Meet an IDEA Team Member: Rebecca Garity

One of the magical attributes of a great dancer is the ability to convey supremely tough athletic feats as graceful, artistic and seemingly effortless movement. It’s no wonder, then, that IDEA’s senior director of events, Rebecca Garity, seems to glide through the annual creative challenges of programming 100+ sessions for IDEA’s Personal Trainer Institute and more than 350 sessions for the IDEA^® World Convention. As a former ballet dancer, she’s had a lot of practice smiling through the hours of work it takes to create a program that inspires and delights her audience!

Corralling the needs of attendees, sponsors and the world’s most elite corps of health and fitness subject-matter experts is a dance in and of itself, but Rebecca thrives on the thrill of seeing it all come together. As with ballet, she derives joy and satisfaction from the process as well as the performance.

“One of the things that is unique about Rebecca is her keen ability to identify new programs in the industry that resonate with our attendees,” says IDEA colleague, friend and brand strategist Kathleen Ferguson. “Her experience with multiple roles within the fitness industry gives her the ability to understand the needs of our fit pro audience and our clients. She loves to uncover new formats that make an industry splash!”

About Rebecca: Did You Know . . . ?

• • January 2020 marks her 10-year anniversary at IDEA!

• • She is certifyed as an ACE group fi tness instructor, and she teaches Les Mills BODYPUMP^™ and CXWORX^™ twice a week at 24 Hour Fitness^® in San Diego.

• • Her favorite style of training is strength, but she won’t turn down a restorative Svaroopa^® yoga session.

• • Petra Kolber is her biggest industry “crush.”

• • She calls Murph (a classic CrossFit^® Hero WOD) the toughest fitness challenge she has conquered to date.

• • If she could be any pro athlete, Rebecca would be a principal dancer in the American Ballet Theatre.

• She says her two children inspire her to be a better person. “They learn from watching us—not so much what we say but what we do. My 4-year-old son especially is a mirror of my good habits and the bad ones. I cringe when I see him repeating my bad habits, and it inspires me to improve.”