A Hartpury student has qualified for the national semi-finals of a competition aimed at unearthing the best young personal trainers in the business.

Grant Morris, 19, a second year student on the Advanced Diploma in Fitness at Hartpury, was put forward for the regional round of the WorldSkills UK Fitness Trainer Competition in Loughborough by his lecturer, Steve Adams.

Grant finished second overall and first male in the personal trainer category, while fellow Hartpury student, Ryan O’Connor, also received positive feedback from the Association of Colleges (AoC) panel of judges, who were all fitness specialists. Grant will now head to the national semi-finals of the competition in July.

The students firstly had to submit a two-minute video where they planned a circuit and then supported a client to complete it, clearly explaining coaching points. Those securing sufficient marks were then put through to stage two, where they completed an exam, before finally delivering a personal training session for their client in front of the judges. They were also marked on the design of their 10-week programme which was bespoke to the client.

“I was really pleased to achieve second place overall, especially as I was up against personal trainers with a lot more experience,” said Grant, who is from Coleford and a former pupil of Lakers School.

“It was a fantastic experience and will really enhance my future career prospects. Coming to Hartpury was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I’d always thought it was just an academy for elite sports people, but when I was told it offered qualifications in sport and fitness, I decided to investigate.

“I’d always wanted to pursue a career in sport and when I came to the open day, I was blown away by what Hartpury had to offer. I’ve loved every minute of my course and I can’t thank Steve (Adams) enough. I’ve learned so much and the practical experience I’ve gained during my time at Hartpury has been invaluable.”

Alongside his studies at Hartpury, Grant has already launched his own business, Functional Fitness, delivering outdoor boot camps at Berry Hill Primary School and circuits classes as well as personal training. He also works at Rockets Health and Fitness in Coleford.

“It can be challenging balancing all of my different commitments but I get such a buzz out of helping people to achieve their fitness goals,” added Grant.

“I will qualify as a personal trainer from Hartpury in July and then I want to go on to achieve my strength and conditioning qualification so that I can continue to build my own business.”

Hartpury lecturer, Steve Adams, said: “So many of our students graduating in the summer already have jobs lined up in the fitness industry. They all do a 10-week placement as part of their course and they benefit from the contacts they make and the partnerships that Hartpury enjoys with a range of providers.

“In their first year, they achieve their gym instructor award, having focused on gym, spin and circuits, and in the second year, they work towards their personal trainer award. Employers are impressed by their attitude and their knowledge and experience of working with different client groups.”