MEMBER SPOTLIGHT Interview with Dr Greg Whyte

Professor Greg Whyte PhD – Professor of Applied Sport and Exercise Science, Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Science, Liverpool John Moores University.

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reg is a REPs member and former international modern pentathlete, winning European bronze and World Championship silver medals. He completed his PhD at

St. Georges Hospital Medical School and the University of Wolverhampton. Greg is a Fellow of the British Association of Sport and Exercise Science (FBASES) and the American College of Sports Medicine (FACSM), he was also the Chairman of the charity Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) from 1999-2009.

Recent highlights of his applied sport science work include successfully coaching the comedian David Walliams across the English Channel and along the River Thames; John Bishop’s Week of Hell; the Comic Relief Big Climb up Kilimanjaro in 2009 and Eddie Izzard’s 43 Marathons in 51 days. Greg has helped raise over £17 million for Comic Relief and Sport Relief projects.

Q) What sparked your interest in fitness? A) I have always been an athlete. I started training as a swimmer

at the age of 6 moving on to Modern Pentathlon when I was 14 gaining over 80 International Caps including the Olympic Games, and World and European medallist. So sport is in my blood.

Q) What has been your biggest challenge to date (both in terms of training and relating to your business)? A) Every challenge holds unique aspects which make successful delivery difficult. Comic Relief Challenges are always very difficult as there is a huge responsibility on my shoulders to deliver success.

Q) How did you come to be involved with high-profile clients and events like Comic Relief? A) I was introduced to entertainers (celebrities) in 2005 when Comic Relief approached me to train David Walliams to swim the English Channel. His success has resulted in 12 subsequent challenges and a multitude of opportunities in this arena.

Q) Do you think events like Comic Relief inspire members of the public to take up a fitness regime and/or push themselves physically to take up a sport like triathlon? A) I think major sporting/challenge events provide a shop window to inspire people to want to challenge themselves. The Comic Relief challenges are unique, as they represent what can be achieved by non-athletes and they provide motivation.

Q) Which celebrity that you’ve trained has been the fittest? A) Fitness levels have ranged from very poor to very active however; none of them have been specifically trained for the challenge. The fittest include: Davina who is always in great condition; David Walliams – not on his 1st challenge, the English Channel, but certainly on the Walliams vs. The Thames; and John Bishop – a strong boy with a background of sport.

Q) How important is regulation of qualifications within the fitness industry? A) Regulation in the fitness industry is critically important. Regulation protects not only the client but also the fitness professional to ensure the industry is not tarnished by poor practice. It is in everyone’s interest that we move to a position where national, independent control of accreditation is a prerequisite to being recognised as a physical activity professional.

Q) How important do you feel REPs is to the fitness industry? A) REPs is a leader in structuring a centralised accreditation programme and represents the future of the physical activity industry.

Q) What sort of training do you personally enjoy? A) I love open water swimming; lake, river and sea, there’s nothing quite like the freedom.

04 The REPs Journal 2013;27(May):4