Who is Aida Karim I hear you say, well where do we start?! Aida is the phenomenally energetic member of the trainer group, who often takes your warm up's or cool down's and has recently taken the next step to take the role of lead trainer of some sessions.

We have all seen Aida dancing, bopping or bouncing away to the music & always moving, (even during rest periods or after the music or exercise has stopped). We find Aida's energy and passion for her involvement in the health & fitness industry to be truly inspiring, as we're sure you all do too.

We sat down with Aida over a coffee and had a chat with her, to try to get to the essence of who she is and why she is part of the PT in the Park team.

So we can all get to know Aida a little better and enjoy hearing about some of her journey to date.

What Motivated you to become involved in the fitness industry?

This is a very straightforward & common question to ask of every trainer. I too find it fascinating to know the journey of others who are also passionate about fitness, health & well-being. For me, I think fitness has always been in my blood since the day I was born, just saying. Add to this that I love singing and dancing, & see dancing as one of the many great, fun, energetic ways to stay happy and healthy. So I guess you could say that's the motivation to begin with, but I never would have though I would be a dance instructor one day.

How long have you been interested in fitness & involved in the Fitness Industry?

I was very athletic from a very young age, always wanting to try new sports & learn new skills. Competing in many sports at school, including Long-jump & High-jump & running at 400m to 3000m distances. In 1991, at the age of 14, I competed in Cross-Country in the women's category & took home the gold trophy. Running became another passion that resulted in me completing Queenstown half marathons in 2019 & 2020.

I first became a member of a gym in 2007 when I joined a well known Auckland fitness centre, as a client. I started off training once a week with a great trainer & stayed with the centre for 4 or 5 years, under different trainers & exploring different workouts. Then I started feeling like I wanted more than to just feel fitter or stronger after a workout,

I wanted to know more & go deeper into the science of fitness, & started exploring how to get involved in this fascinating, & at the time very trendy fitness industry. In 2011 I enrolled in a Personal Trainers course, alas this did not go well with the organisation I was studying with going bankrupt! It was disappointing for this to have happened, but I wasn't going to let it stop me. I moved on, but stayed focused on my goals, upped my training from once a week to 6 times a week with an awesome trainer, who I stuck with for the remainder of time I stayed with the centre.

Fast forward to 2016 & I enrolled in yet another Personal Trainers course, with an overseas organisation this time. I qualified as a Gym Instructor in 2017, with my mother becoming my first client. Mom was very impressed with my skills & she lost several kg's & dropped her blood pressure. A very good result for both of us, Well Done Mom!

By 2020 I found myself living in Christchurch & looking for my next challenge. So I enrolled in, & completed a Zumba Group Fitness Instructors course. The following year I signed up for a Freestyle Group Exercise course with Skills Active, (very well known for their online learning portals), this was a great course & a great experience as a student too & I never stopped learning!

How & why did you become involved with PT in the Park?

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As I like to be always moving & and looking for new adventures in fitness & in life a friend of mine suggested I should come along to PT in the Park. So I had a look at their website & did some research into what they are all about. What caught my attention immediately was that we shared similar values & we are both all about creating a fun & safe environment to help others achieve their personal fitness & wellness goals. I was very excited to have a closer look so in 2021 I went along to a session led by Kerry & witnessed everyone enjoying a really fun workout. So I approached the PT in the Park team & asked if I could join as a volunteer trainer, the trainers & the trustees welcomed me with open arms.

What is your favourite thing about being involved with PTITP?

It could not be more fun meeting & getting to know new like minded people in the park & seeing them achieve their own personal fitness goals at their own pace whilst being supported by a talented passionate group of fitness professionals like myself. Watching the others trainers & being encouraged by the trustees to be confident enough to now be able to lead sessions. Being with PT in the Park is a lifestyle changing experience, not just for me though it's the same for everyone who comes along & embraces it & keeps coming back. I also love the way that as a team we always strive to bring our best, & how all the trainers are given free reign to bring something new or different to the park each week, & it's always a great full challenging workout that is & fun & also safe.

What other things motivate you or are passions in your life that keep you doing what you do?

At the back of my mind I have always wanted to have my own gym studio. With years of experience and working along with professional trainers is a great way to build one. I'm inspired by people who also look after themselves, self-fulfilment, self-love People who owned and operated their own business in this blooming fitness industry also inspire & motivate me as I find it is very fascinating to me. Mostly though I'm inspired by my own eagerness to learn and explore more about fitness, health and wellness.

My motivation to myself.is

• "Don't be scared to try new things".

• "Be creative."

• "Change for the best, improving skills and performances, gaining confidence and knowledge is an ongoing process".

• "Always be kind to myself, and help others to achieve their goals "

Fitness is my passion & sharing that energy impacts peoples lives in a good way, so I'm driven to continue to do that.

Other than fitness I also love to sing & dance & I'm a mum too, I love to cook & bake, (cooking or baking 3 times a day most days), & I also love meeting new people & getting to know them & being able to help them where I can or be inspired or even more motivated by them.

Thanks Aida!