When 16-year-old Oliver Clay walked into EPTI’s Estepona campus in July 2021, he wasn’t thinking about living in Australia, running his own PT business or coaching clients across time zones.

He just knew two things:

• He loved training.

• He didn’t want a “normal” job.

Four years later, thanks to the EPTI Master PT Diploma, Oliver has:

• Qualified as a Personal Trainer in Spain

• Built a hybrid in-person and online coaching business

• Relocated to the other side of the world

• Started working as a self-employed freelance PT at Fitness First Park Street Platinum in Sydney, Australia

This is his journey – and a real-world example of how the EPTI Master PT Diploma can be used anywhere in the world.

“The qualification didn’t just give me knowledge – it gave me options. I can live in a different country, still do what I love, and take my clients with me online.” – Oliver

July 2021 – Estepona Campus, Spain

Aged just 16, Oliver joined EPTI’s Advanced PT Diploma practical course at the Estepona campus.

He arrived like many young students do – passionate about the gym, already lifting well, but without the structured knowledge that separates a fitness enthusiast from a professional coach.

During the practical course he learnt how to:

• Coach the foundational lifts safely and effectively

• Write structured, progressive training programmes

• Communicate with clients of different ages, abilities and confidence levels

• Deliver sessions that are safe, challenging and enjoyable

On graduation day in Estepona, he didn’t just walk away with a certificate – he walked away with a clear path. At an age when most people are only just deciding what to study, Oliver already had a recognised PT qualification and a plan to grow it into a career.

September 2023 – Malta Campus, aged 19

Two years later, Oliver travelled to EPTI’s Malta campus to complete the Master PT Diploma. This is where everything clicked together.

The Master PT pathway allowed him to:

• Add specialist skills through CPD modules

• Gain deeper confidence with programme periodisation, behaviour change coaching, and working with different populations

• Refine his soft skills – communication, professionalism and session management

Being surrounded by other motivated students from across Europe also had a huge impact. Sharing ideas, coaching each other and being assessed in a real gym environment turned textbook knowledge into coaching instinct.

By the time he left Malta, he wasn’t just a newly qualified PT. He was a young professional ready to walk into any gym in Europe and say, “I can do this.”

March 2024 – Activa Club Gym, Ruzafa, Valencia

Armed with his Master PT Diploma, Oliver moved into his first major role – working as a Gym Instructor and Personal Trainer at Activa Club Gym in Ruzafa, in the heart of Valencia.

This was the turning point where the qualification moved from “something on paper” to something living and breathing in his day-to-day work.

At Activa Club he:

• Helped office workers in central Valencia lose weight, get stronger and feel more confident

• Wrote personalised training plans for clients balancing busy jobs, families and city life

• Coached both Spanish and international members in a multicultural environment

• Learnt how to run busy gym floors, deliver inductions and convert gym members into long-term PT clients

A big part of his satisfaction came from seeing real change:

• Clients who’d never lifted weights before hitting their first proper set of squats

• People dropping clothing sizes and keeping the weight off

• Members telling him they finally enjoyed training

“I realised I didn’t just enjoy training myself – I enjoyed solving problems for other people. Back pain, low energy, confidence issues… my job became helping people fix those, one session at a time.”

Throughout 2025 – Online coaching via onlinepthub.com

While working in Valencia, Oliver also started future-proofing his career.

He built an online presence through onlinepthub.com, gradually transitioning part of his work into remote coaching. This allowed him to work with:

• Clients who had moved to other cities

• People who preferred training at home or their own local gym

• Former holiday-makers who had met him in Spain and wanted to continue working with him online

Here, the Master PT Diploma really showed its value. The skills he’d developed – assessment, programme design, nutritional guidance, and accountability systems – translated perfectly into an online coaching model.

He created:

• Structured 12-week transformation programmes

• Online check-in systems with progress tracking

• Video technique feedback using the coaching cues he’d honed on EPTI practical courses

This hybrid model meant that when he eventually decided to move country, his client base didn’t have to stay behind.

November 2025 – Fitness First Park Street Platinum, Sydney

With experience in Spain and a growing online client list, Oliver made a big decision:

Travel the world and take his career with him.

