Fitness instructor Emma Cressey has become the 30,000th member of the Register of Exercise Professionals (REPs) after finishing Future Fit Training’s Exercise Specialist Programme last month.

Emma, from Derbyshire, has only been working in the industry since July after deciding she wanted a career change from media sales management.

Now registered as a gym instructor at level 2, with the Future Fit Training qualification in gym instruction, Emma is now hoping to take further qualifications in Pilates, personal training and nutrition.

She said: “I was really excited to hear I was the 30,000th member of REPs. When I finished my Future Fit course joining REPs seemed the obvious next step. I can't believe there are 30,000 of us out there but it feels good to be part of it!"

The Register of Exercise Professionals was set up in 2001 to safeguard and promote the health and interests of people using the services of exercise and fitness professionals, to protect the interest of those professionals and to encourage excellence in their fields and continued career development.

Since then the Register has gone from strength to strength – as well as developing benefits for its own members it is now being used as a model for other registers around the world and has played an instrumental part in the setting of national standards in disciplines including Pilates and yoga.

But this success has only been possible thanks to the support of training organisations like Future Fit Training as REPs’ Registrar Cliff Collins explained: “Although from the very start those working in the frontline of the industry were keen to join the Register their signing up has only been part of our success. Without training providers using our levels of registration in their courses or employers recognising those categories our work would have been impossible.

“It therefore gives me great pleasure to not only announce the registration of our 30,000th member – a huge milestone by any measure – but also that Emma qualified through Future Fit Training who have been one of our keenest supporters from the start.”

Future Fit Training’s training and development manager, Kevan Wayne-Morris, commented on how important an event this is for the health and fitness industry. He said: “It goes to show how far the industry has come in such a short space of time, and we are delighted to have made a significant contribution to the success of REPs. It is rewarding to see Future Fit Training making a real difference, by driving up standards of professionalism.”

Emma will be presented with a commemorative certificate at the REPs’ Convention, to be held at Congress Hall in London on Thursday 8 December 2005.