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Staci Alden is a seasoned Group Fitness Manager, presenter, writer, strategic planner (both digital and in-person offerings) and entrepreneur. Staci is committed to helping group fitness managers and club operators elevate their programs, talent and leadership skills. Her clients range from large luxury health clubs and international companies to small studios. She has designed world class studios, launched signature formats and built turnkey solutions for enhancing systems, leaders and talent. Staci is also a master Balanced Body® barre and MOTR® instructor. |
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Madalene Aponte – Zumba Education Specialist for 14 years. Fitness presenter and educator with 30+ years of experience. Originally from Puerto Rico living in Puyallup, Wa. Madalene is also the Lead ZES for the Zumba Toning format and 10 year presenter at ZINCON. Proud mother of 3 and former Olympic athlete for TaeKwon-do. Puerto Rico female team. |
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Leslee Bender 2020 IDEA Personal Trainer of the Year NASM, ACSM, FAFS, PMA, FIA, has been in the Fitness Industry for over 30 years as an international speaker and presenter. Leslee is the creator of the Bender Ball Method of safe functional training and director of I am Ageless Now, co- creator of Barre Above Leslee works and trains both professional athletes and clients in Orlando FL, |
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Phil Berry grew up playing sports and always had an interest in getting better off the field by getting stronger, faster. While studying architecture at UW, he was coaching and working at a gym learning from some of Seattle’s best trainers. He started doing some strength and conditioning with high school sports teams to help them in the off season and after a few years He realized this was what he wanted to do. He transferred to WSU to pursue a degree in kinesiology and study strength and conditioning.
Over the last 15 years he has worked with athletes as young as 3 and as old as 75. The thing he really enjoys is helping people get better. For one person getting better might be becoming a top 1% athlete and for another it might be standing up from a chair without assistance. He really enjoys working with goal-oriented people and the goal doesn’t matter as much as the desire to get there, and helping people do that is something he finds fulfilling. He has been working at Athletic Form for six years. After six years, three locations and a 700% growth of the team (500% in the last year), Phil has really enjoyed bringing their style of fitness to those who might not seek it out on their own. Barbells and strength training aren’t always the most welcoming environment for everyone, but at Athletic Form we try to make everyone feel comfortable going through the style of strength training that is often reserved for pro athletes. |
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Adia Callahan is a lover of life, people, and experiences. As a Health and Wellness coach, Adia has found not only her passion but also her purpose. “I exist to urge and support others in finding their freedom to pursue their health and wellness needs/goals.” Adia is the owner/founder of See Me Wellness, which is making wellness a priority for professional Black Women. While loving all things movement base, Adia trains and instructs in various formats such as Pilates, Barre, and strength training. Adia is also a coach for Struct Club, creating music-inspired app-based classes. Even with her vast experiences and endeavors which include building a business, launching a podcast – Sweaty Edges, chairing a non-profit board – Project Girl Mentoring Program, and her work with WIFA – as a West Coast Global Ambassador; Adia is always focusing on her purpose. A wife, mother, entrepreneur, and a champion of one’s ability to take control of their wellness, Adia is living each day with a purpose. |
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Jennifer Cepeda has been dancing, performing & teaching dance in Seattle for 25 years, training at Westlake Dance Center and performing with Kari Lee Florentine’s Hip Hop Crew In-Effect in the 90’s & Early 2000’s. Jennifer has been teaching in the Seattle Area at Community Fitness and at her own classes in West Seattle and Fremont. She is also the Art Director at Community Fitness, and a luxury fitness retreat leader for Fit & Fly Girl. She’s been teaching Dance Fitness since 2010 and with her creative background and choreography skills, decided to develop her own brand, DancePowered. A personally choreographed, dance fitness class with music & movement ranging from hip hop, pop, mixed with many other influences. Passionate about encouraging her students of all levels, from complete beginner, to experienced dancer, to embrace new dance experiences, movement and music, Jennifer has also used her unique set of talents, to produce incredible performance experiences for her students, including flashmob & video performances, which she choreographs, directs and produces. |
