A BROMSGROVE fitness coach has been shortlisted for a national coaching award, in recognition of his online coaching courses aimed at older clients.
Ian Northcott BEM, 58, is in with a chance of winning the Online Coach of the Year Award at UK Coaching’s national awards evening.
The UK Coaching Awards is a national celebration event, regarded as the most prestigious within the coaching community and created to celebrate the remarkable contributions coaches make.
Ian began coaching after leaving his role with the police in 2015, noticing there wasn’t enough exciting exercise for older adults.
He started a Nordic walking group with most his clients being 55 or older, with the oldest being 78.
Later, he took his coaching online during the pandemic and found participants loved it far more than he expected. He now runs a whole range of online classes, and once the nation returned to exercising outside, he decided to run both online and in person classes.
Ian said: “I am immensely proud my passion to help people move better and be independent for longer has been recognised by such a prestigious organisation.
“I have served my country as a member of HM Forces and other work and when I retired in 2015, I wanted to continue to make a difference to people.
“I noticed that an awful lot of fitness opportunities are for younger people and I decided I wanted to cater for the over 50s.
“It has been a privilege to take older clients up Kilimanjaro, walking the length of Hadrians Wall and walking the battlefields of the first and second world wars.
“To see someone smash their glass ceiling, it is very rewarding.
“The most important thing for me as a coach is to make a difference to people so they can be the best version of themselves.”
UK Coaching’s CEO Mark Gannon said: “All of our finalists should be extremely proud of what they have been able to achieve and fully deserve this recognition.
“We are very much looking forward to celebrating together, bringing together the coaches that are going above and beyond to deliver outstanding experiences and make a real difference in their community.”
The awards will be held on December 5 at the Queens Hotel in Leeds.
Visit www.ukcoaching.org/uk-coaching-awards for more.
