First virtual Fitness Trainer Competition winners revealed

AoC Sport is pleased to announce the 2020 winners of the first virtual AoC Sport Fitness Trainer Competition, sponsored by Active IQ.

We are proud to be one of only two skills from the WorldSkills UK competition who were able to move their entire competition digitally and deliver for the whole 2020 cycle.

We were able to reflect the shift to online exercise during lockdown to allow the next generation of personal trainers to compete and showcase their talent.

Results

The national winner of the competition was Anne Chinoy, from Trafford College.

Anne is a dedicated personal trainer specialising in running and injury prevention for runners. She recently made a career change and completed her Level 3 Personal Trainer with Trafford College and now manages her own personal training business Run PT.

Finishing in second place was Hazel Madoc-Sutton, also from Trafford College, closely followed by Catherine Spencer of Coleg Gwent.

Catherine also won the judges special mention award for her unwavering positivity and commitment she brought to the competition at every stage and for her ability to connect with her clients.

Winning the media award for his show-stopping promotional video was Coleg Gwent student James Allen.

Anne Chinoy said: “I was launching my Run PT business just before lockdown began, and without this competition to keep me focused, I would probably have put everything on hold.

“Thanks to the competition, I have been inspired to adapt my business to fit with current guidelines and have launched a new ‘5K improvers course’ featuring weekly Zoom sessions, and socially distanced outdoor interval training for groups of up to 5. Read Anne's personal journey here.

Head Judge Karen Stanton said: “The trophy really could have gone to anyone in the group such was the outstanding cohort of competitors in this unusual year. However, right from the start with the submission of creative and concise plans, Anne started strongly and her performance across all the elements was very consistent.

Anne showed she really knows what her clients want and built a business to answer those needs with every aspect considered. She is an absolute professional and I wish her the best for what is bound to be a very bright future indeed.”

Background

The finals took place from 17 to 23 October, with 10 finalists completing a variety of tasks which were assessed by our expert team of judges against a set assessment criteria.

The national finals consisted of pre-competition submissions:

• Promotional video about their personal trainer service
• Home equipment demonstration to be used on social media using household objects
• A 12-week progressive plan for a client of their choice

During the finals week:

• Run a PT session with a client/s on zoom (this had to be a different session to what was delivered in the virtual heats)
• Re-demonstrate their home equipment demonstration live through zoom
• Discuss/ present their business understanding to the judges through zoom
• Attend a recruitment interview with a mid-sized leisure employer
• Take part in media interviews to promote themselves and their involvement in the competition.