MGM Group Fitness Virtual Conference 2024

Dr Wendy Sweet (PhD) has been an award-winning presenter and educator in the New Zealand exercise industry for over 30 years. In 2014, she won the Australasian Fitness Educator Author of the Year award and the Exercise NZ Award for ‘Most Outstanding Contribution to the NZ Fitness
Industry’. These days her passion and purpose lies in, not only helping women the world-over to understand lifestyle-science specific to the menopause transition through her scientifically-evidenced online programmes, but to also educate health professionals about evidenced lifestyle
science for menopause. Her global courses for Health Practitioners sell out in days.

Marietta and Maria are the creators of My Group Move.

MY GROUP MOVE was born from a strong desire to upskill group exercise instructors to ensure that interactions and information passed onto class participants was current and cutting edge to create a high quality positive experience for everyone. Group fitness is empowering, inclusive and enjoyable. MY GROUP MOVE’s ‘WHY’ is to ensure that instructors continue to grow and develop their skills to guarantee individualised success for both instructors and participants.

Marietta Mehanni is not your average fitness presenter. She is a true innovator in the industry and a game changer when it comes to group fitness. With over 30 years of teaching experience, Marietta has won multiple awards and is highly regarded as one of the best educators in the business.

As the Education Coordinator for Gymstick International and the World Master Trainer, Marietta is a true leader in the fitness industry. She is also the co-founder of My Group Move, an online platform that offers exceptional group fitness education to instructors all over the world.

She has trained hundreds of instructors around the world in both land and water-based group exercise. Marietta is particularly well-known for her expertise in aqua fitness, where she has established herself as one of the world's leading presenters.

Marietta's passion for aqua fitness stems from her belief that water-based exercise offers numerous benefits to people of all ages and abilities. Her dedication to this field has earned her a reputation as one of the most knowledgeable and inspiring aqua presenters in the world.

Maria Teresa is a dynamic and influential fitness expert, with a passion for dance and wellness that spans over 25 years. Hailing from Mexico, she has been teaching land and water-based fitness classes since 1996, and her career has taken her around the world, from the UK to New Zealand and Australia. Maria Teresa has earned a reputation for her expertise in aqua fitness. She teaches aqua classes and presents aqua workshops to other aqua professionals, inspiring and empowering them to create innovative and effective workouts.

In 2009, Maria Teresa played a crucial role in launching ZUMBA in New Zealand and Australia, training thousands of instructors across the Australasia Pacific region over the past decade. During the pandemic, she has adapted to teaching virtual trainings. Her dedication to the fitness industry was recognized in 2016 when she was inducted to the Roll of Honour by Fitness Australia.

Maria Teresa is a co-founder of the online platform My Group Move, which provides training for new instructors and support for current group fitness instructors. She regularly presents at fitness conventions such as FILEX, FITEX, and ZUMBA, and is passionate about holistic health. In addition to being a certified gut health and well-being coach, she co-founded the 18 Days to Well-being program with her sister Eliza Stone. Maria Teresa currently resides in New Zealand with her husband and two children.

Nikki has been teaching movement of some kind since 1987 and even now is a very active group exercise instructor, personal trainer, life coach and mentor/assessor, as well as a member of the Exercise NZ team. Now ten years old, Nikki’s business, Positive Choice, offers her clients and mentees a safe space to step outside their comfort zone and make it their new normal.  As a REPs registered Group Exercise instructor, Nikki delivers Pilates, Zumba, Cycling and Weights classes in person and online and has been a Finalist for the Group Exercise Instructor of the Year Awards 2017 and 2023. In the past couple of years, Nikki has built on her group exercise experience and leant to her love of presenting and delivering sessions on Values and living a values-led life at a number of conferences in NZ and Australia. Nikki is also the Business Development Manager for ExerciseNZ, Liaison for the Exercise Professionals Network Aotearoa and the NZ Ambassador for WIFA (Women in Fitness Association). Nikki’s mission is to create a safe space for people to become their best selves and work aligned with her values, which means she can support you in meeting your potential and growing beyond.