Meet the fitscape team

Stan Blair - Personal trainer

Stan began his career in the fitness industry in 1994. In 2000, Stan joined the fitness team at London's prestigious Harbour Club on a freelance basis, teaching classes and training clients one to one. Stan has a reputation as being a versatile trainer with bags of enthusiasm and is keen to bring a sense of achievement and success to all his clients. Recently Stan has trained in Pilates and is a Level 1 C. H. E. K Practitioner (Corrective High performance Kineisiology). Stan has played a number of sports to a high standard and boasts tennis and golf as his most recent sporting passions. Stan's areas of expertise are in weight management, strength and stability training and lifestyle coaching.

John Brierley - Personal trainer

John is a Senior Lecturer and Programme Leader for Sport, Coaching and Physical Education at Oxford Brookes University. He has previously lectured at Brunel University in London (Sports Psychology and Coaching Science) as well as at Baylor University in Texas (Health and Physical Education). He provided football-specific conditioning support at West Ham United, Crystal Palace and Queens Park Rangers for a decade and was full-time Fitness Coach for Birmingham City in the Premier League for a further 4 years. Previously he was an international triple jumper and Great Britain team manager at 6 World Student Games. More recently he was Team Manager of the England Athletics Team at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester and has been selected Team Leader for the same team at the 2010 Games in Delhi this October.

Andy Brodziak - Personal trainer

His clients include a range of ages and abilities which has contributed to his experience. Having represented both Great Britain and South Africa in Triathlon at the World Championships, he also does Triathlon coaching for beginners and intermediate levels.

Andy's philosophy is that having fun is crucial - without enjoyment nothing else matters.

Nik Cook - Personal trainer

Nik's career in health and fitness began at Bristol University where he attained a BSc. Hons in Psychology and a postgraduate degree in Health and Exercise Science. After moving to London in 1998 and becoming a successful personal trainer, Nik also became involved in ultra and adventure racing. Notable events he has completed include The Thames Meander (52 mile non-stop run), Peak Marathon, Lands End to John O Groats cycle, Three Peaks Challenge, Marathon des Sables (150 mile self-sufficient six day race across the Moroccan Sahara) and the Himalayan 100 Mile Stage Race once running and once on mountain bike (100 miles in 5 days at an average altitude of 11,500ft). He has also paced the London Marathon three times for Runners World Magazine successfully leading round the 3:30 and 4:00 group. His marathon PB is 2:48.

George Dick - Personal trainer

George graduated from St Mary’s University in Twickenham with a BSc (Hons) Degree in Sports Science and Biology, and has now spent over 20 years within the fitness industry. He has proven an extremely effective and motivational personal trainer over the years, with a wide base of expertise. He was senior fitness coach at Crystal Palace FC before becoming a senior trainer at Matt Roberts in Mayfair training many high profile clients. In the last few years his addiction to skiing lead him to become a BASI ski instructor in Zermatt in Switzerland. George’s philosophy to training ensures fun, effective, holistic solutions to every client’s goals.

Tom Harrigan - Personal trainer

Whilst studying sports and exercise, Tom played rugby at semi-professional level for UWIC and Cardiff. His studies focused on exercise physiology, measurement and evaluation of physical fitness and sports performance. In recent times, Tom has focused on health related fitness and conditioning, working closely with people to enhance their true fitness potential.

James Larkin - Personal trainer

James has been coaching clients to reach their personal best in the fields of fitness , nutrition and lifestyle for 13 years working particularly on body fat reduction, and in areas where his one to one approach achieves the best results, particularly in strength training and high intensity cardio vascular workouts .He backs up the ability to inspire others to meet their own personal bests with YMCA & A.C.S.M Qualifications in personal training, nutrition and lifestyle counselling and regularly trains a series of high profile business personalities. James also holds specialist qualifications in post/anti natal fitness training and is considered an expert in this field.

