The Team at Ambition Health & Performance

Angela Griffin-Lovesey

Personal Trainer, Exercise Specialist, Exercise Nutritionist, Group Exercise Instructor

Angela has been working in the fitness industry since 2003, as a personal trainer and group exercise instructor. Whether you are after sports specific training, increased fitness levels, or general weight loss, Angela can help design a programme that will suit your every need and help you move one step closer towards reaching your fitness goals.

She has been involved in many sports from an early age and has also competed at county level for her university in athletics (both track and field), badminton and netball. She's also studied and practiced ballet, jazz dance, tap, contemporary dance, basketball, trampolining, gymnastics and cycling!

Annabelle Platon

Sports and Remedial Massage Therapist

From her childhood to early adulthood, Annabelle underwent a succession of surgical interventions on her spine and lower limbs, accompanied by years of massage and physiotherapy. It was from her own experience that Annabelle came to develop a keen interest in remedial massage therapy and other soft tissue bodyworks.

By using bodywork techniques such as Muscle Energy Technique, Soft Tissue Release and other classic muscle strokes, Annabelle will help relax, tone and stimulate your muscles, relieve pain, reduce muscle fatigue and spasms, and tackle muscular imbalances. All of this will assist you in your quest for optimum health and fitness.

Specialisations: sports and remedial massage; deep and soft tissue release; neuromuscular technique; muscular related back and shoulder complaints; muscular pain; therapeutic relaxing massage; hopi ear candling; cupping; on-site acupressure massage.

Caroll Kerner

Personal Trainer, Muy Thai Kickboxing Instructor, Kravis Maga Self Defence Instructor

Caroll started her career in the health and fitness industry in 2002 and since that time she has gained experience in many different specialisations. Caroll entered a full contact professional Muy Thai competition in Thailand where she had three fights - and won all three. In addition she has run and completed eleven marathons with an all time best of 3 hours and 24 minutes (2010), and completed a 100K race through the Egyptian desert in just over 10 hours - phew!

Caroll started work as a Personal Trainer with Ambition in the year 2002 and was a great success. She then left the UK and spent time in Australia and her native France where she reached a high skill level in cycling achieving professionally rated times within 3 months of taking up the sport.

Specialisations: core stability; functional training; female training; fat loss programs; strength; body fat testing; running; cycling; martial arts conditioning.

Cecile Charrier

Personal Trainer, Corrective Exercise Specialist, Swedish & Sports Massage Therapist

Cecile started at Ambition during her university placement in 2009 and has been working here since. She originally qualified as a massage therapist, but university extended her skill base with techniques and clinical skills such as IFT, ultrasound and tapping/strapping, myofacial release, trigger point therapy and strain/counterstrain - all of which she has since put into practice in sports events such as the London Marathon, London Indoor Games and different triathlons. Now graduated, she divides her time between clients and making sure the clinic is running smoothly.

Daiza Okada

Reflexologist

Daizia graduated from Keio University Tokyo with an economics degree and was engaged in an international trade and research work for most of his working life. However he was always interested in working in health-related field and, having identified foot therapy (now known as reflexology) as an intriguing subject with profound depth, decided to devote the rest of his life to working on people's feet to help them to help themselves to live long and healthy lives. Daiza is the author of 'Health Credit, Investing with Reflexology'(ISBN 978-0-9565168-0-0)

Specialisations: energy recovery therapy; stress; high blood pressure; migraines; chronic fatigue syndrome; asthma; pain relief; Parkinson's disease; anti-aging.

Dan Roberts

Cognitive Therapist

Formerly a health journalist, Dan is a trained counsellor with a wealth of knowledge about physical and mental wellbeing. He understands the importance of combining psychological treatments with exercise, a healthy diet and lifestyle, so his philosophy fits perfectly with Ambition's holistic approach. He uses cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT), a short-term, practical approach that is clinically proven to be the most effective form of 'talking therapy'.

Specialisations: stress, anxiety, low mood, weight loss and eating problems.

Emmanuael Duarte

Senior Personal Trainer and High Performance Specialist

Emmanuel started as a combat athlete at the age of 14 and was awarded his 2nd degree black belt in martial arts at the age of 22. He has competed in martial arts competitions and full contact kickboxing competitions, and is now a sought-after exercise specialist and NLP practitioner, and is also a registered hypnotherapist. He is currently undergoing further training as a Functional Exercise Coach with the Institute of Human Performance in the USA.

In the fitness industry he is known for a 'cutting edge' combination of exercise performance enhancement, martial arts skills and mental strength, focus and awareness, and has guided many people to their goals over the years with great success. Those who have worked closely with Emmanuel have reported that their personal levels of fitness improved to a degree that they had previously never attained before.

Specialisations: abdominal and back training, corrective program design, martial arts, NLP coaching in combination with exercise goals, stress reduction, motivation, exercise rehabilitation.

