SophieC.

Sophie had always worked in fitness — first as a receptionist at a leisure centre, then as a gym floor assistant. She knew the environment, understood the clients, and had watched enough PTs work to know what good coaching looked like. What she lacked was the formal qualification to do it herself.

She chose the Level 3 Personal Training route with IFE after a colleague recommended them. The deciding factor was simple: 'I had heard horror stories about large group courses where people passed without really knowing what they were doing. I did not want to be that person standing in front of a client without confidence.'

The one-to-one format suited her. Paris was her primary tutor and Sophie describes the sessions as genuinely challenging in the best way. 'She did not let me get away with surface-level answers. If I said I would cue something a certain way, she would ask me why. That pressure made me actually learn the material rather than just memorise it.'

Sophie now works full-time as a PT at Complete Fitness and has built a client base of regulars who have stayed with her from her first month. 'I think people can tell when a coach knows what they are talking about and when they are just going through the motions. The training I received meant I was never the latter.'

She still keeps in touch with Harry and Paris, and has recommended IFE to two friends who are now enrolled. 'That says everything, really. You only recommend something when you believe in it.'