Nick Mays - Personal trainer

Nick is an enthusiastic and motivating trainer dedicated to helping his clients achieve their goals. Since the turn of the millennium he has achieved high levels of qualification with ACSM, NASM and a Diploma in Exercise and Health Management. Nick is based in Chelsea where he specialises in weight management, strength and conditioning as well as functional core based exercises around a strong postural framework. He’s a keen sportsman having played to a high level in rugby and tennis. His professionalism, commitment and passion to fitness has enabled him to train a variety of clients, including high profile celebrities and international royalty.

Winston Squire - Personal trainer

Elizabeth Banks BSc (Hons.) CSCS - Personal trainer

Elizabeth has a degree in Sport Science and has worked in the fitness profession for 10 years. She leads clients in her belief that everyone is able to improve their health and fitness today and every day. Specialities include functional training, strength and conditioning, body weight and suspension training (TRX specialist), sport specific training, rehabilitation, and pre & postnatal training. Always keen to further her knowledge she is currently studying for a Diploma in FASTER Function.

Elizabeth enjoys tearing down the mountain on skis, board or bike, throwing left hooks and watching her clients succeed! She is a keen boxer and aspires to turn pro and has been fortunate to train with many professionals both here and stateside.

Andy Chambers - Personal trainer

Andy has been working in the fitness industry for over fifteen years and provides a unique style of personal training, combining the use of assessments that solve performance issues, martial arts conditioning and the latest fitness training techniques. Andy holds a BA Hons in Sport & Fitness Studies, Diplomas in Health & Fitness and Personal Training with the International Institute for Sports Therapists (IIST), and a 3rd Degree Black Belt in Taekwondo. Using his extensive knowledge, Andy has helped a wide range of clients to reach their goals quickly, whether it be to enhance their overall well-being, get back into shape after childbirth, develop their core conditioning, improve their flexibility & posture, or just increase their general health and fitness. And many of our guests love trying out some Taekwondo moves with Andy on our holidays!

Simon Stratton - Personal trainer

Fitness has played a central role in Simon’s life from a very early age. His career in different aspects of the fitness industry has spanned over 14 years. After completing his BA he moved to London to train at LAMDA and worked for a number of years as an actor. During this time, Simon also worked as a personal trainer before finally deciding to commit to a career in fitness. A CHEK Practitioner and Holistic Lifestyle Coach, Simon places a great deal of emphasis on all aspects of fitness and well-being, with a particular interest in functional training. Having grown up on the South coast, he is also a water sports enthusiast and keen diver. Simon also loves to ski and to help his clients to prepare for all different kinds of sporting ventures!

Craig Carroll - Personal trainer

Craig Carroll, has been working in the fitness industry for over 7 years and provides a cutting edge sports performance consultancy, training both high profile sporting athletes including international rugby, football, and track & field athletes, as well as fitness enthusiasts in and around London. With his depth of knowledge within sports performance, Craig has acquired a skill set that is second to none and works alongside some of the world's leading sport coaches, and is a regular writer for fitness magazines such as Men's Running, Runners World and Ultra fit. Craig specialises in strength and injury rehabilitation, and running coaching.

Nathalie Rosenberg - Personal trainer

Nathalie has spent many years as a professional dancer, exploring the world and finding inspiration for her training wherever she goes. As a result, she creates innovative classes that are fun, stimulating and effective. Her approach to fitness combines pilates, cardio, strength and flexibility. This mixture of techniques makes her training both fun and fulfilling on the weeks.

Steve Mellor - Personal trainer

Having gained a BSc in Sports Science from the University of Leeds before advancing his studies at Loughborough University where he obtained a MSc, and continued to lecture for a number of years.

Steve has written and delivered high performance conditioning programmes for a wide range of professional sports people and international athletes. Having also worked within the fitness industry for 10 years as an advanced personal trainer; his clients have ranged from increasing the endurance, performance and strength of Arctic explorers, working with marathon runners, developing weight-loss programmes.

Steve’s passion for outdoor exercise and his unprecedented motivation techniques have helped many achieve their goals. He firmly believes in applying simple and effective exercise strategies, as used in elite sport, to everyday exercisers. Steve is an elite rower, multiple marathon runner, and ultra-endurance athlete.

James Osborn - Personal trainer

James attended Loughborough University where he gained his BSc in Sports Science before going on to complete his MSc. Having represented England for a number of years playing hockey, James knows what it takes to train at the highest level and maintain peak fitness.