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Medora Cesarano began teaching dance fitness over 25 years ago out of her love for dancing, coaching and choreographing. She has worked with numerous high schools, colleges and professional teams including her time as an NBA cheerleader with the Portland Trailblazers and the WNBA hip hop squad. Medora branded “Dance Club” as a high energy, easy to follow dance fitness format and has spread her infectious enthusiasm for dance fitness across the country and internationally including teaching in Luxembourg, Germany and Italy. Medora is a former Lululemon Ambassador and a Presenter at the IDEA World Convention in 2014 and 2020. |
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Yvette Class has been in the aquatic environment for over twenty years and 10 years teaching aquatic fitness formats. Currently, Yvette teaches aquatic fitness classes including Acquapole Boxing with Liquid Gym Toolkits with Indigo Aquatics, Aqua Jump, Aqua Cross Training, Drum Vives, Aqua Cycling and traditional water fitness for seniors. She also specializes in Adaptive Swimming and water exercises for special needs. Yvette is very proud to be part of the American Red Cross Lifeguard Instructor and WSI, Silver Sneakers , Swim Angelfish swim Whisperer , Starfish Aquatic Institute, StarGuard Elite, AEA and ATRI member. |
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Katy Coffey is an AFAA Certified Group Exercise Instructor, an AEA Aquatic Training Specialist, Master Trainer with Aqua Body Strong & S’WET and holds a collective of 15 additional fitness certifications for both land and aquatic fitness training
Teaching aquatic fitness in and around Boston, Massachusetts. She’s been working in aquatics management since 2002. She currently holds Instructor Training certifications for the American Red Cross, ASHI and YUSA |
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Ellen de Werd is a 21-year, fitness industry veteran. She is the founder of WARRIOR Rhythm™ and WARRIOR Strength™. In 2018 and 2019, prior to the launch of WARRIOR Instructor Academy, Ellen garnered national attention as a presenter and educator for Beachbody. In 2021 her WARRIOR formats spread internationally to 9 countries. She re-entered the conference scene with WARRIOR, taking the nation by storm. Ellen is the Fitness Director at the Downtown Athletic Club and a Lululemon Ambassador in Eugene. |
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Shannon Fable, 2013 IDEA and 2006 ACE Instructor of the Year, has spent more than two decades helping impressive brands such as Anytime Fitness, Schwinn®, Power Systems, ACE, Silver Sneakers, FIT4MOM and BOSU® as a fitness business and programming consultant. An experienced educator, freelance writer, and certified Book Yourself Solid® Business Coach, she helps fitness entrepreneurs navigate the industry and make more money. Fable serves on the ACE Board of Directors and is the co-founder of GroupEx PRO®, a cloud-based group fitness management tool. |
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Rebecca Garity Pinto is a well respected fitness industry expert, guiding brands to deliver their experiences in-person and online. Most recently, she led the IDEA World Convention. In 2020, she launched her thriving virtual group fitness studio, Studio Group X, and is helping fitness professionals all over the US take control of their careers and create their own virtual and online solutions for their clients and communities they serve. ACE Certified. |
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Lauren George is the Co-Creator of the Enhanced Barre Above Program, owner of Clemson Fitness Company, adjunct faculty for Clemson University and a Master Trainer for Balletone. She has had a love for movement since a young age and earned her Bachelor’s degree in Sport Management from Texas A&M University and Master’s Degree in Recreation and Leisure Studies from University of North Texas. She was named EMPOWER! Fusion Education Partner of the Year in 2018. Lauren has had the pleasure of leading the group fitness programs at The Baylor Tom Landry Fitness Center, Florida State University, and Todd Pilates and Fitness. Most of all, Lauren is passionate about helping participants understand that fitness can be FUN! |
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Kim Gray is a certified yoga therapist, yoga teacher, personal trainer, and studio owner. She empowers students toward a healthier, centered life using exercise principles and yoga teachings. Kim is also a Senior Master Trainer for YogaFit Worldwide and leads yoga teacher trainings in the US and abroad. |
