Latest news with #trainers
News.com.au
5 days ago
- Business
- News.com.au
Sweat App's founding trainer announces sudden departure
Kelsey Wells, one of the most beloved trainers on Kayla Itsines' Sweat app, has announced her sudden departure after nearly a decade with the platform. In a heartfelt Instagram post, Wells shared her decision with her followers, marking the end of an era for both herself and the Sweat community. 'After nearly nine years, I have chosen to leave Sweat,' the 35-year-old told her three million followers on Sunday night. 'As of June 1, 2025, I am no longer continuing my career as a Sweat trainer. 'As one of Sweat's founding trainers and after pouring so much of myself and my heart into every single one of my 15 strength training programs — from the exercise science framework to the intention filled messaging behind the launch of every single one of them — this is not a decision I make lightly. 'I am no longer creating content or programming for or with that company.' The farewell announcement She then went on to say that there was much she wanted to express, but 'cannot say', before sharing her deep gratitude for particular people. 'To my husband and my Sonshine. For the magnitude of silent sacrifices you selflessly made to support me every single day,' she wrote. 'To each of the good humans I have met and worked with along my way — thank you for treating me with kindness and respect. 'To the others I have worked with — thank you, too. For (however unintentionally) helping me learn hard truths and creating opportunity for me to grow.' Notably, she did not mention her boss, Sweat co-founder, Kayla Itsines. She did, however, thank all the women who have done her programs, saying she was 'deeply honoured' to have been their trainer. 'My heart aches right now, but I am not done showing up and being here for you,' she wrote. 'Please, never ever give up on caring for yourself and your health, and prioritising your mental wellbeing and authenticity above all else. 'I will be doing the same.' Speaking to Wells said, 'I am optimistic about my future and more passionate than ever about my mission to empower women and reinforce the importance of the connection between physical and mental health'. Fans respond to 'pointed' message Wells' post was met with an outpouring of support from fans and fellow trainers. Ex-Sweat trainer Chontel Duncan commented on the post: 'Your next chapter will be nothing short of amazing. Looking forward to seeing what's next'. Another ex-Sweat trainer, Cass Olholm replied: 'I know that whatever chapter comes next, you'll continue to positively impact everyone your love and light touches'. Then, Itsines commented, saying: 'Kels. It's been an honour to work alongside you and watch your impact grow over the past 10 years! Your story, passion, and dedication have inspired women all over the world. 'We are excited for you and what you have planned next :) I know SO many women will continue to be empowered by your message'. In addition to not thanking Itsines in her post, Wells also didn't 'like' or respond to Itsines' comment. Another user commented: 'It's a real shame to see so many of the OG trainers move on from Sweat … makes me wonder what Sweat is doing as a company as part of this turnover culture'. Wells liked this comment. This subtle move did not go unnoticed by the Sweat community, with many fans speculating about the nature of her departure. 'It really speaks volumes that she liked this comment and not Kayla's original comment,' said one user. 'This is concerning and makes me want answers,' another wrote. Others claimed the 'pointed' wording of Wells' post made them believe the resignation might not have been all that amicable. 'The way I read this post sounds like something happened,' admitted one. 'The way she said 'THAT' company…,' said someone else. 'Why does this give me a weird sense of bitterness?' another asked. Then a different commenter described the post as a 'respectful and polite way to throw shade'. At the same time, some fans of the cult fitness app claimed that Wells' programs were the only reason they were still subscribed to the app, promising to cancel their subscriptions once Wells' programs were taken off the app. Her programs still appear to be live on Sweat. What is Sweat? The Sweat app was co-founded by Kayla Itsines and Tobi Pearce in 2015 and quickly became one of the most popular digital fitness platforms for women. The app offers a range of workout programs led by top trainers, with a strong focus on community and results. Its annual subscription revenue exceeds $100 million, according to reports, and it has been downloaded over 30 million times with 450,000 paid subscribers. Itsines co-founded the app with her then romantic partner, Pearce. The couple broke up in 2020 but continued their professional relationship. They sold Sweat to US tech company IFit in 2021 for a reported $400 million and are believed to have bought it back for a fraction of that price in 2023. A pattern of trainer departures Much of the app's success is down to its highly personable trainers, who often have millions of devoted followers and steer people toward the app. However, over the past few years, many of these trainers have left the platform, including Chontel Duncan, Sara Colquhoun, Stephanie Sanzo, and Cass Olholm. In November 2022, Sara Colquhoun, one of Sweat's pilates instructors, announced she was leaving but said it was an 'amicable' decision on Instagram. She is set to launch her own pilates program, Pilates Obsession, this year. Chontel Duncan, who has over 1.2 million followers, announced her departure a month later in December 2022, calling her time at Sweat 'a rewarding and fulfilling experience'. 