James works hard to fully understand clients needs and then specialises in generating bespoke fitness and nutrition plans that are achievable, enjoyable and realistic. The best aspect of working with James is his unrivalled passion for motivating others in achieving their goals.

Siobhann Royce - Personal trainer

Siobhann's clients are inspired by her fun, bubbly and passionate approach to training. She is dedicated to making sure her clients get the very best out of themselves on every level and that ultimately they really enjoy it. Her own achievements include ultra-endurance races such as Ironman triathlons, quadrathlons and the ultimate Sahara Marathon deemed the toughest footrace on earth which is a 6 day self-sufficient ultra marathon in the desert. She is a Level 3 Personal trainer and has a varied client base with an extensive variety of goals, including performance athletes, ante and post natal, injury and sickness rehabilitation, older adults and general health. Siobhann has gained extensive knowledge in her time as a freelance Personal Trainer, more recently in her role supporting a corrective practitioner with a Harley Street clinic. Other skills include movement & posture analysis, weight management, referred populations, functional sports specific training and endurance coaching. Siobhann is passionate about helping clients to embark on their own life-changing journey into the world of health, fitness and wellbeing.

Malcolm Coombes - Personal trainer

Malcolm, a Master Personal Trainer at Notting Hill Virgin Active, designs and delivers fitness programs on a 'need-meets-needs' basis relevant to his client's aspirations and achievable goals. He is well versed in the use and safe implementation of TRX (suspension training), Kettlebell, ViPR and Kickboxing training used as a stand-alone system or alongside the more traditional resistance and cardio-vascular training systems. He is a registered REPs level 4 and GP referral personal trainer with a specialist qualification in weight-management/obesity, type 1 and type 2 diabetes. He instructs "Zumba" classes in various locations throughout London and is a lead MOVTIME® 'the danceFITT experience' instructor. During his international career spanning 18 years in the entertainment industry travelling to all parts of the globe as a dancer, actor and singer, he also managed to instruct scuba diving courses as a N.A.U.I scuba diving instructor. At 38 years old, with all his career choices involving a broad to thorough understanding of the human body, its aesthetics and potential for good form, he aims to have you feeling energized, inspired and possibly exhausted, but always wanting more.

Lawrence Price - Personal trainer

Lawrence has a strong sporting background, most notably in rugby where he has represented Wales at Schools and Universities level while then going on to play in the Welsh Premiership for several years and also representing the Cardiff Blues A team. He has had the honour of playing with and against some of the top international and British and Irish Lions of today. When it comes to training others effectively, variety and enjoyment have always been high on the agenda. Over the years Lawrence has helped many people get their fitness levels to where they want to be, whether that be weight loss, building muscle, improving flexibility, achieving personal bests in sport, or building an overall healthier lifestyle…you name it! With over 5 years experience Lawrence has always believed that whatever your fitness level or objective, there is always an enjoyable and effective way to train.

Emily Bird - Manager

A passion for travel and culture led Emily to read Buddhism, Hinduism and Anthropology at Newcastle University.  Emily has travelled extensively in Asia and, eager to further her studies in Eastern traditions, embarked on a series of courses in healing and alternative practices. Now qualified for four years as a Reiki Master and with a keen interest in fitness, yoga and nutrition, Emily has been successfully hosting our holidays since 2007. She will guide you through your fitscape holiday, ensuring it runs smoothly from start to finish.

Amelia Freer - Manager

Amelia, a fitness enthusiast, worked in PR and event management for seven years and is ideally qualified to host fitscape holidays. She is also a nutritionist after graduating from the renowned Institute for Optimum Nutrition. Amelia’s passionate about good health and food, re-installing healthy eating routines and encouraging people to rediscover great tasting, fresh and seasonal food. After all, being fit and healthy is not just about taking exercise. Diet is extremely important too.

