The fitness industry in New Zealand continues to evolve, and the personal trainers leading the way in 2026 are doing far more than counting reps or chasing aesthetics.
They’re creating safer spaces, challenging outdated gym culture, prioritising education, and helping clients build strength, confidence, and long-term health in ways that genuinely fit real life.
From award finalists to first-year trainers making a serious impact, these are some of the personal trainers shaping the future of fitness in New Zealand – and absolutely ones to keep an eye on in 2026.
Hannah Mitchell
Based in: Wellington – Anytime Fitness Kent Terrace
Awards: Personal Trainer of the Year Finalist at the 2025 ExerciseNZ Awards
Hannah Mitchell is redefining what a personal trainer can look like – and that’s exactly why her work resonates with so many people.
She didn’t grow up loving exercise or feeling naturally athletic. In fact, for much of her life, the gym felt intimidating and out of reach. It wasn’t until her mid-20s, training for a trip to Europe, that she discovered strength training – and with it, a sense of belonging she’d never felt before.
Today, Hannah proudly shows up as herself in an industry that often pushes a narrow image of “fitness.” She states that her body type, background, and lived experience make her deeply relatable to clients who have previously felt excluded from gym spaces. She understands the fear, the self-doubt, and the pressure – and actively works to break those barriers down.
2025 highlight: Hannah was named a finalist at the Exercise New Zealand Awards for the third year in a row – including Up and Coming Personal Trainer of the Year (2023) and Personal Trainer of the Year (2024 & 2025). But what mattered most was the response from her peers: her colleagues surprised her by revealing “Hannah Mitchell Fan Club” t-shirts on awards night – a powerful reminder of the impact she’s made both professionally and personally.
Connect with Hannah: @hannahmitchell.pt
Brittany Day
Based in: Cambridge – Lead Personal Trainer at CityFitness Cambridge
Awards: Up and Coming Personal Trainer Finalist at the 2025 ExerciseNZ Awards
Brittany Day brings warmth, leadership, and a genuine people-first approach to everything she does.
Her coaching philosophy centres around making the gym feel like a place people belong – not somewhere they need to earn their right to be. Clients describe her as welcoming, supportive, and deeply invested in helping them feel comfortable, capable, and seen from day one. That approach hasn’t gone unnoticed.
2025 highlight: Within just a few months of starting at CityFitness Cambridge, Brittany stepped into the role of Lead Personal Trainer. She was also nominated and named a finalist for Up and Coming Personal Trainer at the 2025 ExerciseNZ Awards – a huge achievement that reflects both her leadership and impact early in her career.
Connect with Brittany: @britt.day.pt
Paddy Turnhout
Based in: Queenstown
Awards: Finalist for Personal Trainer of the Year at the 2025 ExerciseNZ Awards
For Paddy Turnhout, being a personal trainer goes far beyond training programs.
His work is rooted in creating spaces where people feel safe, included, and genuinely supported – especially when navigating hard conversations or life-changing decisions. Paddy believes that if he doesn’t have the answers a client needs, it’s his responsibility to go and find them.
That integrity shows up most clearly in the deeper transformations he helps facilitate.
2025 highlight: One of Paddy’s most meaningful breakthroughs this year came when a client chose to give up alcohol. Drawing from his own personal journey, Paddy supported his client through a difficult but life-altering change – proving that real coaching impact often happens far beyond the gym floor.
Connect with Paddy: @paddy_turnhout
Lauren Candy
Based in: Wellington
Lauren Candy is the definition of real-life strength – and her clients feel that immediately.
A mum of four, juggling multiple jobs, Lauren understands the mental load, chaos, exhaustion, and self-doubt that many women carry – because she lives it too. Her clients say what makes her truly unique is that she gets it – and shows, through her own actions, that strength and self-care are still possible in demanding seasons of life.
Lauren blends deep knowledge of women’s health with education-led coaching, ensuring clients understand their bodies rather than simply chasing aesthetics. Her sessions are empowering, high-energy, cheeky, and fun – but never at the expense of results.
2025 highlight: After qualifying in late 2024, Lauren built a client base of 50 clients in under 12 months, all while working part-time, raising four children, and managing another job. Her biggest achievement hasn’t been numbers alone – it’s watching women fall in love with training, gain confidence, and feel empowered simply walking into the gym.
Connect with Lauren: @muscle.mummie_s
Derek Albertson
Based in: Christchurch (Ōtautahi) – In-person & Online
Derek Albertson brings clarity, confidence, and structure to coaching – and it’s a big reason his clients trust the process so deeply.
He prides himself on understanding the value he brings, and communicating that clearly to his clients. This creates buy-in, consistency, and long-term adherence – all of which lead to better outcomes for his clients.
Derek also has a strong background in injury rehabilitation and prevention. In 2025 alone, he supported three ACL clients – both reconstructed and non-reconstructed – back to full recovery within 10 months, restoring confidence and quality of life many thought was lost.
