Born and raised in the UK, 45-year-old Julie Willetts has been at the forefront of bringing internationally accredited fitness education to Oman since 2017. But her line of work was not always fitness related. She started her career as an Occupational Therapist in the UK; then decided to turn her passion into a career in Dubai where she began working as a fitness professional in 2004.
After getting her first qualification in Dubai, Julie Willetts worked as a PT and Group Fitness Instructor for several years before shifting gears and focusing on fitness education and standards, working for a large fitness education provider running programs for fitness instructors, personal trainers and group exercise instructors. She then worked as the Standards & Compliance Manager for The Register of Exercise Professionals, UAE, where her role involved ensuring that fitness training in UAE met international standards.
In 2017, she was offered an opportunity to come to Oman to help raise the standards of the fitness industry by setting up the Sultanate’s first internationally accredited fitness education provider – The Wellness Institute (TWI). “I’m happy to be able to bring the opportunity to learn about fitness to the Sultanate. I am proud that TWI has recently been accepted by the Oman Government as an approved provider for fitness education and we will be training Omani fitness professionals with their support,” she said.
Her role at TWI is a challenging one, for the fitness industry is still young in Oman and the field is yet to be considered a worthy career path. Noting that there is steady improvement, she commented, “There are some really good trainers here. There are also high end facilities and new types of fitness facilities which are attracting more people. It is good to see more women having access to better equipped ladies-only facilities.”
She hopes that through her work she can continue to raise the standards of the fitness industry in Oman and offer the local population a sustainable and meaningful career in fitness. “I hope to see more Omani nationals and expats embracing fitness and incorporating it into their lives!”