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Vicki Hatch Moen has been in dance and fitness since a young age and has never stopped. After graduating from the University of Washington with degrees in Dance and Kinesiology, she moved to New York City to further her dance training and began teaching group fitness. Vicki is an ACE, AFAA & NASM continuing education provider, Balletone® Master Trainer, GFM at The SeattleGYM and co-owner of Total Body Tabata®; a HIIT(high-intensity interval training) group fitness and instructor training certification program. Her many certifications include ACE Group Fitness and PT, Balletone®, Barre Above®, BODYPUMP®, BODYSTEP®, TRX®, Gravity® and Strong® by Zumba. As a Master Trainer for Balletone, Vicki gets to teach everything she loves about fitness and dance, in one amazing program. |
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Michelle Leachman, M.S. is determined to move others towards discovery through inspiration, education and motivation. Passionate about creating meaningful team, client and mentoring experiences. Enthusiastic about diversity and equity in the workplace and strives to impact a positive change. She is an aspiring author in the framework of medical practices, a public speaker and movement-focused business professional. She earned her degrees in Science and Journalism. She is the oversight of the Department of Professional Education for the American Council on Exercise. She serves as an Global Ambassador for the Women in Fitness Association and FitBodies. She is a Master Coach for CORE Health and Fitness brands. Michelle can be found somewhere outside engaging in just about anything active. She enjoys hiking, strength training and anything with a touch of competition. |
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As a globally recognized fitness professional, Dan McDonogh has had leading roles in the industry with global brands such as Les Mills, TRX and Under Armour. Most recently he joined GoodLife Fitness as the Director of Program Performance & Les Mills Canada. He is the 2012 IDEA Group Fitness Instructor of the Year and was one of the three finalists for the IDEA Program Director of the Year in 2015. Dan specializes in Functional Fitness for all ages & abilities. |
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Rodney Morris is an industry veteran with 20 years of experience as an executive-level leader, innovation driver, and change and inclusion strategist within the fitness industry. Presently, Rodney serves as the Co-Founder/CEO of MyFitPod, Chief Strategy Officer for Hospice Care Partners, and as a Partner in Two Barons Enterprises, LLC. Previously, Rodney served as the Vice President of People Development and Inclusion for Fitness Connection, where he architected, developed, and implemented education, training, diversity, inclusion, and other culture/change management strategies for the organization. Over the years, Rodney has held leadership roles with many other notable fitness brands (including Gold’s Gym, 24 Hour Fitness, the YMCA, and Les Mills International). He also presented as an SME and fitness brand representative at global industry events such as Club Industry, IHRSA, and IDEA. Additionally, Rodney is a licensed trainer in Situational Leadership™, an experienced CRM/Social Media Marketing administrator, and a certified specialist in Integrated Talent Management through the Association for Talent Development (ATD). Through his passion for developing, motivating, and inspiring others, Rodney has helped many fitness businesses and independent fitness professionals successfully adapt and excel during times of hardship, change, and forced evolution.
More than anything, Rodney believes that creating pathways for more people to participate in and excel as practitioners of “fitness” is the key to unlocking our potential as industry and to protecting our future. Whenever possible, Rodney enjoys playing golf, spending time with his husband Rob, and their fur babies (Shug, Harpo, Mister, Maggie, and Gus). |
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Tricia Murphy Madden is a 29-year industry veteran and 2021 IDEA Fitness Leader Of The Year. Tricia is the National Education Director for Savvier Fitness and the co-creator of Barre Above with over 85 master trainers and over 5600 trained instructors worldwide. She is the co-author and creator of a children’s book and fitness program called, The ABC’s of Exercise sold worldwide. Tricia sits on the IDEA Group Fitness Committee and is known for her numerous programs developed over the past 29 years. |
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Bruce Mylrea/ BA in Economics / ECornell certified in Plant Based Nutrition / AFPA certified Holistic Nutritional Councilor. He spends hours each day reviewing the latest in unbiased nutritional research. Bruce is focused and passionate in educating others on the life enhancing and life extending benefits of whole food plant based nutrition. Bruce is the SCW male presenter of the year for 2017 and also 2017 Life Time Achievement Award for CanFitPro. Bruce and Mindy have worked together for 11 years in the fitness and wellness industry and present both fitness programming and nutritional education together. |
