Yesterday

Share this story

Kristina Wischnowsky isn’t your regular personal trainer.

During her sessions at Christchurch City Council Recreation and Sports Centres, she’s a coach, a counsellor, a cheerleader, and offers a safe space for people on their fitness journey. 

Her group fitness classes are therapeutic, where she draws on her Yoga NZ Level 4 Registration and experience as an Ayurveda wellness tutor.

But Kristina’s fitness journey started when she was 14. She joined her first gym and fell in love. 

“The energy, the music, the connection—it lit something up in me. That spark has never faded,” she said. 

But after a health scare in her twenties, Kristina went to her first yoga class. She managed to fit practice in the quiet hours after her kids had gone to sleep. 

“Yoga offered more than physical strength—it became a sanctuary. It helped me heal, regulate stress, and reconnect to myself,” she said. 

By 2008 she was teaching yoga and personal training at Council facilities, local gyms, and ran her own community classes.

After a stint in the corporate world, Kristina returned to teaching yoga and fitness at the Council. 

“I’ve come full circle—restarting personal training with a clear focus to support women to reclaim their health, power, and purpose.”

“Whether it’s a personal training session or at one of my transformational women’s retreats, you’re never just a body to me,” Kristina said. 

“You’re a whole woman. And you deserve to feel strong, radiant, and fully yourself.”

“I run group programs, one-on-one sessions, and transformational retreats designed for women who are ambitious, overwhelmed, and ready for change,” she said. 

If you’re feeling stuck, Kristina offers a new path. 

“One that doesn’t demand perfection. One that starts right where you are. One that leads you back to feeling strong, radiant, and fully alive,” Kristina said. 

“I’ve lived that life. I’ve learned how to integrate wellbeing into a busy life—and now I help other women do the same.”

Fast-forward to 2025, Kristina’s group fitness classes at Council are packed and she’s started back as a personal trainer.   

“You don’t have to choose between your career, your family, and your weight and wellness. You can really do it all,” she said.

Ready to transform your weight and wellness? Find Kristina at one of the Council gyms teaching classes and offering personal training.