A bodybuilding national champion has been banned from an Auckland Les Mills gym amid allegations she was training gym members at the facility despite not working there.
Auckland bodybuilder Ashleigh Pope has competed internationally and claimed the New Zealand open figure title in 2017.
She has had her membership revoked at the Takapuna Les Mills for what the gym claims was a 'health and safety' issue - however the 25-year-old says she was only working out with friends.
"After much consideration we have decided to terminate your membership here at Les Mills," said an email from the gym's manager which Pope posted on Facebook.
"I have spoken to you on several occasions asking you to stop training, coaching or providing such services to members at our facility. As the Gym and Personal Training Manager of this facility, it is of my view that you have continued to provide these services despite our conversations to the contrary.
"Our policy is to enlist only qualified health and exercise professionals who are registered with the New Zealand Register of Exercise Professionals.
"Such professionals go through our recruitment process, then are exclusively contracted to our membership. Your actions to ignore my requests and in my opinion continue to provide coaching and training services to our members constitute a considerable Health and Safety risk to our members and is therefore a breach of both your membership contract and our policies in regards to Personal Training at our facilities.
"After consulting both the Les Mills National Office and our Club Manager, we have made the decision to terminate your Les Mills membership effective immediately.
"Should you wish to become qualified and registered in the future, I would be happy to consider you for an approved Personal Training position at this facility."
Pope told Stuff that she was just working out with friends and denies the claims.
"It's based on assumption, not facts."
"My sport requires me to push my body to the limits ... and for safety reasons I require a spotter."
"But I am not a personal trainer, therefore I do not train any member of the gym."