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Mindy Mylrea – Mindy Mylrea is the 2017 Life Time achievement Award Winner for CanFitPro , 2016 Empower Instructor of the Year, 2015 PFP Trainer of the Year. 2015 International Presenter of the Year, 2013 CanFitPro Specialty Presenter of the Year, 2008 ECA OBOW Fitness Presenter of the Year, the 2004 Can Fit Pro International Presenter of the Year, the 1999 International IDEA Fitness Instructor of the Year, a National and World Aerobic Champion, a 361 sponsored athlete, and a five star presenter for IDEA. Mindy is an advisory board member for Oxygen Magazine, an international presenter, author, motivational speaker, video personality, and CEC provider for both ACE and AFAA. Mindy is the creator and lead talent behind Gliding , the Gliding discs exercise program. She is a master trainer and on the pro development team for Schwinn Cycling, Body Bar, and Bosu. Mindy is the creator of Tabata Bootcamp that earned Most Impactful Program of 2013, and owner of FitFlix Productions DVD production services. . She has authored numerous articles and stars in over 400 instructional videos. Mindy is currently the host of Orbitrek Elite and 6 minutes to slim it infomercials. Mindy donates her time and talents regularly to numerous charities and nonprofit organizations. Mindy is the mother of three boys, been married for 32 years, and lives in Santa Cruz, California. Bruce and Mindy have worked together for 11 years in the fitness and wellness industry and present both fitness programming and nutritional education together. |
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Dr. Dan Ritchie is the president and co-founder of the Functional Aging Institute and a best selling author of Never Grow Old! With over 20 years experience in the field and having trained over 2,000 clients over age 55. Dan received his PhD at Purdue University in Kinesiology with a minor in Gerontology. In addition Dan leads a team of 7 trainers at Miracles Fitness a personal training studio with an average age clientele over 62. In addition to being an international speaker on the topic of aging and fitness Dan has also been involved in research on Alzheimers and Parkinsons. |
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Amanda Scales has chosen education and fitness as a career since 1990. She started programming and teaching group fitness at Western Washington University. She worked towards her masters in teaching shortly after graduating with her bachelors in Cultural Anthropology with a minor in Sociology and Psychology. She was an elementary educator for 8 years before deciding to dive full time into fitness. Education and fitness are her passion. Currently, she is educating youth and adults leading group fitness classes and workshops for Les Mills® as an International Master Trainer/Presenter and TRX® as a Course Instructor. She is ACE and AFAA certified. |
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Jason Schneider is a professional endurance and multisport coach with certifications in triathlon, running, cycling, distance and masters swimming. A 5x Ironman with over 18 years personal triathlon, cycling, ultra-distance, marathon and multi-stage racing, Jason translates his experiences – the fundamentals of training and endurance racing – into exciting, challenging, high-intensity, goal and results-oriented indoor training and group fitness classes. ACE & AFAA Certified Instructor, CrossFit Certified Coach, and Master Instructor for Schwinn Indoor Cycling, StarTrac Cardio, Stairmaster HIIT and Nautilus Strength. Jason is also the North America Ambassador for cycling software company Intelligent Cycling and trained is many functional strength modalities including ViPR, Kettlebells, TRX and IndoRow. Jason believes that fitness, strength and health should be more than just aesthetics; these are the building blocks of injury prevention, energy and longevity. Jason is the founder and head coach for TriTrain Endurance Coaching and has 15 years experience as a fitness instructor and sr. level regional manager across both big-box fitness clubs and boutique facilities. |
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Chris Severs is the founder of Anchor Point Training, he has trained and shared ideas with coaches, educators and innovators across the USA and Canada since 2010. Chris has been influenced by athletic trainers with a wide variety from martial arts, hockey, football and rugby to ballet. He’s presented Anchor Point Training workshops in over 30 states and 5 provinces. Chris has created education programs with the Functional Aging Institute since 2014. He has worked with therapists with needs involving both neurological and physical rehabilitation. The Anchor Point Training education program has been accredited by a variety of Canadian and American certifying bodies since 2015. In 2021 Chris introduced the Neuro Cross Training Theory and published Volume One of Neuro Cross Training – Exercises and
