our team

Our dedicated specialised team will ensure that you gain maximum benefits from your retreat with Life:Escapes.

Whether you are aiming to lose weight, tone up, improve your fitness or take some time out, the expert team at Life:Escapes will ensure maximum benefits for each guest with the perfect combination of Nordic Walking, personal training, Method Putkisto, trail running and stability ball sessions amidst the sunshine and magnificent views of the Tuscan countryside.

For each of our retreats, Life:Escapes provides experienced wellness experts to refresh and revitalise you. Whilst each member of the Life:Escapes team is an experienced practitioner in their field, be assured that it is this knowledge and experience coupled with the venue being in a calming and peaceful environment that will make your Life:Escapes retreat memorable and unique.

Simon James

Simon James
Director and Head Trainer

Simon is a highly accomplished and experienced fitness professional and sports therapist with over 10 years experience in the fitness industry, He believes in guiding, advising and empowering people to make positive lifestyle choices, and achieve their goals whether it be weight management, stress control or sport specific gains.

He aims to promote positive & permanent lifestyle modification by identifying and addressing the fundamental barriers to facilitate a client’s fitness & health potential. His training ethos is based on developing optimal mobility, stability & functional strength & fitness upon an aligned postural framework.

As an ex-national athlete, he has an extensive background in sports conditioning, corrective exercise therapy and holistic well being. He is a passionate fitness educator able to provide dynamic, versatile and innovative solutions to ensure his clients achieve their aims and ambitions.

Certified by the Chek Institute, Titleist Performance Institute (TPI), Register of Exercise Professionals (REP’s) and the National Register of Personal Trainers (NRPT).

Areas of Expertise:

  • Weight Management
  • Pre and Post Rehabilitation
  • Sports Specific Conditioning
  • Core Stability Conditioning
  • CHEK Holistic Lifestyle Coach
  • CHEK Golf Biomechanic
  • TPI Golf Fitness Instructor
  • TRX Suspension fitness trainer
Nadine Simpkins

Nadine Simpkins
Director and Fitness Professional

Nadine has been involved in fitness, gymnastics and dance for over 5 years. Her teaching style is a unique and innovative blend of many disciplines such as Method Putkisto which compliments yoga, Pilates and Alexander Technique.

One of Nadine’s distinctive qualities is her perceptive ability to pay particular attention to the postural changes within the body due to a variety of external and internal factors. She believes in recognising the human body as a whole, where every system is interrelated helping to create a stable state of well being and vitality.

As a qualified Method Putkisto and Pilates instructor, Nadine creates exceptional bespoke training programmes which guide her clients to achieve increased flexibility, stability, functional strength and fitness.

Nadine’s philosophy is that a healthy balanced lifestyle is a combination of physical, spiritual and social wellness - "Exercise should be fun!" With her positive attitude and outgoing personality she will help you enjoy reaching your goals with sound result based training.

Areas of Expertise:

  • Core Stability Conditioning
  • Deep stretching and strengthening
  • Postural alignment
  • Nordic Walking
  • Reiki Practitioner
  • Indian Head Massage
  • CHEK Holistic Lifestyle Coach
  • TRX Suspension fitness trainer