Pullman Introduces The Fitness Squad

New team of fitness ambassadors will host invigorating bootcamps while also inspiring Pullman guests and travelers to fall in love with fitness, energize their bodies and stimulate their minds

PARIS, Sept. 23, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Pullman Hotels & Resorts, a leading brand within the Accor group, is pleased to introduce the Pullman Fitness Squad – an exceptional group of fitness ambassadors from around the world, specially chosen to lead Pullman wellbeing and fitness initiatives, represent Pullman Power Fitness and oversee the full range of Pullman X Les Mills live classes, on-property bootcamps and other special events.

Pullman Power Fitness offers guests a dynamic, energizing and state-of-the-art workout experience that blurs the boundaries between a conventional hotel gym and a boutique fitness brand. With the announcement of the Pullman Fitness Squad unlocking even more potential, Pullman along with the brand's fitness partner Les Mills are excited to present a diverse group of well-known Les Mills fitness professionals: Anthony Oxford, Maxime Vigeant, Fiona Fransisca, Gary Mulholland, James Thomas and Jojo ZhouRong.

"We are pumped to announce the Pullman Fitness Squad. As influential leaders in the fitness world and now dedicated ambassadors for Pullman Power Fitness, they will help us bring our strategic global partnership with Les Mills to life at Pullman hotels around the world," said Mehdi Hemici, Senior Vice President, Loyalty & Partnerships, Accor. "Forward-thinking, hyper-connected and ambitious, each Fitness Squad member was selected by Pullman guests to represent Pullman's passion for fitness and performance.  To make the most of the newly expanded program, we will also work very closely with each squad member to showcase Pullman's strengths with their own respective communities, add greater value for local fitness enthusiasts and attract new members to the Pullman world."

More than a gym, Pullman Power Fitness taps into a new era of training diversity, integrated technology and the support of a like-minded community to help Pullman guests stay on top of their fitness game. The partnership with Les Mills unleashes the full experience of the Pullman Power Fitness community, while also leveraging the world's largest creator of choreographed exercise-to-music group fitness classes. As a result, Pullman X Les Mills is the world's first boutique fitness hotel offering with around-the-clock innovative fitness classes, in-room fitness amenities, challenging boot camps and Fitness Squad events.

"We are really excited to partner with Pullman, offering LES MILLS On Demand in all Pullman hotels which will help more people access the benefits of fitness and help us with our mission of creating a fitter planet," said Anna Henwood, Chief Marketing Officer, Les Mills International. "We want people to enjoy our workouts and the collaborative live streaming of a LES MILLS BODYPUMP inspired workout will help people globally to kickstart their fitness journey towards health and happiness."

In November, Pullman and Les Mills are joining forces with the aim of setting the Guinness World Record for the largest virtual fitness class. The event will be hosted in Dubai, at Pullman Dubai Downtown, with all six ambassadors from the Power Fitness Squad in attendance to teach separate parts of the virtual fitness class that will be live streamed globally.

"The announcement of the new squad members is a game changer and an exciting next step as we push to change the face of hotel fitness through the Pullman Power Fitness experience," said Emlyn Brown, Global Vice President, Well-Being, Luxury & Premium Brands, Accor. "The consumer demand for innovation in fitness concepts is abundantly clear and we listened carefully to those valuable insights throughout the creation of this program. Through the talented new ambassadors and partnership with Les Mills, we are pleased to provide our guests with challenging and inspiring workout offerings, allowing them to feel and perform at their best, no matter where they are."

Over the coming months and into next year, the Pullman Fitness Squad will work with select Pullman properties to create results-driven, engaging and interactive fitness bootcamp experiences and events in some of the world's most beautiful destinations.

Pullman Hotels & Resorts is pleased to introduce the Pullman Fitness Squad:

Anthony Oxford – Based in the UK, Anthony has been in the health & fitness industry for 13 years undertaking a variety of roles including fitness and sales and marketing.   Most recently, in his role of Les Mills UK Trainer & Presenter, Anthony delivers masterclasses and training to instructors and has also represented the brand on a global scale.  As a personal trainer he has an extensive client base, operating both in person and online.  

Maxime Vigeant – Personal coach and Fitness Trainer, Maxime has worked with Les Mills in New Zealand, California, Florida, Amsterdam and his native homeland of France where he is a Pro-Trainer for Les Mills. Maxime is a Martial Arts international champion, and winner of the Elite BodyAttack Challenge at the World Body Fitness Show in Paris in 2016.

Fiona Fransisca – Recognized as the Middle East Fitness Personality of 2020, Fiona earned the Hall of Wellness Award alongside her work as an International Master Trainer and Presenter for Les Mills. As an online health coach, Fiona is well-known across Dubai, Hong Kong and Indonesia for her Masterclass films, presentations and Les Mills group fitness classes.

Gary Mulholland – Based in Auckland, Gary is known for his ability to 'supercharge the superpowers' of those on his team and brings expertise in content creation, strategy, entertainment, and digital production. As a Senior Account Director with Anuvu, Gary has a history of award winning projects in the entertainment, broadcast and digital media industry at a global scale, with Air New Zealand as one of his top accounts.

James Thomas – A Rutgers University graduate, James specialized in Exercise Science. Now based in Chicago, he's been educating for almost ten years as a Les Mills National Trainer and International Presenter. He's worked in various capacities with a number of elite clubs such as Midtown Athletic Club in Chicago and Equinox in New York City. 

Jojo ZhouRong – Jojo brings more than ten years of experience with Les Mills and is currently an Advanced Training Trainer for Les Mills China. A professional swimmer, sports education major and coach for Reebok, Jojo brings unique credentials with AASFP certification in nutrition and weight management; aquatic fitness and master training.

About Pullman
Pullman Hotels & Resorts sets a new tempo in global travel and living, delivering an inspiring, energizing and enriching experience to new entrepreneurs. Pullman welcomes guests with the space they need to focus, work and play. Forward-thinking, hyper-connected and with a passion for art and fitness, Pullman retains the adventurous spirit and open-minded ambition that drove it to become a pioneering travel brand over 150 years ago. Today Pullman features more than 140 properties in vibrant and cosmopolitan destinations around the world including flagship properties such as Pullman Paris Bercy, Pullman Suzhou Zhonghui in Greater China and Pullman Maldives Maamutaa. Pullman is part of Accor, a world leading hospitality group consisting of more than 5,100 properties and 10,000 food and beverage venues throughout 110 countries.

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About Les Mills
Les Mills is the global leader in group fitness and creator of 20 programs available in leading fitness facilities around the world. Les Mills programs include the world's first group exercise resistance training workout BODYPUMP™, BODYCOMBAT™ (martial arts), RPM™ (indoor cycling), BODYBALANCE™ (yoga), LES MILLS GRIT™ (30-minute high-intensity interval training) and the revolutionary immersive cycle experience, THE TRIP™. Each workout is refreshed and updated with new choreography and music every three months.

The company was founded by Les Mills – a four-time Olympian and head coach of New Zealand's track and field team – who opened his first gym in 1968 with the aim of taking elite sports training to the masses. Today, Les Mills workouts are delivered by 140,000 certified instructors in 21,000 clubs across 100 countries and are available as live, livestream, virtual and immersive classes, as well as via the LES MILLS+ streaming platform.

Contact: Mike Taylor, Global Communications, Accor, mike.taylor@accor.com; Patricia Courtney, Global Communications, Accor, patricia.courtney@accor.com