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San Diego, Calif. – September 9, 2020 – Among many highlights of the 2020 IDEA World Convention—this year reimagined as IDEA World Virtual and held August 21-22—was the celebration of the association’s 2020 IDEA Fitness Awards Recipients. Over 8,000 members of the health and fitness professional community attended this unprecedented virtual event featuring 2 days of keynotes, continuing education sessions and a virtual exhibit hall.
This year more than ever, the fitness community has been challenged to reinvent the way it coaches, leads and Inspires the World to Fitness®. “The recipients of the IDEA Awards represent the best and brightest of the fitness industry and we thank them for their many and varied contributions. Each one has made—and will continue to make—a positive and indelible impact on the health, wellness and happiness of the individuals they serve day-to-day as well as the worldwide fitness community,” said Ryan Halvorson, IDEA’s director of event programming, when he introduced the recipients.
2020 IDEA Fitness Inspiration Award
Kyle Maynard
The IDEA Fitness Inspiration Award is given to an individual who has overcome considerable physical adversity and now includes regular fitness activity in their life while providing inspiration to others. The 2020 recipient, Kyle Maynard, was born with a rare condition known as congenital amputation, that left him with arms that end at the elbows and legs that end near his knees. He learned early on to live life independently, knowing that exceptions wouldn’t be made for him. He has lived his life striving to do more, learn more, push harder, go further, and to inspire others to do the same by sharing his story and living by example.
2020 IDEA Fitness Instructor of the Year
Jeffrey Scott, vice president of fitness, nutrition and results, Beachbody®
2020 IDEA Personal Trainer of the Year
Leslee Bender, creator of Bender Ball Method and Director of I Am Ageless Now
You could summarize Leslee Bender’s impact on fitness in two words: Bender Ball. That’s accurate—more than 1 million Bender Balls have been sold since 2007—but, as a tribute, it’s woefully incomplete. Bender’s influence on personal training over the last 30 years is a much bigger story. “My mission is to help people of all ages and sizes to embrace life and age gracefully,” Bender says. That focus led to the creation of The Bender Method of Training—the first to use a small ball to protect the back and work the core. She has since certified more than 2,000 instructors in this safe method of functional Pilates training.
2020 IDEA Fitness Leader of the Year
Tricia Murphy Madden, co-creator of Barre Above and education director of Savvier Fitness
Congratulations to the 2020 IDEA Fitness Award recipients!
The 2021 IDEA World Convention will be back live July 7-11, 2021, in Anaheim, California. To register please visit https://www.ideafit.com/fitness-conferences/world-virtual/
About IDEA Health and Fitness Association
IDEA Health & Fitness Association is the world’s leading organization of fitness and wellness professionals and has been for more than 38 years. We deliver world-class content and continuing education to fitness professionals, business owners and allied health professionals via our publications, including the award-winning Fitness Journal; our fitness, business and nutrition conferences; and hundreds of streaming videos and online courses available on ideafit.com. Additionally, with IDEA FitnessConnect, we host the largest national industry-wide directory, linking over 275,000 fitness professionals to more than 40 million consumers. Through IDEA professionals in over 80 countries, we Inspire the World to Fitness®