Invest in your health
About me
Hi, I’m Pennie, a strength and flexibility coach based in Sheffield, and a proudly queer, neurodivergent human doing my best to make fitness feel safer, kinder and more accessible for every body.
I’ve been a personal trainer since 2015, but my route into coaching wasn’t exactly traditional. I actually started out as a journalist, spending long days at a desk, living off office biscuits and a lifestyle that did nothing for my energy, mood or body.
Everything shifted when my dad got seriously ill - fast and unexpectedly. Suddenly, my own health felt urgent in a way it never had before. I realised I had to make a change, so I started an online fitness magazine to keep myself accountable. What I didn’t know then was that it would lead me straight into the career I now love.
My journey into Personal Training
How I became the coach i neeed.
As I got deeper into training, I realised I didn’t just want to get fit, I wanted to understand how bodies worked. That curiosity shaped the next decade of my life. I became a certified personal trainer, qualified as a nutritionist, did my running coach training with England Athletics, completed my pre- and postnatal coaching qualifications, and most recently earned my Level 2 British Weightlifting Coaching certificate.
But the biggest turning point came in 2017, when I ran the New York Marathon and absolutely wrecked my knees. That injury threw me into a long, frustrating kneehab that forced me to learn more about hypermobility, joint health and strength training than any course ever could. Most fitness professionals didn’t know how to help hypermobile people and I learned that the hard way. I was getting injured constantly because nobody understood my body.
So I taught myself. I became my own case study. I spent years learning how to build strength safely, improve stability, reduce pain and train a body that wasn’t playing by the usual rules. And once I’d figured it out for myself, I realised I could help other people do the same. Over the years, I’ve supported so many hypermobile, bendy, tired-and-achy humans to build bodies that hurt less, function better and feel more resilient.
Being queer and neurodivergent has shaped my coaching just as much as my physical journey has. Fitness spaces can be intimidating, exclusive and overwhelming, especially when you don’t fit into their idea of what a “gym person” should look like. I never want anyone to feel that way with me. My coaching is rooted in inclusivity, compassion and creating a space where people feel safe to show up exactly as they are.
I’m here to be the representation I needed when I started. The coach who listens. The one who adapts. The one who understands that your body, your life and your identity all matter in how you train. Lifting weights is for all of us and that’s a belief I’ll stand by forever.
My focus areas
Training that supports real bodies, lives and goals.
Over the years I’ve developed a coaching style that blends strength, mobility, stability and real-world movement in a way that actually works for your body. These are the areas I focus on most, the things I’ve studied, lived through and helped countless clients navigate. Whether you’re here to get stronger, improve flexibility, manage hypermobility or take better care of your joints, I’ve got you.
Strength Training
I help you build functional, joint-friendly strength with tailored programming that supports your body, your goals and your long-term confidence.
Flexibility Training
My flexibility coaching blends mobility, stability and technique to help you move with more freedom, control and ease in your everyday life.
Hypermobility
I specialise in helping hypermobile bodies feel safer and more stable by building strength, improving awareness and reducing the aches you’ve been told to “just live with.”
Old School Strongman
If you love lifting weird, heavy things, I’ll teach you the fundamentals of old school strongman training in a safe, progressive and joyful way.
Running
Whether you’re training for your first 5K or your next marathon, I’ll help you run stronger, safer and more efficiently with technique-focused guidance.
Joint Health
I support you in building healthier, more resilient joints through strength work, smart movement patterns and training that respects your body’s limits.
