Deciding to work with a personal trainer is a big step and a hugely personal decision; you need to know that we’re the people to help you achieve your goals and more! Below are the biographies of all our amazing trainers
Craig O’Toole BSc (Hons)
“I’ve been personal training for about 8 years after graduating university with a Sports Science Degree. I’m very lucky to be able to say that I love what I do for a living! I’ve had the privilege of helping many people lose weight and get in the shape of their lives as well as preparing for Marathons, Triathlons and Adventure Races.
I’ve helped numerous clients rehabilitate from severe back, knee and shoulder injuries, and see them go onto more than they could’ve imagined. I’ve worked with clients suffering from Autism, Fibromyalgia, Cancer, Heart Disease, Diabetes, Achondroplasia, DVT and Depression, as well as helping pre & post natal mums stay fit and healthy.
I currently provide strength and conditioning support to Tabard Rugby Club and health and wellness support to several local businesses. I’m also a consultant for Runners World, Men’s Health, Zest, Fitpro and Optima Magazines as well as appearing on BBC Radio as a fitness expert.
I’m regularly attending courses and conventions to stay at the cutting edge of the fitness industry and love learning, for me this is one of the best parts of my job – my wife calls me a nerd! I work closely with top practitioners in physio therapy, massage therapy, acupuncture, osteopathy and reflexology. We work as a virtual team to ensure we can provide clients with a variety of services where necessary.
My current area of interest and study is the effect the mind and emotions have on health and weight loss. I’ve completed several course on Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) and Though Field Therapy (TFT) with the aim of continuing to study the incredible power of the mind to aid my clients.
Outside of work I’m pretty active as you’ve probably guessed, I enjoy running, squash, football, golf, and lifting weights. I’m a big film fan and love going to the cinema. I’ve generally always got my head in a book and love learning new things. At some point I’d love to learn to play the guitar but that might have to wait until retirement.”
Malin Ericsson BSc (Hons)
“In my home country of Sweden I worked as a nurse in a hospital and in the gym in my spare time teaching body pump, spinning and gym instruction. My interest in resistance training spurred me on to take my gym instructor course in Stockholm and just a couple of weeks later I moved to London, where I started work as a Personal Trainer. I still felt that I needed to learn more about exercise and fitness, so I enrolled at the University of Westminster to study Sports and Exercise Science, where I received a First Class Honours Degree.
During my studies I continued to work with clients training them in parks and in their homes, helping them to lose weight and get in shape. After graduating I continued to work with clients and continued to improve my knowledge by becoming a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. In 2006 I had my first baby girl and realised that there was a shortage of fitness options for mums, where babies were welcome too. As a result of this I started Jogga Momma, which proved to be a very popular class.
My main passions are sport specific training, nutrition, metabolic conditioning, weight loss and kettlebell training. Next on my list of courses are Pilates and Powerclub training. My personal interest include; baking, healthy nutrition, reading cookbooks and watching cooking programmes. I enjoy training and trying new exercises and equipment that I can incorporate into my clients programmes. I also enjoy travelling and taking my girls to experience new places. My long term ambition is to share my knowledge and passion by teaching personal training, fitness and sports science.”
Sam Harper (NVQ L3)
“Ever since a young age I’ve been obsessed by being outside and being active. I wasn’t one for computer games and TV, I was always out, playing any sports possible ranging from football, rugby, golf and even Gaelic Football!
With all of that the natural progression for me was starting work in the fitness industry and later Personal Training. I’ve been Personal Training now for 4 years and I’ve loved every second of it!
I have worked for a several Personal Training companies and gyms allowing me to build a broad range of experience, by working with a variety of different clients with different goals. I’ve also had the privilege of working in partnership with the NHS helping clients with issues such as high cholesterol, chronic arthritis, high blood pressure and much more. Recently I have focused on training my clients outside as much as possible as I feel you can’t beat the combination of fresh air, natural light and exercise for making you feel good.
My main passion in training is high intensity, fast moving sessions to really feeling the burn, and see the results come fast. I enjoy body weight training, and pride my self on being able to provide a fun, varied and effective workout little more than some open space – there’s no need to spend money on the gym or equipment if you train with me! One of the best parts about being a Personal Trainer is seeing a clients reactions when they surpass their goals and set new ones they never thought possible.
Outside of work I keep my self very busy, I have played football at semi-professional level and still try to play as much as possible now, I also enjoy running, rugby and as much golf as I can fit in!”
Emma Reid BSc (Hons)
“As a personal trainer I have worked with many people who want to lose weight or change their body shape, using various training methods and individualized nutrition coaching. I enjoy helping people to change their behavior and attitudes towards food and exercise, to achieve their goals and improve their general well-being. I have also helped clients prepare for running events and those with more specific fitness goals.
Obviously I love to train! I now mainly train with weights, but I think variation is key so I use ViPR and kettle bells to challenge myself in different ways, and make sure training is never dull! I use this approach with my clients to create sessions that are effective and enjoyable!
To relax I enjoy getting outdoors, a good book or film and horse riding. I like to keep studying and learning to provide the best advice to clients. I am particularly interested in gaining a level 4 Master Personal Trainer qualification and attending a Behavioral Change course soon.
Being active has always been a big part of my life, so this is the best job for me. At university I loved to run and started training and competing in distances from 10k, up to marathon. It was during this training that I became increasingly interested in the different aspects of fitness and nutrition, and started to look towards the fitness industry as a career path, to turn my passion into a career. After university I went for it and qualified as a personal trainer. I started off personal training clients for a well known gym as well as instructing classes (may favorite to teach was spinning). I then moved on to training clients in their own homes to help them achieve their health and fitness goals even if they don’t enjoy the gym.”