Fane Hervey

Senior Personal Trainer, Circuit Training & Boxing Instructor

Fane has been involved in all manner of sports from his youth, and has competed at a national level in both middle-distance athletics and cross-country running. He has been teaching traditional martial arts and fitness for close to ten years. He has travelled and lived throughout Europe and Asia on a constant mission to improve his skills and knowledge base, and has worked with many people with various goals from all over the world. As a result, his talents are varied and broad; clinical and holistic massage, corrective exercise, extreme bodyweight conditioning, high performance coaching.

Specialisations: corrective exercise and rehabilitation, functional movement training, bodyweight conditioning, sports-specific protocols, flexibility and stretching regimes, fat loss, hypertrophy (muscle mass).

Harriet Johnson

Osteopath

Harriet graduated from the British School of Osteopathy in 2001. In addition to her osteopathy qualifications she has been a qualified, practicing fitness instructor for the past 18 years, and is also a qualified massage therapist. Harriet suffered an injury which left her with difficulty walking for 6 months. When this was successfully treated with osteopathy she decided to retrain as an osteopath. Her sports background in athletics and team events has lead to an understanding of and a keen interest in the osteopathic treatment of injuries.

Specialistions: traditional structural osteopathic techniques including soft tissue work, articulation and manipulation, alongside ultrasound and dry needling (a form of acupuncture).

Irina Irfan

Personal Trainer

Irina graduated from Saint Petersburg State University before achieving national level in rhythm gymnastics and studying ballet in Russia. She has spent the last ten years working in both Russia and the UK as a personal trainer.

Specialisations: weight management, body conditioning, body sculpting, fat loss, female training, muscular development

Jeff Murray

Corrective Exercise Specialist, Nutrition and Lifestyle Coach, High Performance Conditioning

Jeff has been involved in the health and fitness industry since 1990, initially teaching group exercise classes of all types including circuit training, aerobics, step, body conditioning and beginner kickboxing. Teaching classes of mixed ability convinced him that very few people make real progress working on a teaching ratio of 1 to 30, so he became 100% involved in personal training in 1993 and since then has continued to develop his skills in this area. Training as a practitioner with the CHEK Institute has allowed him to stay at the cutting edge of corrective exercise techniques by attending regular training courses and gaining exposure to other excellent physical therapists the world over.

In 2000 he sustained a serious back injury which debilitated him for some months, and this kindled an interest in the treatment of injury and full rehabilitation from pain and loss body function. In 2001 Jeff set up the injury treatment clinic at the Queen Mother Sports Centre, with osteopaths carrying out the diagnosis and manipulation. A committed backcountry snowboarder, he enjoys climbing, both indoors and in the mountains.

Jos Swingler

Nutritionist & Weight Loss Specialist

It was Whilst taking his degree that Jos recognised that much of the wealth of lay nutritional advice available to the public was not based on sound scientific research, and became determined to follow an evidence-based approach to nutritional intervention.

There is an ever increasing wealth of research to suggest a vast amount of diseases may have an underlying dietary aspect; diabetes, atherosclerosis, skin conditions and gastrointestinal conditions to mention just a few. Similarly, research also increasingly deomonstrates that nutritional intervention has a role to play in numerous acute and chronic disorders; from fibromyalgia and thyroid disorders to allergies and depression.

Jos has developed a key area of interest in weight loss, obesity and related disorders, and puts together bespoke nutrition programmes tailored to the individual that complement current medical treatments and individual lifestyle choices.

Specialisations: specific disease nutritional support, nutrition for weight loss, nutrition and behaviour, nutritional support for eating disorders, nutrition for sports and performance.

Kate Taylor

Personal Trainer, Corrective Exercise Specialist, Sports Massage Therapist

Kate's has expertise in the implementation and interpretation of pre-exercise screening in order to identify potential predisposing factors to musculoskeletal injury and health related disorders. She has also gained skills in the clinical use of ultrasound and interferential stimulation for pain modulation and to facilitate rehabilitation, as well as the use of soft tissue techniques such as deep tissue massage, myofascial release and trigger point therapy.

Whilst at university Kate was asked to work alongside the head of strength and conditioning at Harrow and was involved in the movement screening, testing and pre-season training of their rugby teams. Kate also began work with various rugby teams as a lead therapist, giving pre and post game treatments as well as covering pitch side trauma.

After leaving university Kate was awarded a 1 year internship with London Wasps and worked with the leading strength and conditioning team and physiotherapists in premiership rugby, as well as working with some of the best players. This has led to recommendations to work with others in the industry.

Specialisations: injury rehabilitation, pre-event preparation and conditioning, integrated functional movement and training, weight management and muscular development, myofascial release, spinal muscle energy techniques.