Nicola Seagroatt – Co-ordinator

Nicola is a languages graduate, and has lived and travelled extensively in Europe and the Far East. A keen yoga practitioner since 2005, Nicola has a genuine passion for the Indian subcontinent, and a keen interest in yoga philosophy, and holistic health / healthy living. A skier from an early age, she has skied in many of the European resorts, likes to keep fit and makes an annual pilgrimage to the slopes. Nicola is the latest recruit to the Fitscape office, has been with the team since the end of 2010 and will advise you on your booking and holiday, to ensure you book the ideal break and get the most out of your trip.

Petra Moxley – host & massage therapist

Petra has over 20 years experience as a qualified massage therapist and natural health practitioner. With a busy private practice in London, Petra tailors her treatments to meet the individual needs of her clients. By combining her skills as a therapeutic, remedial and sports massage therapist with cranial sacral techniques, kinesiology, plus her skill as a McTimoney Chiropractor, Petra's holistic and perceptive approach has consistently yielded results for her growing list of regular clients. Being a regular member of The Healthy Holiday Company team, and hosting a number of the trips as well, enables Petra to merge her love of travel with her passion for natural health. Her sensitivity to her clients' needs, coupled with her intuition and versatility, ensures guests have a truly invigorating experience.

Liz Fowler – massage therapist

Liz has 16 years experience as a qualified massage therapist, she is also a qualified Reflexologist and Reiki practioner as well as a Beauty therapist. During this time she has worked in Health and fitness Clubs and a luxury day spa in central London. She has a passion for natural health and wellbeing, with particular interest in the relationship between the mind, body and spirit. She likes to keep her work fresh with further training courses and has recently completed the Advanced Clinical Massage Certificate. To get the best treatment she will combine a variety of techniques to meet the individual needs of each client, balancing deep relaxation with more specific remedial, deep tissue work and stretching techniques. For the past seven years Liz has had a busy ʻmobileʼ practice in London offering treatments in the comfort and convenience of the clients home or at Matt Roberts Personnel Training Centre in Hampstead.

Hayley North - Chef

Hayley works as a Holistic Chef and is fully experienced in the world of retreat catering. After many years working in catering and teaching yoga, she has developed an approach to food that is grounded in nutrition, mindfulness, ethical sourcing of produce and creativity. Her intention is to provide menus that fully support and enhance the retreat process and that are vibrant, tasty and balanced.
She combines knowledge and wisdom from Chinese Medicine, Ayurveda, Macrobiotics, Natural Nutrition and Raw/Living Foods, alongside classical techniques and methods, to create a fresh new approach to the world of healthy cuisine.
Whilst Brighton based, Hayley travels worldwide providing yoga teaching, retreat catering, chef training, recipe development and classes/workshops in healthy eating and food consciousness.
More info at: www.hayleynorth.co.uk

Michael Arthur - Chef

Michael Arthur started his cooking career within the classic tradition of apprenticeship in the French kitchens of London. He took his papers through Westminster College before leaving catering for a career in the arts. After extensive and continuing traveling he rediscovered his cooking career in 2002 by opening and running a small organic restaurant in the foothills of the Pyrenees. This allowed him to sharpen his skills and define his style of healthy but tasty food. This transcended through to the next part of his career which was private cooking and started getting invited to cook in Italy, France, Spain and Morocco before choosing the Balearic island of Ibiza as his base.

Miranda Martin - Chef

Originally from Ireland, Miranda previously worked in the world of horse-racing and has now been a freelance chef for the last 15 years. Following extensive travels in Europe, the West Indies, north Africa, she has gained a wealth of experience along the way. Self-taught with a strong emphasis on using the best ingredients cooked simply and a deep-rooted interested in healthy-living, she was first introduced to in:spa while living in Marrakech and now divides her time cooking on both in:spa and fitscape holidays, and for leading catering companies in London and Directors Dining Rooms in the City.

Sara Kempton - Chef

Sara has over 20 years experience in the Catering industry. She worked at Finn's on Chelsea Green off the King's Road as a chef working her way up to a Manager of the business doing event catering for lunch, canape & dinner parties. In 2000 she opened her own Delicatessen & Outside Catering Company off Kensington High Street and sold to Otto Lenghi in 2006. In 2006 she moved to Winchester and continues with her Outside Catering work from home. She still proceeds to do a lot of events in London & the Home Counties.