meet OUR TRAINERS
Guiding You For A Safe And Effective Workout
Team of Expert Coaches
Trixie Velez
Trixie Velez co-founder, and Director of DEFIN8 Fitness, is one of the most sought-after elite fitness professionals in Hong Kong. With over 16 years of experience in the industry, she has established herself as one of the most well-versed and respected fitness professionals in the region.
Trixie’s impressive credentials include being an award-winning World Class Fitness Trainer. She has received numerous accolades, such as being named Hong Kong’s Best Instructor, Best Personal Trainer, Asia’s Best Pilates Instructor, and Women of Wellness. Additionally, she is a mom, trainer and ambassador for multiple prominent brands.
Trixie’s expertise spans an impressive array of over 20+ different exercise programs, some she has created and is master trainer in. Her deep knowledge of human movement and physiology allows her to mold, transform, and guide her clients towards peak physical condition. Her areas of expertise include dance, cardio, rehab, strength training, pre and post-natal fitness – an advanced fully certified STOTT PILATES® and GYROTONIC® instructor.
Trixie’s infectious energy and enthusiasm are known to invigorate and motivate her clients to push their limits. Her fresh and current ideas ensure that her classes provide an unparalleled fitness experience, making them among the best in Hong Kong.
Leo Velez
DEFIN8 Fitness Director and Owner, Leo, has dedicated over 20 years to the fitness industry, is one of the most respected in the field. He is fueled by his passion for providing people with a fun, effective, and world-class fitness experience. As an elite certified instructor for Les Mills BODYJAM, BODYATTACK, and BODYBALANCE programs, Leo’s expertise spans a wide range of disciplines, including HIIT, Suspension Training, Rehabilitation, Pre- and Post-Natal fitness, Pilates, and the certified GYROTONIC® instructor.
Equipped with a bachelor’s degree in commerce and management, Leo has leveraged his leadership skills to develop and train a team of exceptional group fitness instructors. His inspirational mentorship and guidance have been instrumental in shaping his colleagues’ growth as fitness professionals.
Whether you’re looking for a challenging, relaxing, exhilarating, or unconventional workout, Leo is the fitness expert who can deliver a truly remarkable experience tailored to your needs and goals.
Michelle
Michelle Koo, a STOTT PILATES® and GYROTONIC® certified instructor.
She has over 10 years of experience as a former classical ballet dancer. She is upbeat and full of energy who brings everyone a fun, encouraging, and vibey environment while moving with her.
Elegance, mindfulness, strength, and endurance are her key focuses to a toned body. Together with her passion, obsession and comprehension in Pilates, she will assist and shape you to a good and balanced body alignment.
She is passionate in meeting your goals and being part of your journey. With her energy, she will challenge and motivate you to go beyond your limits to a toned body. Come join and move with her!
Kevin
“Success is not always about greatness. It is about consistency. Consistent hardwork gains success. Greatness will come.”
From strength training to cardio and Pilates, Kevin will surely cater to different types of workouts. He is trained in FATBURN cardio, LES MILLS BODYPUMP, Pilates Reformer and teaches Gyrotonic method.
Amanda
Friendly, professional, fluent in Cantonese, English and Mandarin STOTT-trained pilates instructor with experience in leading both private and group Pilates training sessions to clients of varying fitness levels. Skilled at delivering well-balanced workouts in a controlled and precise manner following the standard STOTT guidelines. Completed Intensive Cadillac, Chair & Barrels, Intensive Reformer, Intensive Mat-Plus and Functional Anatomy courses.
Passionate about helping people meet their movement goals and appreciate the importance of mind body connection and body awareness with Pilates movements.
Marco
A versatile & cheerful fitness instructor ranging from Les Mills BODYPUMP & RPM, also with TRX & HIIT for more than 5 years. On top of that, he is also Polestar Reformer Pilates & Basi Mat certified!
He also enjoys weight training exercise and has been participating in half marathon & done functional race like Spartan & HYROX. He hopes everyone can challenge their best & explore different workout or sport!
Amy
“Your body is capable of so much more than you think.”
Amy trains regularly at a range of exercises, including: HIIT, weight training and Thai boxing. She very quickly realised that Pilates was unique in combining strength, precision, and control like no other sports. Having suffered from recurring back injuries and frequent physio treatments, Pilates have helped Amy to be more aware of her body alignments when exercising and strengthened her muscles to prevent injuries.
Trained in Third Generation Classical Pilates Instructor certified under Alycea Ungaro’s RPTT program. Comprehensively trained in the techniques and teachings of Joseph H. Pilates.
Amy has an eye for details with a teaching style that is highly engaging. Amy is keen to help clients achieve their fitness goals and encourages clients to challenge themselves just that little bit more.
Born in HK and raised in the UK, sessions with Amy are available in both English and Cantonese.
Esther
Esther Ng delved into the world of fitness in 2017 after a lower back injury which was healed through Pilates. With consistent practice, she realised that the anatomy-emphasis in Pilates can benefit the entire body and improve other areas of fitness, including running and weightlifting. She is a STOTT Pilates Certified Instructor.
Francis
Sharing knowledge, experiences and passion is always the key to success, he believes.
Certified in Les Mills Bodypump, Bodybalance, Les Mills Core and Spinning in group training. Also, a Personal Trainer, Pilates and Gyrotonic instructor.