Kinga Jonczyk

Personal Trainer, Massage Therapist, Swimming Coach, Kettle Bell Coach

Kinga has been working in the health and fitness industry since 2000. Her scope of practise is first in the assessment of movement, performance and function by applying the sciences of biomechanics, anatomy, physiology and motor learning; and second in the management (by recommendation and providing action plan) of disorders or musculoskeletal imbalances to maintain, rehabilitate or enhance movement, function and performance - whether that is for sport, recreation, work or exercise.

Lee Harvey

Osteopath

Prior to studying osteopathy Lee qualified and worked as a chartered accountant with Arthur Andersen and subsequently went on to work for various media companies including Channel 4 and The Guardian. Lee has an interest in sports injuries and decided to study osteopathy following successful treatments for knee and ankle injuries he sustained playing football. Lee adopts a mainly functional approach to treatment using a variety of controlled 'hands-on' manual techniques including joint manipulation, stretching and massage. As part of a patient's management plan Lee can also offer advice on other lifestyle factors such as workstation set-up, posture, exercise and stretching.

Marc Dunn

Osteopath

Prior to studying for his degree (at the British College of Osteopathic Medicine) Marc had eight years' experience treating clients with a range of problems from general aches and pains to complex sporting injuries.

Having previously worked in busy office environments, Marc understands the importance of posture and provides correctional advice and exercise where needed. Marc's patient-focused approach to treatments incorporates a range of osteopathic techniques to aid physical improvements and body balance. Marc continues to further his education attending courses in accordance with the continuing professional development.

Specialisations: deep tissue massage, lymphatic drainage, joint mobilisation, visceral techniques, lifestyle assessment.

Michael Rook

Personal Trainer, Kettlebell Instructor, Strength Training Coach, Yoga Teacher

During his previous career as a journalist and communications professional, Michael fought a personal battle against obesity and back pain. A desire to read the 'human instruction manual' in more detail prompted him to qualify as a personal trainer specialising in corrective exercise. Since then, Michael has travelled around Europe and the United States training with the best in the health and fitness industry, such as Charles Poloquin, Scott Sonnon and Steve Cotter. As a result, he is able to offer an integrated and cutting-edge approach to corrective exercise functional strength training.

Michael's approach includes lifestyle analysis, structural balance and fitness testing. And by regularly varying your workouts, he will make sure you keep improving your performance and making injury-free progress.

Specialisations: corrective exercise, fat loss, strength and conditioning, exercise for managing back pain, functional strength training, kettlebells and clubbells, joint mobility, compensatory stretching and gentle yoga.

Noelene Davey

Clinical Specialist Physiotherapist

Since graduating from Sydney University in 1995, Noelene has gained a wide variety of experience in neuro-musculoskeletal and sports medicine both in Australia and in the UK. She worked within the private sports injury sector in Australia, gaining valuable experience treating athletes, ballet dancers, triathletes, rugby league and union players, and at the surf/lifeguard national championships.

In the UK she also works at a large London teaching hospital as a Senior Clinical Specialist Physiotherapist with Extended Scope of Practice. This is one of the highest clinical positions a physiotherapist can progress to within the NHS. She also offers home visits.

Specialisations: sports injuries, soft tissue injuries (muscle, ligament, tendon), pre and post-operative orthopaedic rehabilitation, rehabilitation of fractures and major injuries, headaches originating from the cervical spine, foot and ankle injuries, knee pain, spinal pain, shoulder pain, hip pain and injuries, temporomandibular joint (jaw) pain, neurological rehabilitation (eg after a stroke).

Sonia Munafo

Pilates Teacher

Since her childhood Sonia was involved in skiing, ice-skating, tennis, swimming, athletics and gymnastics, but her greatest passion remains dancing. As a child she first studied ballet and from there progressed into jazz and then contemporary dance. During her dance years pilates was always part of her daily exercise and she found it incredibly beneficial. This led her into the fitness world, studying pilates after completing her Health & Fitness and Studio certificate.

Sonia frequently works with clients that have lower or upper back problems, sciatica or other issues with their bodies that stop them from performing everyday tasks in an effortless manner. All of them have felt and seen the benefits of pilates training in their lives. She is passionate about working with people to improve and develop their fitness and well being. Her ability to build rapport, sensitivity to individual needs, and excellent teaching and communication skills ensure that she is successful in designing programmes for and supporting clients at all levels of fitness.

Sonia uses brain gym exercises (kinesiology) to help the brain to develop and become more focused, learn things faster and easier and perform better at work or school. Sonia teaches a variety of weekly pilates classes as well as teaching individuals on a one-to-one basis to reach their personal goals.

Toby Borradaile

Osteopath and Sports Injury Specialist

Toby qualified in 2000, and specialises in treating a wide range of sporting injuries from activities such as skiing, running, cycling, rugby, football, golf and ballet. As well as treatment Toby also gives plenty of advice, stretches and exercise to help you rehabilitate from your injury quicker.

Toby has worked with top rugby clubs, most notably the England deaf rugby team, and is a keen sports person himself (he used to play semi professional rugby at London Wasps).