The Tuscan Fitness Team
Alexandra Sturgess
Founder, Yoga Teacher, Barre Instructor
For Alix, nutrition, a healthy lifestyle and Yoga have always been of paramount importance. She is a strong supporter of the Latin saying ‘mens sana in corpore sano’, which means that only a healthy body can support a healthy mind, so we should strive to keep our bodies in top condition. She has been practicing Yoga for many years in order to sustain a well balanced life, she has completed trainings in India for (200hr) ashtanga yoga and in Costa Rica for a (200 hr) vinyasa and massage therapy course and believes that through asana practice we can sustain a clearer consciousness. Alix wants to impart her knowledge onto her students helping them to understand their bodies and therefore be able to delve more deeply into each pose. This was the genesis which led to the development of the” Body and Mind” company. She has lived in many countries, and experienced many different cultures, and from this she has been inspired to follow the fundamentals of the Mediterranean diet and lifestyle which provides the most comprehensive combination of nutrition, well-being and family-oriented ideals. This philosophy is not about deprivation or even having to worry about how to manage a harmonious diet and lifestyle, instead Alix wants to open up a world of delicious and well balanced menus that you can take home with you and use for the rest of your life.
Francesca Blechner
Personal Trainer
Francesca is a Personal Trainer and Sports Massage Therapist operating in london with a wealth of experience and an array of knowledge. She has 12 years experience working in the fitness industry at some of London’s leading health clubs. Holds a degree in Sport and Exercise Science. Boxing trained by David Haye on his training course. A certified Master Kettlebell instructor, Fran is taught personally and certified by Europe’s leading kettlebell instructor and TV’s former ‘Biggest Loser’ trainer the late Angie Dowds. Fran has a substantial client list including celebrities, former sporting professionals, TV presenters, business executives, new mums & many more. Francesca works with her clients in London and also the Middle East. She is the director of FB Personal Training and has a team of trainers operating in London who are passionate about helping others achieve their health, fitness and lifestyle goals. Specialist areas are Kettlebell training, boxing, TRX and Sports Massage.
For more information about Francesca, please see www.fb-personaltraining.co.uk
Filippo Dainelli
Personal Trainer
Filippo is a Personal Trainer born in Montevarchi, Tuscany with a lifelong passion for fitness and sport in general. He graduated with a degree in Sports Science from Florence University and from 1995 to 2008 worked as a Fitness and Bodybuilding instructor at the Los Angeles Gym in Montevarchi. Since 2008, Filippo has been working in the same capacity at the gym ZeroOtto and has also become a certified Fit Boxe instructor via the FIF (federazione italiana fitness).
Furthermore, Filippo is a certified instructor in Body Pump, Legs Buns and Tums as well as body toning techniques, which are all talents that he brings to the Tuscan Fitness table. On top of all this, Filippo also spends time as an Aqua Gym instructor and a Callisthenics trainer and in his spare time, he works as a conditioning coach for the local football team, Virtus Leona.
Julie Sparsø Damkjaer
Yoga Instructor
Julie teaches Anukalana Yoga. She is certified 300 hour Anukalana Yoga teacher and 200 hour Vinyasa teacher and massage therapy.
Julie is a strong believer in the healing powers of movement and the pleasure it brings to our life. In Julies yoga classes she encourages her students to experience and explore and to enjoy every moment of their practice and make it their own. With Julie you’ll explore soft, flowy and effortless movement, with a focus on being gentle on the body and letting your breath guide you through a flowy series of asanas. Asana practice should leave you feeling good and bring you to a meditative state while moving. Julie hopes to give her students a broader understanding of yoga, so they can take the practice with them, beyond the mat.
Julie came across the teachings of yoga at a young age and at the age of 23 she began a more coherent yoga practice, which has led her to explore many styles and approaches to this ancient system. In 2015 she came across Anukalana Yoga, an approach which immediately spoke to her, and she decided to pursue the goal of becoming a teacher of Anukalana Yoga.
Julie is Danish, but has spent many years living abroad. She has a background in fine arts and film making and is very passionate about aerial hoop, which she also teaches in Copenhagen. Every year she volunteers at Ängsbacka Yoga Festival in Sweden, which is on of the places, where she finds inspiration and can grow in her own spiritual practice and as a teacher. Julie loves to travel and meet new people and has a weakness for the Caribbean.
Patrizia Fazli
Yoga Instructor/Social Media Consultant
Patrizia has found her passion for yoga and mindful living during her studies to balance the stressful business environment and healthy living. In March 2019, she completed a yoga teacher training in Bali and has been teaching yoga classes since then. For her, Yoga is more than just a workout, it is a way of living. Her goal is to help her students to become the best version of themselves with the help of yoga, meditation, pranayama and journaling.