2025 highlight: Derek experienced significant organic growth in his online coaching, allowing him to work with clients across New Zealand and internationally. Expanding his reach while maintaining personalised, structured coaching has been one of his proudest achievements, and a strong foundation heading into 2026.
Connect with Derek: @derekalbertsen
Jesse Petterson
Based in: Auckland – Jetts Eden Terrace & Online
Awards: Personal Trainer of the Year Finalist at the 2025 Exercise New Zealand Awards
Jesse Petterson’s mission is simple but powerful: helping people feel body confident – not just lean.
He works primarily with busy professionals, guiding them to move pain-free, feel strong, and enjoy the process of training. For Jesse, body confidence isn’t about hitting extreme body fat percentages – it’s about being proud of how your body moves, feels, and functions day to day.
2025 highlight: Jesse was named a finalist for Personal Trainer of the Year at the 2025 Exercise New Zealand Awards, standing among thousands of eligible trainers nationwide. While he didn’t take home the title this year, he’s already set his sights firmly on 2026.
Connect with Jesse: @ptjessep
Tania Horton
Based in: Blenheim – Online & International via The Aquatic PT App
Awards: Personal Trainer of the Year Finalist at the 2025 Exercise New Zealand Awards
Tania Horton is redefining what effective, results-driven training can look like – without a gym in sight!
As a specialist in water-based training, Tania works with clients who want to build strength, fitness, and mobility in a way that’s joint-friendly, accessible, and genuinely sustainable. Her programs are highly structured and thoughtfully designed, making them ideal for people who don’t enjoy traditional gym environments, are managing joint concerns, or simply want a smarter way to train.
What sets Tania apart is her ability to combine evidence-based programming with an alternative training environment – proving that meaningful physical change doesn’t have to be high-impact or intimidating to be effective.
2025 highlight: Tania was named a finalist in the Exercise New Zealand Awards – Personal Trainer category, recognising the professionalism, impact, and results she delivers both in person and through The Aquatic PT app. Her work continues to expand access to quality coaching for clients across New Zealand and internationally.
Connect with Tania: @the_aquatic_pt
Jess Fajardo
Based in: Central Auckland – Online & Remote Coaching Worldwide
Awards: Up & Coming Personal Trainer of the Year Finalist at the 2025 Exercise New Zealand Awards
Jess Fajardo is the kind of personal trainer who makes people feel instantly at ease – and that’s exactly where transformation begins.
Her greatest strength lies in her relatability and people skills. Jess openly embraces the reality that life isn’t perfect – and neither is progress. She leads with authenticity, humour, and compassion, meeting clients exactly where they’re at and walking alongside them through every stage of their health and fitness journey.
Jess “walks the talk” of being perfectly imperfect, creating a coaching environment where clients feel supported through setbacks, celebrations, and everything in between. This approach has helped her build a deeply connected, committed client base – both in Auckland and around the world through her coaching app.
2025 highlight: Jess was awarded Exercise New Zealand’s ‘Up & Coming Personal Trainer of the Year’ – a national industry accolade recognising her impact, professionalism, and leadership early in her career. While the award itself was a standout moment, Jess credits her greatest success to her clients – their mindset shifts, physical progress, and willingness to grow. A true reflection of coaching done well.
Connect with Jess: @thefajardofitness
Sarah Gammage
Based in: New Plymouth, Taranaki
Sarah Gammage brings a refreshingly grounded, human approach to personal training – one that prioritises both physical strength and mental wellbeing.
Her coaching focuses on functional, varied movement that translates into real life, not just the gym mirror. There are no cookie-cutter workouts here – instead, Sarah creates training that supports strength, balance, and consistency, while also respecting headspace and energy levels.
Fitness with Sarah is relaxed, realistic, and enjoyable. She doesn’t believe training needs to be overly serious or rigid to be effective – it should be something clients actually want to show up for. This mindset has helped her clients build sustainable habits, confidence in movement, and a healthier relationship with exercise.
2025 highlight: Sarah’s biggest personal achievement came from completing a half marathon as a self-described non-runner. Stepping far outside her comfort zone reinforced one of her core coaching beliefs: progress doesn’t come from being “naturally good” – it comes from showing up, staying consistent, and committing to the process (with a touch of humour and mild delusion along the way).
Connect with Sarah: @sarah_g_pt
Shannon Hawkey
Based in: Wellington, New Zealand
Shannon Hawkey approaches personal training as a vehicle for real life transformation – not just physical change.
Her coaching style is holistic and intuitive, supporting clients not only in the gym, but across their wider lives. Shannon has a unique ability to meet people where they are, helping them break through limiting beliefs, reconnect with their bodies, and realise potential they didn’t know they had.
For Shannon, results go far beyond strength or aesthetics. She’s driven by seeing clients grow in confidence, self-belief, and inner alignment – truly glowing from the inside out. This purpose-led approach is what makes her work feel deeply meaningful, both to her clients and the wider fitness community.
