OUR TEAM :
Jonny Oliver - Owner
Jonny is the owner and coach at The Yard Strength and Fitness. With over 12 years’ experience in the fitness industry, he has worked as a Personal Trainer and CrossFit coach, helping people build strength, fitness, and confidence.
Throughout his career, Jonny has coached thousands of individuals from of all ages, backgrounds and abilities, supporting them to move better, feel stronger, and achieve lasting results.
As a gym owner for the past six years, he is extremely passionate about creating an environment where people can enjoy their training and transform their lives through fitness.
Lenka Aknaiova - Coach
Experienced coach/PT with a love for teaching Gymnastics, Olympic-Weightlifting and Bodybuilding.
Lenka is a CrossFit level 2 coach, certified British olympic weightlifting trainer and Level 3 personal trainer. Her favourite parts of her job are connecting with people, and seeing people be active and make progress. She is proactive with feedback during sessions, while also making sessions fun, safe and inclusive.
Zack Wylie - Coach & Head Coach for Kids
Zack is a passionate fitness coach and former PE teacher with over 10 years of experience working with primary school children. As a teacher, he consistently went above and beyond for his students, a mindset he now brings to every member he coaches.
He has previously led sports holiday camps, creating fun, action-packed environments where kids built confidence, developed skills, and learned to enjoy movement. That same energy carries into his coaching style today: supportive, engaging, and detail-driven.
Zack is known for his love of weightlifting and clean technique. He also runs a lads lifting club, helping others get strong while refining their movement and building confidence in the gym.
Michael Robinson - Coach
Hi I’m Michael… coming from a boxing background which soon turned into coaching. My aim is to have you moving well with a smile on your face as you learn new skills. My go to workout is a long EMOM!
Jonny Smith - Coach
Jonny Smith is a highly skilled Gymnastics, Rehab, and CrossFit coach with a deep passion for helping people move better, train smarter, and stay pain-free.
With a strong focus on movement quality and long-term progress, Jonny bridges the gap between performance and rehab, making sure members don’t just get fitter, but feel better doing it. He’s especially known for breaking down complex gymnastics skills into simple, achievable steps that build confidence and control.
Whether he’s helping someone return from injury, improve their gymnastics, or simply enjoy training without aches and pains, Jonny brings energy, care, and expertise to every session, proving that moving well and having fun should always go hand in hand.
Lottie Chalkley - Coach & Lead Admin
Lottie focuses on building strong movement foundations by breaking skills down to their basics and rebuilding them with intention. Her attention to detail helps members move with confidence, control, and a deeper understanding of technique.
She has a strong passion for gymnastics and is continually learning and applying new drills and progressions in her coaching. Lottie is a certified Personal Trainer, CrossFit Level 3 coach, nutrition certified, Wodaptive Certified and is currently studying movement mechanics.
Outside the gym, she’s a morning person, coffee lover, and enjoys travelling and training in CrossFit gyms around the world.