Emily brings over a decade of competitive sport and high-performance coaching experience to Valeo Athletic.
Before entering the world of weightlifting and functional fitness, Emily competed in athletics for 10 years, developing the speed, discipline, and resilience that now underpin her coaching philosophy. While studying at Loughborough University, she transitioned into Olympic Weightlifting, going on to become British Champion for three consecutive years.
Following a knee injury, Emily shifted her focus toward Functional Fitness and CrossFit, where she has since competed at local, national, and international level. Her competition experience includes events such as The Lowlands Throwdown, Wodapalooza, the Marbella CrossFit Championships, and multiple European Championships. With competition still a major driver, 2026 marks her return to the competition floor — with Marbella firmly in her sights.
Emily graduated from Loughborough University with a BSc in Sport and Exercise Science and has spent over seven years working as a Strength and Conditioning Coach, alongside coaching within a CrossFit gym environment. Her approach combines scientific understanding with real-world performance experience, helping members build strength, confidence, and long-term resilience.
In April 2024, Emily took ownership of Valeo Athletic (formerly FolkFit) — a decision she describes as the most rewarding step of her career — allowing her to build a coaching environment focused on progression, community, and lifelong strength.
Reece has been immersed in the fitness industry from a young age, with sport and coaching forming the foundation of his entire career. His journey began in gymnastics at the age of six, progressing through years of dedicated training to compete at regional level before achieving one of his proudest milestones — representing Great Britain on the international stage.
At just 15 years old, Reece began coaching gymnastics, working with both recreational participants and elite athletes — a role he continues to hold today. His early start in coaching developed a strong understanding of movement quality, athletic development, and long-term progression.
While attending college, Reece expanded his professional qualifications, completing both his Level 2 Coaching qualification and Level 3 Personal Training certification between 2016 and 2018. He has since added further specialist credentials, including a Level 1 British Gymnastics Tumbling qualification and a Level 1 British Weightlifting qualification.
Across his career, Reece has coached individuals of all ages and abilities, delivering a wide range of training styles tailored to each person’s needs. Having experienced his own journey through elite competition, injury setbacks, mental health challenges, and body composition changes, he brings genuine empathy and understanding to his coaching — helping members build confidence, resilience, and sustainable progress both inside and outside the gym.
Emma’s fitness journey began in endurance sport, where she completed multiple 10km races, half marathons, and a demanding 20-mile obstacle race featuring over 200 obstacles. These experiences built a strong foundation of resilience and mental toughness that continues to shape her coaching approach today.
After becoming a mother, Emma shifted her focus toward functional strength training — a transition that became a defining turning point. Strength training evolved into her anchor, both physically and mentally, and now drives her passion for helping other women discover just how capable they truly are.
Emma has since competed in HYROX and local functional fitness events, consistently pursuing progress while demonstrating that motherhood is not the end of athletic performance, but often the beginning of a new chapter.
As a Level 3 Personal Trainer and Pre- and Postnatal Specialist, Emma specialises in supporting women through different life stages with safe, intelligent, and confidence-building training. She is currently working towards her CrossFit Level 1 Coach qualification (2026) and continues to expand her expertise through ongoing education in Women’s Health, Functional Fitness, coaching perimenopausal and menopausal women, and a Level 4 Nutrition qualification.
Emma’s coaching focuses on building strength, confidence, and long-term wellbeing — empowering members to feel strong for life, both inside and outside the gym.