THE STORIES BEHIND THE NEWS

Recognizing Leaders Who Matter

Meet the recipients of the three HFA awards presented annually at The HFA Show.

One of the highlights of The HFA Show each year is the celebration of outstanding individuals who contributed to the advancement of the global fitness industry and the Health & Fitness Association’s mission. This year, HFA will take time prior to the keynotes on March 17 and 18 to recognize three individuals for their contributions to the industry, shining a spotlight on them for their years of quiet leadership, service, and dedication to the industry’s growth.

Jim Worthington Advocate of the Year: Chris Craytor, CEO, acac Fitness & Wellness Centers and Welld Health

The former HFA board chair (2022–2024), Craytor was part of the nerve center of IHRSA’s rebranding to HFA, as it evolved its mission and focus to research, education, and advocacy. He worked closely with then-newly appointed President and CEO Liz Clark as she built an advocacy engine to position the global fitness industry as an invaluable sector for world population health. Without Craytor’s vision and support, HFA’s influence would likely not be as strong as it is today. He did all this while serving as CEO of acac Fitness & Wellness Centers and Welld Health.

Though retired from the board, Craytor still plays a vital role in HFA advocacy. A regular presence at the annual HFA Fly-in and Advocacy Summit in Washington, DC, the Virginia resident recently worked closely with the HFA advocacy team in thwarting two state bills in that state’s legislature that would have taxed gym memberships. (See here for more.)

Craytor has stood onstage at past HFA conferences and trade shows to introduce the winners of this award (2022, 2023, and 2024) and now will take his rightful place as the fifth industry leader to earn this honor.

(The award will be presented on March 17 before the keynote address by Jesse Itzler.)

Craytor

Global Leader Award in Honor of John Holsinger: Martin Seibold, CEO, LifeFit Group

Seibold is one of the most successful and reliable brand-builders in the global fitness industry. While leading Frankfurt‑based LifeFit Group, he grew its portfolio from 55 to more than 140 facilities in just four years before selling to Oaktree Capital Management group and Waterland Private Equity Investments in 2024.

His deep roots with HFA began in 1994, when he was named the first international intern of the association. He went on to hold leading positions in companies in Germany, England, Asia, and Australia during his 25-year career.

Before LifeFit, Seibold made his mark by repositioning Fitness First as a premium brand in Germany in the early aughts, expanding the portfolio from seven facilities to more than 85 by 2005. From there, he moved to the UK and repositioned Fitness First in that country.

A unifying presence in the global community, Seibold says that his strategic approach centers on acquiring various best-in-class gym chains and the rights to leading boutique fitness brands.

“It’s about investing in people, simplifying processes, and modernizing the fitness product with group fitness in the studios and on the gym floor,” he says.

(The award will be presented on March 17 before the keynote address by Jesse Itzler.)

Seibold

Aycardi

Woman Leader of the Year in Honor of Julie Main: Gigliola Aycardi, Executive Vice President and Co-founder, BodyTech

A former HFA board member, Aycardi is a pioneer in creating a model that combines wellness and fitness in a healthcare setting. In 1977, Aycardi and her business partner, Nicolás Loaiza, launched a new medical fitness concept in Bogota, Colombia, called BodyTech, working with the local medical community and offering nutrition counseling and physiotherapy.

Though new to the fitness industry, Aycardi and Loaiza grew the BodyTech brand into one of the most successful chains in Latin America, with locations in Colombia and Peru. Then, in 2012, Aycardi and Loaiza bought the biggest health club chain in Chile, called Sportlife. While BodyTech clubs in Colombia and Peru are all corporate owned, Sportlife has 30 franchises in Chile.

She played a key role in securing a major investment for her company from private equity firm L Catterton in 2016, fueling further growth. She and Loaiza were named Ernst & Young’s Colombia Entrepreneurs of the Year in 2014 and were finalists for the firm’s World Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2015. Aycardi has also served on the board of directors of EAN University since 2018.

(The award will be presented on March 18 before the keynote address by Apolo Ohno.)

Health & Fitness Business is a publication of

Health & Fitness Business (HFB) is the leading health and fitness industry publication. Published monthly by the Health & Fitness Association (HFA) and distributed free to the industry, HFB offers analysis of the opportunities, challenges, issues, and news that impact the industry.

Subscribe | Advertise | Past Issues | FAQs

70 Fargo Street, Boston, MA 02210

1627 Street NW, Suite 1210, Washington DC, 20006