'I want to thank you, @kaylaitsines, for the opportunity to work with your company and for being such an incredible friend,' she wrote in her post. She then went on to launch Neuform, her own fitness app, in June 2024. Trainer Stephanie Sanzo, who has 3.4 million followers, also left the company around the same time after joining in 2019, to focus on her own platform, Liftit. Neither she nor Sweat made a public announcement about the departure, with the fitness app simply changing her name on her programs to 'Trainer'. In February 2023, Cass Olholm, a weightlifting coach with 363,000 followers, also left the company after joining on a three-year contract in 2020. She then won a court case against Sweat, which tried to prevent her from launching her own app, Train with Cass, claiming it would divert up to $1 million of revenue away from Sweat and breached a 12-month non-compete clause. Why has this happened? It remains unclear what has led to the succession of trainers leaving the app, most recently, Wells. However, in recent years, there have been several controversies involving Sweat and Itsines. The fitness guru and her app have faced criticism from users for being expensive ($19.99/month), glitchy, and difficult to cancel memberships. After selling the company to iFit, she received further negative press when 30 staff members reportedly lost their jobs, according to The Advertiser. The 2023 legal battle with Olholm, a former close collaborator and friend, only added to the changing perceptions of the fitness mogul. Then in February 2025, Itsines found herself in another PR storm after making a video criticising what she described as 'highly sexualised' gym content on social media. She called out her disappointment at fitness influencers who pose and film workouts from a 'particular angle' under the pretence of a 'glute workout'. She claimed it was a tactic used to gain views and it's 'not something (she or her daughter) wants to see'. While some of her loyal fanbase agreed with her, the video ultimately did not resonate as she had hoped. Many argued that Itsines wasn't immune to 'sexualising' her own content, with some pointing out she shares workout videos in figure-hugging activewear and regularly shows off her abs. In response to the backlash against her viral video, some of the star's former fans began sharing their 'trauma' from following her restrictive guides in the past. They took issue with the fact that she built much of her fortune from her 'Bikini Body' Guides, which launched in 2014 and are sometimes described as 'problematic'. One of her early guides, aimed at women aged 16-25, included sample meal plans that totalled just 1200 calories for those trying to lose weight. 'As the parent of two teenagers, I'd be mortified if I knew they were following this plan. Why did we do it to ourselves?' said one user. During a 2016 interview with Bloomberg, Itsines revealed that she regrets calling her programs the 'bikini body' guides. She explained, 'Do I regret using the term Bikini Body for my guides? Yes, I do. 'That's why when I launched the app, I named it Sweat With Kayla. I love the empowerment that comes with the word 'sweat' – it's really powerful for me'. While the platform remains a leader in digital fitness, the recent exits are just another controversy Sweat will have to deal with.
South China Morning Post
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
The Hong Kong Racing Postscript: who's hot, who's not and the best of May
Zac Purton, Ellis Wong and David Hayes were on fire, while David Hall finally ended a frustrating winless streak Racing fans were treated to a historic victory in Hong Kong's final Group One of the season, while the race for the trainers' championship heated up in May. The Post analyses the jockeys and trainers who had a month to remember or one to forget, as well as the most outstanding victory and winning ride. Who's hot? Zac Purton continued to rack up winners in May, booting home 13 winners from just 61 rides for a strike rate of 21.3 per cent – an almost identical figure to his haul from April. The seven-time champion Hong Kong jockey was the most successful rider of the month ahead of Hugh Bowman, who bagged eight wins, while apprentice Ellis Wong Chi-wang deserves praise for his best month of the term. Wong boosted his seasonal tally to 15 winners with five in May – four of which started at $7.6 or longer. The 24-year-old had just 39 rides, giving him a healthy winning strike rate of 12.82 per cent. David Hayes gave John Size something to think about when he cut the fellow Australian's double-figure lead in the