About Us

Meet the team of qualified professionals who work together to provide you with the complete range of services we offer here at Aktiv.

Terry Samuels, Senior Personal Trainer at Aktiv has worked in the sports industry for over 14 years and has a passion for health & fitness, and firmly believes we can all achieve our goals with the right information, direction, motivation, training and effort. Terry began his sporting life as an Athlete in Wolverhampton competing at club & county level, at the same time coaching various athletic disciplines & sports in the local community. It was at this point he realized his passion for & ability to help others improve their fitness & reach their sporting potential Since then he has undertaken many courses including Business & Sport at MMU, Body Pump training & strength & conditioning for football, as well as research into areas of health & fitness which include weight loss, boxing & golf.

With over ten years experience in the fitness industry, Emma has earned her reputation as a charismatic and diverse presenter. Specializing in Street dance, Emma delivers a mix of hip hop and urban groove uniting both energy and creativity with infectious choreography! Emma teaches and works within schools in the community, promoting dance awareness and fitness through workshops and master classes. For the mind and body, Emma offers a wide range of disciplines including Pilates, Fitness Yoga and Body Sculpt classes, drawing influence from her dance background to constantly challenge the flexibility and balance of her clients. Emma's enthusiasm and passion are both reflected in her approach to teaching, which is professional, hard working and fun!

Claire had always been interested in nutrition and exercise and began her fitness career in 1996 with an RSA exercise to music certificate teaching aerobics sessions. From there, she went on to qualify in & teach fitness yoga, Khai-Bo & then became a personal trainer and began to build up a large client base whilst studying a BSC in Sports Science following it up with an MSC in Weight Management. This led her on to set up the ‘STRIDE’ programmed, (Specialized Training in Diet and Exercise), which is an intervention package that aims to give children who are de-motivated by regular P.E sessions or children with an un-healthy BMI a chance to try something different. It incorporates sessions such as pilates, Khai-Bo, aerobics and body conditioning. Claire works well with both children & adults & her combination of qualifications, experience & personality have brought her great success as a Personal Trainer, achieving excellent results with her individual clients & class sessions.

Vijay has been working in the sports & fitness industry for over 8 years, & has a keen interest in the field stemming from his experience as a professional and amateur basketball player, which he still participates in today. This has always encouraged him to actively train and improve both his & others individual skills, from strength training through to nutritional conditioning. Over the past 5 years he has gained invaluable experience by working with such organisations as Chester City FC, Cheshire Jets Basketball, NEWI NETS Basketball, Great Britain University Rugby League, and University of Chester Sport, to name a few. Also through giving advice to & analysing healthy eating plans in local schools and work places. Vijay is a graduate from the University of Chester with BSc Hons Human Nutrition, & holds other qualifications including NVQ / OCR Level 2 Gym & Weights, NVQ Level 3 Personal Training & EBBA (English Basketball Association) coaching. With a strong belief in living a healthy and prosperous life, Vijay feels this can be achieved by adhering to a health conscious lifestyle incorporating regular exercise, balanced healthy eating, and most importantly by having a healthy and positive mind. Incorporating each of these factors can and will help anyone achieve their goals no matter how big or small.

6 years ago, Laura left her roots in Italy & moved to Chester, where she joined a gym & started attending fitness classes. It was then that she fell in love with Body Combat & Body Balance. To improve her technique & become more involved with the classes, Laura took a course to become an instructor. On completing this course, she went on to further her knowledge & skill in a range of disciplines. Laura is now an excellent teacher in Body Balance, Body Jam, Yoga, Pilates, Core Training, Aerobics & Aqua Aerobics. Laura is very passionate in everything she does, which is evident from the rapour she has built up with the people who attend her classes & those that she trains on a 1-2-1 basis. She has been ‘an inspiration in changing people’s lives, fitness & confidence’. Her motto is, ‘Everyone can do it!’

Dave began his career in the health & wellness industry 9 years ago working as a personal trainer in Canada. Since that time he has worked in the same field in London and for the past 6 years has been based in Chester, which involved him developing and facilitating a number highly successful health and wellness programmes in the corporate health and performance arena. Dave studied sports sciences at the University of Canterbury Christ Church & since then has gained numerous qualifications which include National Academy of Sports Medicine certified personal trainer, Integrated Flexibility Specialist and Kinetic Chain assessment specialist enabling him to work along side physiotherapist in exercise referral schemes. Dave then went on to train as a Functional Integrated Life-coach and partner with Chip Richards (Former Australian Olympic Ski Team Head Coach) in order to facilitate the Fourth Dimension Holistic Life & Leadership programme, at the same time training and qualifying as an Egoscue Method Postural Alignment Specialist. As a coach and leader of others, Dave has an amazing ability to guide people from the inside out - to see health and human potential from an expanded, holistic and unlimited perspective.