ABOUT US
ABOUT PADDLE INTO FITNESS
Paddle Into Fitness began in 2010 with Roxy athlete, ocean lifeguard, aquatic EMT, yoga and fitness instructor Gillian Gibree. The first location launched in San Diego with beginner lessons, SUP Yoga & Fitness classes and expanded up to Orange County. After training instructors all over Southern California, Gillian saw the need to create a quality teacher training program to offer to the public. Paddle Into Fitness began offering Paddleboard and SUP Yoga Certifications approved under Yoga Alliance and the World Paddle Association, as well as a SUP Fitness program approved under the American Council on Exercise (ACE), NASM, CanFitPro, and the AFAA. Paddle Into Fitness also offers a Master Instructor training, which allows graduates to run PIF trainings around the world!
In addition to certifications, Paddle Into Fitness created an inflatable SUP Yoga & Fitness Paddleboard specifically designed for yogis & fitness enthusiasts looking to expand their practice to the best studio or gym of all….the water! Our travel-friendly Paddleboard rolls up in to a backpack and can be checked at the airport with no oversize luggage fees. Besides just yoga & fitness, the board can be utilized for SUP adventures of all kinds: fishing, fitness, whitewater, and small wave surfing.
In 2015, Paddle Into Fitness launched Float Into Fitness, which features a curriculum based on teaching yoga & fitness with inflatable mats in a pool setting. This certification is available in both a ‘live’ format and an online format approved for CEC’s from top fitness organizations. To compliment our Float Into Fitness pool training, our rectangular pool fitness mat is perfect for creating fun and challenging workouts in the aquatic environment while adding a new twist to your yoga or fitness routine. This system is great for indoor and outdoor pools, and will allow gyms, recreation centers, resorts, and athletic clubs to run yoga and fitness classes on the water.
Paddle Into Fitness also offers lessons for individuals or small private groups in Ventura, California. Activities can include beginner lessons, paddle surfing, SUP Yoga, SUP interval training, or ocean paddling. If you cannot meet with us in person, you can always meet with us online with our Intro to SUP & Beginner 12-Week SUP Fitness Online Training Program. Or you can represent the brand with our Paddle Girl and Paddle Into Fitness gear.
Over the years, Paddle Into Fitness has received amazing reviews from certification graduates and international recognition from numerous media outlets – including the cover and feature SUP yoga article in Yoga Journal Magazine! Paddle Into Fitness has also been featured in Shape, The Huffington Post, Self, Yahoo Sports, San Diego Magazine, Reuters, and Fitness Magazine. The passion we have for the sport of stand up paddleboarding, yoga, fitness, and the outdoors is contagious, and we at Paddle Into Fitness are excited for you to learn this life-changing sport and incorporate it into a healthy lifestyle!
ABOUT GILLIAN GIBREE
Gillian Gibree is a Massachusetts native who developed her love for the ocean through prone paddleboarding, ocean swimming, standup paddling, and surfing while working as a lifeguard on Cape Cod. After college, Gillian took a lifeguard position in New Zealand – a place full of adventure and untouched coastline – and her love for water sports and outdoor fitness inspired her to create Paddle Into Fitness.
Once Gillian moved to California, she began competing and teaching at ocean events around the world as a Roxy athlete. Some of her highlights were placing first in the Quiksilver Waikiki Festival in the SUP Survivor Race & the Water woman race and traveling to Peru as a member of Team USA for the ISA World Championships. She’s been a regular on the podium in the Battle of the Paddle California and Hawaii and was a top finisher in national lifeguard championships. She also showed her philanthropic side by paddling across the Cape Cod Bay to raise money for the Boston Children’s Hospital..
Gillian has a Bachelor of Science in Sport Management, is American Council on Exercise certified as a Health Coach & Personal Trainer, is an E-RYT with Yoga Alliance, and certified in Fitness Nutrition by NASM. She has a decade of ocean lifeguarding experience and is a certified Emergency Medical Technician. Gillian was also a fitness model for Sports & Lifestyle Unlimited, and has worked with brands such as Athleta and Nike. She was on the cover of Yoga Journal, San Diego Magazine, and has been featured in Self, The Huffington Post, Shape, Men’s Journal, and Yahoo Sports, and has presented at the San Diego Yoga Journal Conference & Wanderlust Festivals.
Follow Gillian’s adventures, workouts, and healthy lifestyle here –
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“Hey Gillian! Just wanted to thank you again for an amazing 4 days of training and growth. To be honest for the first time in my life I felt very vulnerable because fitness has always been a huge part of my life and for the first time I was challenging myself at a point when my fitness was at its lowest point. But right away you all made me feel comfortable and most of all inspired to get back to my peak fitness level. So thank you for EVERYTHING! Remember you ladies always have a free place to stay in NZ! Cheers and all the best!”
— Shayna Teutsch Auckland, New Zealand