trainers' championship to as little as four winners with a strong return in May. Hayes recorded nine winners – just one ahead of Manfred Man Ka-leung, whose haul came from just 49 runners, giving him a winning strike rate of 16.33 per cent. Size - who leads the title race by seven winners - and Ricky Yiu Poon-fai were the next best handlers with seven wins apiece in May. Who's not? Karis Teetan once again battled in May, scoring just one win from 52 rides to slide to seventh in the jockeys' championship. Four riders towards the bottom of the title standings failed to register a winner in May – Keagan de Melo, Ben Thompson, Antoine Hamelin and Dylan Mo Hin-tung. From a trainer's perspective, David Hall managed just one victory but ended the month on a positive note, with Invincible Sage narrowly beaten in the Group Three Sha Tin Vase (1,200m) before Ka Ying Attack broke the handler's winless streak of 60 runners on Saturday. Me Tsui Yu-sak also had just one winner, while Pierre Ng Pang-chi and Danny Shum Chap-shing each prepared two in May. Win of the month Voyage Bubble's historic success in the Group One Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup (2,400m) was undoubtedly the highlight of the month, with Yiu's stable star becoming the first galloper in 31 years to claim Hong Kong's Triple Crown. UNBELIEVABLE! 🤯 31 years since River Verdon won the #TripleCrown for the first time, Hong Kong has a second winner of the series in Voyage Bubble, who makes light work of his Champions & Chater Cup rivals... 🏆🏆🏆@WorldPool | @mcacajamez | #HKracing — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) May 25, 2025 Voyage Bubble made light work of a distance query when he charged from midfield to easily round up his rivals, scoring by three and a half lengths under James McDonald. River Verdon was the only previous winner of the Triple Crown, which also features the Group One Stewards' Cup (1,600m) and Group One Gold Cup (2,000m), back in 1993-94. Ride of the month Purton produced a tactical masterclass aboard Shamus Storm to help the promising three-year-old break through for his first triumph at start five. Settled back in the field after his usual tardy start, Shamus Storm was edged off the inside by Purton approaching the 600m to start his run. Purton's genius really came to the fore when he hooked Shamus Storm off the heels of main danger Max Que around the turn, holding the heavily-backed $2.8 second favourite in and preventing him from building momentum at a crucial stage. Shamus Storm let down strongly to power to the lead at the 200m and put the result beyond doubt, with Max Que running on once in the clear for second. Purton was also at his brilliant best on Light Years Charm, while a pair of victorious dirt rides were worth honourable mentions – Wong's on Solid Shalaa and Lyle Hewitson's on Talents Ambition.
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Vogue
28-05-2025
- Business
- Vogue
Wales Bonner's New Adidas Sneakers Might Outsell Her Silver Sambas
The discourse around trainers has escalated in recent years—and London-based designer Grace Wales Bonner has played a significant role in this shift. Through an ongoing collaboration with Adidas Originals, the designer has reworked several archive styles that have gone on to reach 'cult status.' Among them: leopard pony hair and silver Sambas, both of which now fetch inflated mark-ups on resale sites. At the time of writing, they're listed at upwards of $500 respectively on StockX (certain sizes are four figures), and have been endlessly duped by mass-market retailers. The spring/summer 2025 collection, launching on May 28, is the first time Wales Bonner has debuted a completely original trainer design, the Karintha. Named after a character in Cane by Jean Toomer, it borrows details from classic Adidas silhouettes and those developed in Wales Bonner's mainline collections. Realised in a similar profile to the Jewel, a curvaceous Mary-Jane trainer worn by Zendaya on the cover of British Vogue's May 2024 issue, the Karintha features the Three Stripe insignia and is available in sand-hued suede or covered in scaled sequins, with chocolate brown suede and satin accents. 'Immersing myself in the Adidas archive over the last five years has led me to focus on certain craft elements,' Grace Wales Bonner tells Vogue. 'So with this design, I wanted it to be rooted in that sensibility, while creating something contemporary and fresh.' A croc-embossed Superstar was a standout shoe from last season's drop, and the latest release introduces the Superstar Hi (a high-topped version), with the same recognizable shell toe cap, a thinner outsole and a suede upper with a perforated Three Stripe motif. This summer-ready collection also brings a new leather Adilette–a slider that's become synonymous with off-duty style—with a crocheted strap handwoven in Brazil. The ready-to-wear offering sees new interpretations of signature WB tracksuits, featuring popper and lace-up detailing and cargo pockets, as well as a crochet top, relaxed separates and suede bowling bags inspired by the intersection between city and coast. Grace explored nautical silhouettes this season through a contemporary lens, as she tells Vogue she focused on 'how to refine and render them in a more expressive, city context.' The tracksuits and sequins will be a certain crowd-pleaser. Wales Bonner X Adidas SS25 launches on the 28 May at and selected retailers—shop a curated edit, below. Adidas x Wales Bonner Karintha Lo shoes $350 ADIDAS Adidas x Wales Bonner Karintha Lo shoes $250 ADIDAS Adidas x Wales Bonner knit polo shirt $220 ADIDAS Adidas x Wales Bonner satin skirt $250 ADIDAS Adidas x Wales Bonner satin track top $280 ADIDAS Adidas x Wales Bonner polo shirt $180 ADIDAS Adidas x Wales Bonner Adilette slides $350 ADIDAS Adidas x Wales Bonner 3-stripes socks $80 ADIDAS