Patrizia lives in the Netherlands working as a marketing professional and yoga teacher. Besides being extremely passionate about yoga, Patrizia is an advocate of sustainable living, reducing environmental impact wherever she can. She is currently learning Italian to be able to connect even further with the Italian culture and her signature dish is authentic Italian pizza.
In March 2018, she spent a few days with Tuscan Fitness and immediately fell in love with the special atmosphere and beautiful surrounding. Returning back to Tuscan Fitness to teach Yoga is therefore like a dream come true.
India Parker-Smith
Personal Trainer
India is a keen and experienced horse rider and now offers her services to (horse) polo players seeking to improve their strength and fitness to put them a cut above the rest. She has 6 years’ experience as a Personal Trainer, Class Instructor and Nutritional Advisor working in (London’s premier private clubs and within private residences in London, Surrey and Sussex) and South West London, Surrey & Sussex.
India has worked with a mixture of high net worth individuals, leading sportsmen, celebrities, mums and young women all with a diverse range of abilities and goals. Not only does India offer 1-2-1 sessions but she works remotely with large groups of women in London whose main goal is to lose weight, tone up and feel fabulous.
Her primary focus is on gut health, hormone health and overall wellbeing through the use of personalised and motivational workouts along with detailed nutrition planning. India studied Sport Science at university and specialises in (well researched) functional and resistance training. This ensures that each session is bespoke to the client’s needsand has an added element of fun and enjoyment.
Robyn Lucks
Yoga Instructor/Personal Trainer
Robyn is the owner and operator of Healium Hot Yoga Studio in Milwaukee Wisconsin, established in 2013. She is a certified ERYT yoga instructor through Yoga Alliance, holds a certification in Bikram Yoga and is a National Association of Sports Medicine Certified Personal Trainer. Robyn has been teaching yoga for over 10 years and has been working in the fitness industry for over 20 years.
Through the years she has enjoyed teaching group and private classes in a variety of modalities including Cardio Kickboxing, HIIT, Circuit Training, and Boot Camp. Robyn primarily teaches yoga, but enjoys blending fitness elements into thoughtful yoga sequences creating powerful and invigorating yoga classes. When Robyn is not “yogaing” she is hanging out with her spirited daughter and her goofball dog.
She enjoys running, cycling, traveling, music, and the great outdoors….and a nice beer and piece of pie (its all about balance!) Robyn is super honored to be invited into the Tuscan Fitness family and can not wait to lead you through some dynamic and fun classes!
Kelly Wampler
Yoga Instructor
Kelly began practicing yoga in 2008 and was instantly hooked. She found it very challenging at first and quickly realized it was just as much a mental practice as a physical one.
Finding that mind body connection and then listening to it has become one of the many lessons yoga has taught her. Kelly completed her 200 RYT through Yandara for Vinyasa, Yin and Restorative in May 2017, 100 RYT through Rusty Wells for Bhakti Flow in August 2018 and an additional 100 RYT through Yandara for Yin/Restorative. She also received her Reiki Master Certification in November of 2018.
She truly enjoys sharing everything Yoga has taught her with all practitioners. Her favorite part of the practice is that there is no “destination”, it is all about the journey and learning more along the way.
Paolo Puccini
Web Marketing Manager and Personal Trainer
Paolo was born in São Paulo , Brazil but has been living in Italy since he first set foot in Rome in early 2000. With previous experience in web marketing and business development, he has been working as online marketing manager at Tuscan Fitness since 2013. He speaks english, italian, portuguese and spanish, has lived and worked in several countries and loves to travel.
Though extremely passionate about business, marketing, and all technology, he is equally passionate about fitness, healthy living and Italian food. Paolo is also a certified ISSA fitness trainer and committed to helping those who wish to stay fit. Understanding that each individual has different goals as well a needs, he strives to make sure adopting a fitness lifestyle is interesting, rewarding and most importantly fun.
Federico Capanni
Social Media Manager
Federico started working as an e-commerce manager six years ago, somewhat by accident. Over the course of time though, he specialized more and more in the world of web marketing, successfully managing not only e-commerce websites but also marketing campaigns and social media campaigns.
His meeting with Alix was perfect because not only are their views of business in agreement, but also because Federico, whose work keeps him in front of the pc, also loves hiking, mountain biking, eating well and living healthy. As a young athlete, he was heavily involved initially in swimming, and then kick boxing. Currently, he still finds time to give lessons as a swimming instructor at the village swimming centre, and he also carries out this role upon request for Tuscan Fitness
Yoga Teacher Training Instructor
Peter Kaaberbøl Kristensen
Yoga Teacher Trainer
