Group Fitness Committee

Abbie Appel is the owner of APS Appel Programming Solutions and AbbieFit Consulting and collaborates with various organizations, including the YMCA, 24 Hour Fitness, Life. Feel Great Community™ and Equinox. As a program developer and author, she created and wrote the SCW Pilates and SCW Barre education programs and has contributed to Self, Shape and…

Bio: Alex Isaly is an award-winning health and fitness professional with over 20 years of experience as an international presenter, group training instructor, educator, author, national programming developer, and lead trainer for several group and at-home workouts. He is also an ultra-endurance athlete. Isaly is currently vice president of programming for Xponential Fitness LLC and…

Darren Jacobson is senior vice president of instructor programming for Zumba® Fitness LLC, based in Miami. He holds a bachelor’s degree in human movement science and is a featured writer for numerous fitness industry publications. In addition, he is an IHRSA industry expert in the field of personal training. Jacobson was previously with the Virgin…

Doris Thews is a fitness industry veteran with more than 35 years of experience. She is an international award-winning fitness educator, whose honors include the 2019 IDEA Fitness Instructor of the Year award. She is the CEO of Team Thews Fitness, which provides consulting services on business, program development and executive strategy to several leading…

As product director of group fitness for Optum®, Grace DeSimone designs and vets innovative group fitness and well-being programs for employer markets. She directs the quality of more than 2,000 group fitness classes per week, taught by more than 900 instructors throughout the U.S. and abroad, for over 150 on-site fitness locations that support employee…

Irene McCormick, MS, CSCS, was the 2018 IDEA Fitness Instructor of the Year and is a fitness consultant and twice-published author. She is a Ryka Ambassador and a master trainer for Water Rower, Rumble Roller, SCW Fitness and Savvier Fitness. As a subject matter expert for ACE, ISSA, NASM and Human Kinetics, she writes fitness…

Krista Popowych, BHKin, inspires fitness professionals globally with her motivating, energetic, practical sessions. As both an IDEA Fitness Instructor of the Year and a three-time canfitpro Canadian Fitness Presenter of the Year, she is highly sought-after as an educator and speaker. As global director of group education for Keiser®, an IDEA Group Fitness Committee member…

For 9 years, Miguel Vargas has been a key player at TRX®. Whether he is teaching TRX classes at the flagship studio in San Francisco or presenting in front of hundreds of athletes at various trade shows around the world, he delivers the ultimate TRX physical and educational experience. When he is not in front…

Sarah Sharon is global operations director of instructor experience for Les Mills International. Prior to her time at Les Mills, she was vice president of fitness and healthy living and vice president of operations with the Y of Metro Chicago. Throughout her career, she has helped brands grow with a lens on the consumer experience,…

Tricia Murphy Madden is a 27-year veteran instructor and education director. She is the national education director for Savvier Fitness and a co-creator of Barre Above® and the Weight Loss Challenge, with more than 85 master trainers and over 4,300 trained instructors worldwide. For many years, Murphy Madden was also the fitness director for Denali…