ACCELERATE OWNERS
Meet Brandon
Personal Trainer, Group Fitness Coach, NASM Certified
Brandon Hughes does not have your typical personal training background. As an early adolescent, he struggled with his weight and at age 15 lost over 100 pounds.
Brandon's fitness journey began as a personal trainer prior to becoming an expert in group fitness programming. His workouts are the cornerstone of the Accelerate philosophy, incorporating the team-based style that our athletes love. Brandon's energy, programming and attention to detail have created a cult-like following in the Pacific Northwest.
Brandon started Accelerate in February 2016 and the brand and community have grown ever since.
When asked why they prefer Accelerate, Brandon’s clients cite his challenging workouts, motivating personality, and commitment to constant improvement.
Meet Maria
Co-owner
Maria is one of the co-owners at Accelerate and is involved in the business administration, marketing and promotional side of things. But that doesn't mean she doesn't know a thing or two about fitness.
She taught at the Bar Method for years and is a fitness enthusiast. She brings a wealth of business expertise from her experiences in tech start-ups (she co-founded Smartsheet and is currently the CEO of Syndio) to the gym and you'll often see her here working out with the team.
Meet Blain
Co-owner, leads Communications and PR
Blain’s history with fitness and activity includes martial arts as a young boy, training MMA during his college years, playing rugby for the University of Colorado at Boulder (second-row lock), and teaching kickboxing.
Along the way, his love for fitness continued to grow until he found the best gym and community - Accelerate Seattle.
ACCELERATE TRAINERS
Meet Kenzie
Group fitness coach, NASM certified
As a group fitness enthusiast, Kenzie fell in love with Accelerate as a member first. She was obsessed with the programming, the emphasis on form, being pushed to personal bests, and above all the community that has become family.
As a coach, Kenzie draws on her background as a physical therapist. She loves working with athletes one on one to perfect a new lift, modify exercises for injuries, and redefine limits and attitudes towards exercise.
Her favorite part of coaching is watching both regulars and new faces surprise themselves to achieve a personal best. She’s excited to have you in class for a workout with a few little dance breaks, and sweat alongside you with the morning crew!
Meet Peter
Group fitness coach, NASM certified
Originally from Buffalo NY, Peter has a history of athletic competition as a wrestler and football player. He also underwent a physical transformation of losing over 80 pounds after some struggles with his weight in early adulthood.
Peter initially started as an Accelerate member in 2019 and immediately gravitated towards the one-of-a-kind workouts that push members beyond their preconceived limits. His coaching philosophy centers around mental toughness: working with the mindful intention to push yourself just a little bit harder when the going gets tough and always holding yourself to a high standard. He credits the strong community at Accelerate in helping to build that accountability.
You’ll see Peter regularly working out in the morning and he can’t wait to see you in class!
Meet Sarah
Group fitness coach, NASM certified
Sarah is the Studio Manager as well as a coach at Accelerate. She has loved group fitness since her college days at UW, and has worked in the Seattle fitness industry in various capacities ever since! Sarah has been avidly going to the gym since 2019.
Accelerate was the first place where she felt like she was consistently gaining muscle and stamina, the programming is just too good! Her favorite thing about the gym is the sense of community; as soon as someone joins they are immediately welcomed into the group.
Sarah is always happy to answer any questions you have about the gym, and you will most likely be seeing her in the mornings- either working out or coaching class!