2025 highlight: Shannon’s biggest achievement in 2025 was successfully running and growing her own personal training business while expanding her studies in yoga instruction. Alongside this, she played a key role in supporting and mentoring trainers at Jetts, contributing to the development of a more genuine, professional, and people-focused fitness industry in New Zealand.
Real change is what Shannon is here for – and she brings that energy into every client interaction.
Connect with Shannon: @empower_her_holistic_coach
Parween Metzler
Based in: Auckland – Jetts Grey Lynn & Edge Fitness NZ (Waiuku)
Awards: Group Trainer of the Year Finalist 2025, PT of The Year Finalist 2024
With 17 years in the fitness industry, Parween Metzler’s work is driven by something deeper than programs or protocols – for her, this is a calling.
What truly sets Parween apart is her ability to connect with people from all walks of life. Her journey hasn’t been simple. After moving to New Zealand with limited English, she navigated a new country, culture, and family dynamics – finding her voice through sport and exercise, a universal language that became both her anchor and her strength. These experiences have shaped her deep empathy and fuel the way she supports others through their own challenges.
Parween is known for creating spaces where clients feel safe to be their authentic selves. Her coaching goes far beyond physical transformation, focusing on empowerment, self-belief, and igniting a spark within. She genuinely cares for each client and consistently goes the extra mile to foster an environment where people feel supported, capable, and confident in their growth.
2025 highlight: One of Parween’s proudest moments was witnessing her clients show up consistently – rain or shine. Their dedication, resilience, and trust are what make her work so deeply meaningful, and a true reflection of the supportive community she has built.
Connect with Parween: @parween_fitness
JESS WACEY
Based in: North Shore, Auckland
Jess brings a performance-driven edge to personal training, blending strength, conditioning, and real-world athleticism into every session.
She specialises in working with people who are new to the gym, helping them build confidence and strength using machines and dumbbells – while also understanding how to train the body for true performance, not just aesthetics. With a background in endurance swimming and current competition in CrossFit, Jess knows how to intelligently combine engine, strength, and conditioning to create sessions that are challenging, effective, and empowering.
Her coaching style bridges the gap between accessible training and high-quality performance principles, making functional movement feel achievable for everyday people.
2025 highlight: In 2025, Jess focused on community as much as coaching. She ran free group functional movement sessions that brought people together, helped new clients experience training in a supportive environment, and contributed to growing her client base from 10 to 20 clients in just two months. She also became a HYROX group fitness instructor, further expanding her impact within the functional fitness space.
Connect with Jess: @all_things_fitness_
Sarah Annelise Robinson
Based in: Auckland – Les Mills Newmarket
Sarah Annelise Robinson brings a deeply considered, holistic approach to personal training – one that honours both the body and the inner experience.
Her coaching blends strength training with mobility, coordination, and balance, strongly informed by her background in yoga. Beyond movement, Sarah brings a sophisticated understanding of the nervous system and the psyche. After completing an 800-hour meditation teacher training, she integrates mindfulness and self-awareness into her work, helping clients not only change how they move, but how they relate to their bodies and themselves.
This depth allows Sarah to support sustainable progress that feels grounded, regulated, and aligned – particularly for clients seeking more than surface-level change.
2025 highlight: Rather than chasing more hours or intensity, Sarah’s biggest achievement in 2025 was setting clearer boundaries around her work–life balance. After years of early 6am starts, she made the decision to shift her schedule to better support her own wellbeing – a change that required courage, honest conversations, and self-trust. Listening to her body and following through has allowed her to show up more present, energised, and fulfilled – both personally and professionally.
Connect with Sarah: @sarah.annelise
Renee Diment
Based in: Auckland, New Zealand – In-person (home studio) & Online via Beyond the Body
Renee Diment is a women’s health coach who goes far beyond traditional personal training.
With over 13 years of coaching experience, Renee combines evidence-based strength and nutrition coaching with a deep understanding of women’s biology, hormones, and the menstrual cycle. Her work centres on teaching women how to train, eat, and live in alignment with their body, rather than constantly pushing against it.
Through her Beyond the Body platform, Renee blends strength training, Pilates, and functional conditioning with education around gut health, blood sugar regulation, nutrient density, and metabolic health. A core pillar of her coaching is cycle-aware training, helping women understand how energy, performance, cravings, and recovery naturally shift across the four phases of the menstrual cycle. Her approach also integrates mindset, lifestyle design, and long-term health education – giving clients tools they can carry for life, not just for a short program.
2025 highlight: In 2025, Renee expanded Beyond the Body into a fully fledged online women’s health coaching hub. She launched new programs, grew the Cycle Code Club, and created in-depth educational resources to help women better understand their hormones and metabolic health. She also transitioned away from high-volume in-person training to build scalable, purpose-aligned offerings – increasing her reach while maintaining personalised support.
Renee was also invited to present to companies, small businesses, and female sports teams, educating women on nutrition and cycle awareness, and helping dismantle the guilt many feel around fluctuating energy and performance – a mission she’s deeply committed to continuing across New Zealand and beyond.
Connect with Renee: @reneediment
