

Every single client, regardless of what stage they are at in their fitness journey, can benefit from the expertise on offer at Advantage Sports. The team of trainers will work tirelessly to help clients gain the knowledge needed to achieve their fitness goals, along with constant encouragement and motivation to keep them on track. Able to talk in a myriad of languages from English, Arabic, Russian, French, German, Italian and Spanish clients can work alongside a trainer or coach who understands them and speaks their language.

REPS, or the Register of Exercise Professionals, is an independent, public register which recognises the qualifications and expertise of fitness professionals working in the UAE. The register’s primary role is to protect people who take part in exercise and physical activity. Providing assurance and confidence, the REPS makes sure that all professionals on it are appropriately qualified and have the knowledge, competence, and skills to perform their role effectively. All of the trainers and coaches at Advantage Sports are registered with REPS, giving clients that extra peace of mind when training.

There are three core elements that Matthew and Maria have implemented within Advantage Sports to ensure that the company continues with its best practice: staff training, REPS accreditation, and TechnoGym

Finally, Advantage Sports are fully approved and affiliated with equipment providers TechnoGym. Continued delivery of various training solutions for both private and corporate clients can be greatly enhanced with

20 GHP / Fitness & Nutrition Awards 2019

TechnoGym equipment, and the team of trainers and coaches are continually learning to develop their equipment skills to deliver that training.

Keen to embrace the UAE’s new National Strategy for Wellbeing 2031, Advantage Sports are at the heart of promoting an integrated concept of wellbeing.

Including ninety supporting initiatives targeting more than forty priority areas, this new national strategy will enable Matthew, Maria and the whole team to help redefine sports, fitness and wellness services across Abu Dhabi.

What began with one man’s passion has slowly but surely evolved over eight years to become a beacon of sports, fitness, and healthy living across the UAE. With the global wellness economy now worth upwards of four trillion dollars, there has never been a better time for clients to join in, and take Advantage.

Contact: Maria Inglis Website: www.advantagesportsuae.com

Oct19452

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Best Personal & Group Training Centre 2019 - Ottawa It’s easy to settle into a regular routine, one that is safe and comfortable, where you are not being challenged or pushed. On the other hand, it is not easy to break out of this habit, but the team 180 Fitness thinks it can transform your life and empower you to do something more.

We caught up with Owner, Adrian Delorey to find out more about how transforms the lives of his clients.

Since 2007, Adrian Delorey has offered something more than a gym to the residents of Ottowa.

Through educating, empowering and enriching his clients, he and his “Team of Awesome” have rapidly expanded the business to create a complete transformation center. This is where clients are helped to make a change in their lives in the pursuit of enlightenment.

To begin with, we asked Adrian what 180 Fitness offered to its clients that no other organisation does. “At 180 Fitness, we focus on weight loss, but our main goal is to assist clients achieve their true potential,” he explains. Offering a selection of bootcamps, of which no two are the same, along with personal training and group training, none of which have been repeated in the last twelve years, it seems Adrian and his team provide everything someone would need to improve their fitness. To this, Adrian credits the “incredible community and likeminded coaches – the gym nearly burnt down in October 2016 and clients only lost one day of training.”

This amazingly high resilience to difficult circumstances suggests something a little deeper than a simple dedication to fitness. We asked Adrian how he and his team managed to keep going,

leading clients to enriching themselves no matter what. For him, it’s a case of mind over matter. “We all know what to do (give or take) when it comes to eating right and exercising, however we simply fail to do what we know due in large part to what is in between our ears,” explains Adrian. “This is why I’ve developed a mindset structure and system over the past nine years. I went so far as getting certified as a hypnotherapist and NLP practitioner to better assist my clients, helping them to let go of limiting beliefs and perceptions that might be holding them back.”

Of course, it’s one thing to provide a service, and quite another to keep it flourishing as successfully as Adrian has. Adrian attributes the success of 180 Fitness to CANI: “Constant and neverending improvement,’ Adrian smiles. “We have our coaches stay up to date with the latest and greatest coaching techniques.

Weekly team meetings. quarterly reviews and team get togethers with coaches and all clients – building the community.” The importance Adrian ascribes to the community (colloquially titled The Wolfpack) is infectious. His passion and drive to continue improving what 180 Fitness can offer seems almost limitless.

Wanting to take advantage of the developing online landscape, he’s already planning for his

F I T N E S S

own podcast to share his views with a wider audience. Even so, “We want to create incredible experiences for our clients,” Adrian explains. “Ones they will never forget. Going on a surfing retreat or a hiking retreat would really bring our clients together and expand our own reach. We hope to run our first retreat by the end of 2020.”

Now moving forward into an exciting new era of growth, Adrian and his Team of Awesome have a number of projects already in the pipeline for the years to come. With a strong client-base that continues to grow stronger, it’s no wonder that this gym offers something a

F I T N E S S

little more ambitious than regular fitness. Adrian credits his staff for creating and maintain an atmosphere, which focuses on achievement and transformation.

“This is a collective of likeminded passionate individuals who give it their all day in and day out,” says Adrian finally. “That doesn’t go unnoticed and is felt throughout the community we have built together.” It’s the community that sets 180 Fitness apart and the reason behind the incredible success the team have had to date.

Contact: Adrian Delorey Company: 180 Fitness Web Address: www.180fitness.ca Telephone: 0016137492267

GHP / Fitness & Nutrition Awards 2019 21

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