Press Room

ACE Reveals 2005 Achievement Award Winners
Personal Trainer, Fitness Director and Group Fitness Instructor of the Year Winners Announced at IHRSA 2005

Posted: Mar 21, 2005 in

SAN DIEGO, Calif. - Mar. 21, 2005 – The American Council on Exercise (ACE), America’s Authority on Fitness, today announced the winners of its 2005 Achievement Awards at IHRSA 2005 in San Francisco. Awards were presented for Personal Trainer of the Year, Group Fitness Instructor of the Year and Fitness Educator of the Year to publicly recognize the contribution these professionals have made to the fitness industry.

Top honors were awarded to Todd Durkin, MA, CSCS, NCTMB, Personal Trainer of the Year; Josie Gardiner, Group Fitness Instructor of the Year; and Gwen Hyatt, MS, Fitness Educator of the Year. Each winner receives a $2,500 scholarship toward continuing education in health and fitness or a related field.

“Helping people reach a heightened state of physical, mental and emotional well-being is what makes me tick,” said Todd Durkin, 2005 ACE Personal Trainer of the Year. “Personal training allows me the opportunity to positively affect dozens of people every week.”

Durkin is an ACE-certified personal trainer and founder of Fitness Quest 10 and Todd Durkin Enterprises in San Diego, Ca. He holds numerous certifications including strength and conditioning specialist, massage therapist, neuromuscular therapist and has his teaching credential in health and physical education. He works with a variety of clients ranging from everyday individuals to professional athletes and provides sports massage therapy for the San Diego Chargers.

Josie Gardiner, the 2005 ACE Group Fitness Instructor of the Year, said, “My motivation comes from within. I feel such a sense of passion as if this profession is a God-given gift and what a gift it is to make a difference in other people’s lives.”

Gardiner is a proud cancer survivor with a passion for bringing group fitness to special populations including cancer survivors and older adults. In addition to teaching, she currently works with the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston to develop exercise programs for breast cancer survivors. For the past 20 years, she has traveled internationally with training partner Joy Prouty presenting programs in the field of senior exercise. Together they have produced over 19 videos and DVDs for the 50-plus market and have two books waiting for release.

Gwen Hyatt, , the ACE 2005 Fitness Educator of the Year, is co-owner of Desert Southwest Fitness (DSW Fitness) located in Tucson, Ariz. Her company is the number one provider of distance education for fitness, wellness, rehabilitation and medical professionals. She has helped her company expand its reach to fitness professionals throughout the U.S. and in 48 countries and is currently an ACE-certified personal trainer and group fitness instructor.

“My life vision as a fitness educator is to create a healthier world through the promotion of physical activity and positive lifestyle choices,” said Hyatt. “It’s easy to stay motivated when you’re doing what you love to do.”

The ACE Achievement Award, were created in 1999. ACE honors fitness professionals who have excelled in the areas of client development, training techniques, successful marketing and revenue generation.

About ACE
The American Council on Exercise (ACE), America’s Authority on Fitness, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the benefits of physical activity and protecting consumers against unsafe and ineffective fitness products and instruction. As the nation’s “workout watchdog,” ACE sponsors university-based exercise science research and testing that targets fitness products and trends. ACE sets standards for fitness professionals and is the world’s largest nonprofit fitness certifying organization. For more information on ACE and its programs, call (800) 825-3636 or log onto the ACE Web site at www.acefitness.org .