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Going gets tricky for tracks on a bank holiday when fans were short-changed
Bank holiday cards in May are perennially among the best-attended meetings of the season at Windsor, but a bumper gate at the track on Monday was not matched by a similar turnout on the other side of the running rail. Two dozen non-runners from an original total of 90 declared runners, almost all of which were due to the good-to-firm going, left the card as a whole looking distinctly threadbare. The biggest hit was to the initial 15-runner field for a 10-furlong handicap, with a £10k prize to the winner, which ended up with just six starters are eight ground-related scratchings and another due to a bad scope. Bank holiday crowds are a lifeline for plenty of the country's smaller tracks. It is – and there is no shame in it – a case of never mind the quality, feel the width. The paying punters do not expect to see next year's Derby winner running in the novice but they do expect excitement and a spectacle. On that basis, the depleted fields at Windsor on Monday were not a good look. It is a look, though, that promises to become increasingly familiar, at least if Charlie Rees, Windsor's clerk of the course, is correct. 'I think it's just a sign of the times, really,' Rees told the Racing Post. 'Trainers are obviously desperate for a bit of cut in the ground for certain horses and unfortunately the promised rain we were once forecast hasn't delivered.' Rees had watered the track in the run-up to Monday's card and it was officially good when the course raced on Saturday evening – and reported as good, good-to-soft in places at 7am on Saturday morning – but no rainfall and strong winds combined to dry it out to good-to-firm in 48 hours. The British Horseracing Authority's general instructions to racecourses state that Flat tracks 'should aim to provide good-to-firm ground', but that description has become an increasing rarity in British Flat racing over the last 20 years, as clerks of the course have turned on the taps with increasing regularity and persistence. While 46% of Flat races in the 2005 season were run on good-to-firm going or faster, by 2024 the figure was down to just 29%. Over jumps, meanwhile, the BHA instruction is that tracks 'should aim to provide good ground, and no firmer than good-to-firm.' The extent to which officials have taken this to heart is evident from the fact that just 31 National Hunt races were run on good-to-firm ground in 2024 (and eight of those were at meetings staged in mid-November). The primary welfare issue around the speed of the ground has always been seen as the rate of fatal and serious injuries to runners, and the statistics leave no doubt that racing on good-to-firm ground, over jumps in particular, has a higher fatality rate than competing on an easier surface. On the Flat, meanwhile, while the fatality rate is much lower overall – just 0.09% in 2024, representing 55 fatal injuries from 59,194 starts – but the chance of a minor injury or issue – getting 'jarred-up', for instance – is also higher on faster ground. So good-to-firm ground will remain a sticking point for many owners and trainers, despite being the BHA's official 'target' for racecourses, and while Windsor's depleted card on Monday is still a relative rarity, in the medium-to-long term, as global temperatures are predicted to creep ever higher and water becomes an increasingly precious – and therefore expensive – resource, the clerks can expect to be fighting a losing battle. Leicester: 2.00 Rock On Thunder 2.30 Bust A Moon 3.00 Pina Sonata 3.30 Me Tarzan 4.00 Sixteen One 4.35 Antelope (nb) 5.10 Dashing Donkey. Redcar: 2.20 Bleep Test 2.50 Captain Brett 3.20 Mafting 3.50 Jet Black 4.20 Poet's Dawn 4.55 Bantz 5.25 Four Adaay. Brighton: 2.40 Danehill Star 3.10 Senorita Vega 3.40 Twilight Guest 4.10 Oj Lifestyle 4.45 Callout (nap) 5.15 Pop Dancer. Wolverhampton: 6.12 Bone Marra 6.42 Cajole 7.12 The Feminine Urge 7.42 Wyvern 8.12 Latin 8.42 Tralee Girl. Smaller tracks in particular could start to find that maintaining an acceptable racing surface – or acceptable to the majority of trainers and owners, at any rate – is no longer economically viable. The sport is currently spending £3.62m on a marketing campaign to attract a fresh new generation of fans, the results of which remain to be seen. Future-proofing the sport to ensure the racegoers of 2035 and beyond have something to watch, however, promises to be an even sterner challenge.
