Courtyard Health & Fitness
Courtyard Health & Fitness is a private members club in which the overriding philosophy is to put customer satisfaction above all else.
The club opened in January 1997 by owner/director Carl Ward who believes that the fundamental principles of training and preparation, as utilised by elite athletes, can be successfully applied to the rest of the population whatever their age or level of fitness.
Carl trained at St Paul's College in Cheltenham as a teacher of physical education. having obtained a Bachelor of Education degree from Bristol University, he began teaching in Bristol and later moved to Dursley in Gloustershire. In addition to his normal teaching commitments he managed the dual provision sports leisure facilities based at the school. At the same time he was training and playing international hockey for England.
After playing international hockey fo ten years, he moved into professional coaching and was appointed Director of Coaching for the All England Hockey Association in 1988. In 1995 he moved to Rome where, under the auspices of the Italian Olympic Committee, he was given responsibility for coaching and developing international hockey throughout Italy. On completing his involvement with international sport, he decided to open Courtyard Health and Fitness which has been in business for the last 11 years.
The company registered with the Fitness Industy Association from the outset. Having worked in the National Governing Bodies of Sport, Carl realised how important it was for everyone working in and/or benefiting from a particluar industry to have their interest and integrity represented and protected by a professional association or trade body. He has therefore been active in seeking the support of the FIA, and is keen to support it in return. He has served on the Board of Directors, is Chair of the Single Site Operators Committee and is an active member of the FIA forum that is looking into the benefits of the current GP referral. He has seen and experienced many changes from within and around the industry and believes that the FIA is now more appreciative of the needs of single site operators and is better positioned, than at any time in the last ten years, to provide them with the help, support and advice they need.
Courtyard Health & Fitness believes in fitness for all and provides support and training for people of all ages and levels. It has been particularly successful over the years in rehabilitating injured athletes from a range of sports and helping them back to full fitness. It also provides effective support and training for people at either end of the age range. As the aging population in Britain continues to grow, Courtyard Health & Fitness is keen to promote fitness in the over 50's in order to enable them to have a really high quality of life. Special programmes and classes are also run for the over 60's, 70's, and even the over 80's. At the other end of the scale regular fun and fitness sessions are run for children and young people for ages 8 to 14. In addition to these and other classes, the gym provides bespoke fitness programmes for every individual. these are developed following an initial assessment and regularly updates as fitness levels increase.
Over the years the club has established close links with local GP's, surgeons, physiotherapists and other health workers. Consequently, it is heavily involved in developing and providing effective pre and post operative exercise programmes for anyone who is scheduled to undergo or recovering from surgery.
Everyone at Courtyard Health & Fitness is totally committed to promoting health and wellbeing in the widest possible sense. as such Carl and his staff have been particularly successful in supporting hundreds of people in their quest for healthier, fitter and fuller lives.
In 2008 Carl Ward was recognised as a member of the business community who has achieved notable success. He is listed in 'Who's Who of Owners of Britains Most Successful Businesses'. Carl attributes this success to the quality and commitment of his staff and the loyalty of his members.