Workouts with Suspension Straps and Anchored Elastic Resistance. Volume 2 of Neuro Cross Training – Exercises and Workouts with Elastic Resistance Loops is scheduled to publish Summer 2022. In 2022 The 2nd edition of the Anchor Point Training Program will be released and offered as a stand alone certification and as part of continuing education for other programs. |
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Dr Emily Splichal, Functional Podiatrist and Human Movement Specialist, is the Founder of EBFA Global , Creator of the Barefoot Training Specialist® Certification, Author of Barefoot Strong and Inventor of Naboso Barefoot Technology. With over 20 years in the fitness industry, Dr Splichal has dedicated her medical career towards studying postural alignment and human movement as it relates to barefoot science, foot to core integration and sensory integration. |
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Doris Thews is an International award winning Fitness Educator including 2019 World IDEA Fitness Instructor of the year. She is the CEO of Team Thews Fitness consulting. Doris leads and presents for various several fitness brands. Senior Master Trainer and Global Mentor for Schwinn and is on the International Development Master Trainer team for BOSU and Hedstrom Fitness. Doris is the CEO off Team Thews Fitness, which consults several leading brands on business, program development and strategy. In addition to presenting and lecturing internationally, she is also a Keynote speaker. She is known for her motivation and athletic coaching style. RYKA Fit-Pro Ambassador. |
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After graduating from California State University, Long Beach with a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology, Tyler Valencia turned an undergraduate internship with the National Exercise & Sports Trainers Association (NESTA) into a full-time position. Throughout his time at NESTA, he excelled at several positions, developed his skill set with online instructional design, and eventually accepted an executive position with the National Council for Certified Personal Trainers (NCCPT) & Smart Fitness. After working for NCCPT, Tyler decided to start his own online health and fitness company and founded the Kinesiology Institute for Performance Specialists (KIPS). Since 2016, KIPS has been selling and developing online and live education for health and fitness professionals. In 2020, Tyler decided to re-start his first-ever entrepreneurial quest and relaunched Time 2 Train Fitness, an online exercise platform which specializes in live and on demand workouts for those wanting to workout at-home. Tyler holds both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Kinesiology and will be completing his PhD in Health and Human Performance later this year. |
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Helen Vanderburg, BPE, Exercise Physiology, co-owner of The ACADEMY, fitness, yoga and spin studio, author of Fusion Workouts and Commercial Fitness Education Manager for Balanced Body. Canada’s Presenter of the Year and CanFitPro 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award recipient for her dedication, leadership and innovation worldwide. IDEA Program Director, Presenter of the Year and the 2018 Top Industry Contributor. Recognized as a Women of Vision and one of Canada’s most influential people. An elite athlete as a World Champion synchronized swimmer and inductee to the Canadian and International Sports Hall of Fame. |
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Andrea Velazquez has been immersed in the Aquatics Industry for over 25 years. She is a Recreation Supervisor for the City of Yonkers and Creator of AVAQUATICS. She is Master Trainer for many aquatic specialties, representing Acquapole, SAF Aqua Drums Vibes and HydroRevolution. She holds numerous certifications including AEA Fitness Professional, Aqua Vida Floating Yoga, Tsunami Fitness Boards, and RM Medically Based Aquatics. She is a StarGuard Instructor and Starfish Aquatics Institute Swim School Instructor Trainer. She is a Presenter at the NYS Parks and Recreation Conferences, SUNY Cortland (her alma mater) Recreation Conference, DCAC Fitness Convention, Aquatic Therapy Rehab Institute (ATRI), Association of Aquatic Professional Conference (AOAP), and SCW Fitness Mania Fitness Conferences. |
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Janelle Veteri – With over 20 years in the Health and Fitness industry, Janelle is known for her inspiring classes and motivational coaching techniques. Janelle is a Master Trainer for Core Health and Fitness representing Schwinn and StairMaster HITT training. Her athletic background includes competing in bicycle track, road, & criterium races, triathlons from sprint to Ironman distances and 12 marathons to date.
Janelle’s professional highlights include: |