Built by a fitness professional,
for the fitness industry.

The Fitness Directory was founded in 2026 by Carla Nokes. Before fitness became her career, Carla was an elite junior tennis player, ranked in the top 10 in Great Britain at under-16 level and Surrey No. 1. Over more than a decade since, she has worked on both sides of the industry, as an instructor, coach, educator and operator.

Like most fitness professionals, she built that career piece by piece: working across five gyms, picking up part-time roles and taking short-term gigs wherever she could find them, all while trying to earn a living and keep competing.

She kept seeing the same thing from both sides. Operators were scrambling on WhatsApp for last-minute cover and paying agency mark-ups, while talented professionals had no proper place to find work, build a reputation or connect with each other.

So she built one. Carla started The Fitness Directory to give her younger self what she never had: a simple way to work flexibly and earn money without having to choose between paying the bills and competing. It’s a story she hears again and again. Many fitness professionals tell her they would have pursued competitive sport further if a platform like this had existed.

Today The Fitness Directory is a live app for gyms, studios and fitness professionals nationwide. It started with recruitment, and it’s growing into the community the industry has always lacked.