The Guardian
26-05-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
Going gets tricky for tracks on a bank holiday when fans were short-changed
Bank holiday cards in May are perennially among the best-attended meetings of the season at Windsor, but a bumper gate at the track on Monday was not matched by a similar turnout on the other side of the running rail. Two dozen non-runners from an original total of 90 declared runners, almost all of which were due to the good-to-firm going, left the card as a whole looking distinctly threadbare. The biggest hit was to the initial 15-runner field for a 10-furlong handicap, with a £10k prize to the winner, which ended up with just six starters are eight ground-related scratchings and another due to a bad scope. Bank holiday crowds are a lifeline for plenty of the country's smaller tracks. It is – and there is no shame in it – a case of never mind the quality, feel the width. The paying punters do not expect to see next year's Derby winner running in the novice but they do expect excitement and a spectacle. On that basis, the depleted fields at Windsor on Monday were not a good look. It is a look, though, that promises to become increasingly familiar, at least if Charlie Rees, Windsor's clerk of the course, is correct. 'I think it's just a sign of the times, really,' Rees told the Racing Post. 'Trainers are obviously desperate for a bit of cut in the ground for certain horses and unfortunately the promised rain we were once forecast hasn't delivered.' Rees had watered the track in the run-up to Monday's card and it was officially good when the course raced on Saturday evening – and reported as good, good-to-soft in places at 7am on Saturday morning – but no rainfall and strong winds combined to dry it out to good-to-firm in 48 hours. The British Horseracing Authority's general instructions to racecourses state that Flat tracks 'should aim to provide good-to-firm ground', but that description has become an increasing rarity in British Flat racing over the last 20 years, as clerks of the course have turned on the taps with increasing regularity and persistence. While 46% of Flat races in the 2005 season were run on good-to-firm going or faster, by 2024 the figure was down to just 29%. Over jumps, meanwhile, the BHA instruction is that tracks 'should aim to provide good ground, and no firmer than good-to-firm.' The extent to which officials have taken this to heart is evident from the fact that just 31 National Hunt races were run on good-to-firm ground in 2024 (and eight of those were at meetings staged in mid-November). The primary welfare issue around the speed of the ground has always been seen as the rate of fatal and serious injuries to runners, and the statistics leave no doubt that racing on good-to-firm ground, over jumps in particular, has a higher fatality rate than competing on an easier surface. On the Flat, meanwhile, while the fatality rate is much lower overall – just 0.09% in 2024, representing 55 fatal injuries from 59,194 starts – but the chance of a minor injury or issue – getting 'jarred-up', for instance – is also higher on faster ground. So good-to-firm ground will remain a sticking point for many owners and trainers, despite being the BHA's official 'target' for racecourses, and while Windsor's depleted card on Monday is still a relative rarity, in the medium-to-long term, as global temperatures are predicted to creep ever higher and water becomes an increasingly precious – and therefore expensive – resource, the clerks can expect to be fighting a losing battle. Leicester: 2.00 Rock On Thunder 2.30 Bust A Moon 3.00 Pina Sonata 3.30 Me Tarzan 4.00 Sixteen One 4.35 Antelope (nb) 5.10 Dashing Donkey. Redcar: 2.20 Bleep Test 2.50 Captain Brett 3.20 Mafting 3.50 Jet Black 4.20 Poet's Dawn 4.55 Bantz 5.25 Four Adaay. Brighton: 2.40 Danehill Star 3.10 Senorita Vega 3.40 Twilight Guest 4.10 Oj Lifestyle 4.45 Callout (nap) 5.15 Pop Dancer. Wolverhampton: 6.12 Bone Marra 6.42 Cajole 7.12 The Feminine Urge 7.42 Wyvern 8.12 Latin 8.42 Tralee Girl. Smaller tracks in particular could start to find that maintaining an acceptable racing surface – or acceptable to the majority of trainers and owners, at any rate – is no longer economically viable. The sport is currently spending £3.62m on a marketing campaign to attract a fresh new generation of fans, the results of which remain to be seen. Future-proofing the sport to ensure the racegoers of 2035 and beyond have something to watch, however, promises to be an even sterner challenge.