His training area covers hardcore work (weight training and fitness training) to mind and body work (Pilates and stretching) creating happiness and fulfilling individual needs to improve power and strength, agility, coordination, awareness and flexibility.
Nelson
A former Disney performer and a long-time fitness professional and dancer in nature, Nelson has one of the most versatile portfolios in terms of group fitness instructions. With multiple international certifications on Les Mills programmes such as BODYPUMP™, BODYCOMBAT™, BODYJAM™, among others, he can for sure cater to different modes of workout. His expertise extends to teaching spin, suspension training, Zumba and freestyle cardio and strength trainings. He firmly believes that exercise should never be boring. Instead, he infuses every session with a contagious sense of fun and excitement. Get ready to unleash your inner child as you work hard ,dance hard, sweat, and push your limits in ways you never thought possible.
Nelson’s dynamic energy and unwavering dedication will inspire and motivate you to reach new heights on your fitness journey. So, step into his world and discover the exhilarating fusion of Disney magic, dance, and fitness. Are you ready to redefine what it means to work out?
Nicky
Eva
Born and raised in HK and was firstly introduced to fitness at the age of 16, became an enthusiast in different types of fitness classes – TRX, Pilates, HIIT, yoga, BodyPump. Having been trained for years then decided to further pursue her passion and make it into career. And now, she is focused more on teaching group Pilates Reformer and private trainings including Gyrotonic method.
Strongly believe that health is a conscious lifestyle choice – necessary for longevity and happiness!
Bee
Luci
Luci has taught Zumba in Brazil, Germany, the UK and is now based in Hong Kong. She teaches Latin moves to participants of all levels. It can get your daily cardio workout in, while making you feel confident. She is a certified Zumba instructor, Zumba Kids and Kids Jr, Jumping Fitness and Fit Dance instructor.
Rae
What makes Rae passionate about group exercise is that it allows her to help people feel better, meet their health and fitness goals and enhance their quality of life.
Rae is a NASM qualified personal trainer and been teaching group exercise classes for over six years with expertise ranging from Les Mills programs: BODYPUMP, BODYBALANCE, TONE and as well as Barre, TRX, Pilates and Gyrotonic method.
Monica
Monica is sensitive to clients’ needs. Her way of teaching always starts with correct posture and alignment, where clients are gradually trained to proceed to the next level where stability, strength, stamina and range of motion can be built upon precise movements. She is also a creative instructor who likes to challenge clients with unconventional moves developed from the principles of Pilates.
AASFP/BASITM Pilates Instructor (Foundation – Mat Work) course and got its certification in 2006. She furthered her studies to reformer work and became a Polestar Certified Practitioner of Pilates Allegro in 2009. With a strong devotion to develop her career in Pilates teaching, she quit her full-time job in the same year. She had a chance to work for a chiropractor clinic in 2012 and another physiotherapist in 2017, through which mat and reformer training was given to rehabilitated clients of different injuries.
Em
“Everything you want is on the other side of fear,” said Jack Canfield, and this philosophy perfectly embodies the approach to fitness that Emily has taken since childhood. As a lifelong sports enthusiast, Emily believes in the power of pushing our minds and bodies to their limits. She has pursued a variety of activities such as CrossFit, Muay Thai, Golf and Weightlifting, but it was her discovery of Pilates that gave her the most impressive results. Pilates helped her fix her posture, strengthened her core, and increased her overall mobility, making her a well-rounded athlete.
Emily’s love for sports transcends land-based activities as she enjoys wakeboarding in the summertime and snowboarding during the winter season. With experience in various sports, from the water to the land, Emily can inspire you and guide you to incorporate Pilates into your routine. As a STOTT Pilates trained and Gyrotonic instructor, Emily is fully committed to guiding clients towards progress and helping them achieve their fitness goals whether it’s body conditioning, strength training or mobility issues. Don’t let fear hold you back; reach out to Emily and start your fitness journey today!
Kathleen
Kathleen’s fitness journey started in 2018, trying everything between HIIT, running and eventually Pilates.
She started taking Pilates to overcome shoulder and neck pain from her regular office job. It made a lot of improvements on her and so she pursued to train herself to share the benefits of doing Pilates.
She believes that no matter where you are on your fitness journey, you got this!
Committed to share the best of her knowledge to better improve anyone’s physical capabilities through exercising, Kathleen will surely be there with you!
Hazel
Hazel has come to realise that being active and passionate about wellness is an integral part of her identity. This realisation has driven her to search for a role that provides her with purpose and motivation.
The reason why she finds so much joy in this job is because it allows her to combine her passions for movement, personal growth, and empowering others. Pilates is more than just a physical exercise. It is a holistic approach to movement that can have a profound impact on the mind, body, and spirit. She is inspired by the way Pilates can help individuals become more aware of their bodies, improve their posture and alignment, and develop a deeper sense of control and confidence in their movements.
Perhaps most importantly, her approach is with a genuine passion and authenticity that is palpable to her students. She truly believes in the power of this practice to change lives, and this passion shines through in every interaction, every cue, and every class she teaches. People can feel her dedication and enthusiasm, which in turn inspires them to push their boundaries and embrace their own transformative journeys.
Carina
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