In November 2025, he landed in Sydney, Australia, and started working as a self-employed freelance Personal Trainer at Fitness First Park Street Platinum, right in the centre of the city.

This is where the true strength of an internationally recognised qualification becomes obvious:

• Employability: His Master PT Diploma gave gym managers confidence that he met recognised industry standards.

• Transferable skills: Movement coaching, health screening, programme design and communication skills work just as well with a busy professional in Sydney as they do with a client in Valencia.

• Freedom: Because he also runs online coaching, he can train in-person clients in Australia while still supporting remote clients in Europe.

A typical week for Oliver might now include:

• Early-morning 1:1 sessions with city workers in Sydney

• Mid-day online check-ins with clients in the UK and Spain

• Afternoon programming sessions in a café

• Evening walks on the harbour instead of late-night commutes

He’s still doing the same core job – helping people get fitter, stronger and healthier – but he’s doing it on his own terms, in a city he chose, in a country on the other side of the world.

Oliver’s story is unique to him – but the building blocks are exactly what the EPTI Master PT Diploma is designed to provide.

Here’s what helped him turn a love of training into a global career:

1. A Recognised, Portable Qualification

The EPTI Master PT Diploma is based on UK Level 3 / EQF Level 4 standards and is designed to be recognised across Europe and beyond. That makes it easier to:

• Apply to gyms in different countries

• Demonstrate your knowledge and competence to employers

• Build trust with clients who want a properly qualified trainer

2. Real-World Practical Training

EPTI’s practical courses in Estepona and Malta focus heavily on hands-on coaching:

• Teaching and spotting major lifts

• Managing sessions safely and confidently

• Communicating with different personalities and ability levels

That means when you walk into a new gym – whether it’s in Spain, the UK, or Australia – you’re not just “qualified”, you’re ready to work.

3. Coaching Skills That Work Online and In-Person

The Master PT Diploma doesn’t just teach you exercises. It teaches you how to:

• Assess clients properly

• Set SMART goals

• Design progressive programmes

• Support clients with lifestyle and nutritional changes

These skills apply just as well via Zoom, WhatsApp and training apps as they do on a gym floor – giving you the flexibility to build an online, in-person, or hybrid business.

4. A Career, Not Just a Job

Perhaps the most powerful part of Oliver’s journey is that he’s doing a job he genuinely loves:

• Helping clients hit personal bests

• Seeing people change not just their bodies, but their confidence

• Doing all of this while living in places he enjoys

For many trainers, that combination – meaningful work + lifestyle freedom – is the real goal.

If you’re thinking about becoming a Personal Trainer, or taking your current qualifications further, here are some takeaways from Oliver’s story:

• Start where you are – and start early if you can. Oliver began at 16, but it’s never too late to upskill and pivot into a career you care about.

• Choose a qualification that opens doors internationally. If you want to travel, work abroad, or coach clients around the world, your education needs to give you that flexibility.

• Think beyond the gym floor. Building an online presence while working in-person created security and freedom – and made moving countries much less risky.

• Focus on client results. Every move Oliver has made – from Estepona to Malta to Valencia to Sydney – has been built on the foundation of helping people get real, measurable results.

Oliver’s journey – from a teenager at the Estepona campus to a freelance PT in Sydney – shows what’s possible when you combine:

• A passion for fitness

• A high-quality, internationally recognised qualification

• The willingness to keep learning and say “yes” to opportunity

If you’d like to create a similar path for yourself – whether that means working in your local gym, travelling, or building an online coaching business – the EPTI Master PT Diploma is designed to help you get there.

You bring the passion for fitness.
We’ll help you turn it into a career you can take anywhere in the world.

If Oliver’s story has sparked something in you, the next step is simple:

Click here to learn more about the EPTI Master PT Diploma and upcoming course dates at our Malta and Estepona campuses.

Prefer to talk it through?

Email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or send us a message on WhatsApp/Facebook, and we’ll help you map out the best route based on your experience, goals, and where in the world you’d love to work.

Your PT career doesn’t have to be limited to one city or one country.
With the right qualification, you can take it anywhere.