When Gina Prónay-Zakar attended the Kilkenny-Carlow Customer Excellence Awards at Mount Wolseley Hotel in the Personal Trainer of the Year category, she thought little of leaving the venue as a winner. But that is exactly what happened. To say she was thrilled would be an understatement.
We will return to the awards night.
40th birthday
There are certain birthday celebrations in one’s life where family and friends push out the boat a touch more than others. A 21st, rightly, is a major one. There is also a special significance placed on celebrating a 40th. And it was this ruby jubilee that saw Gina Prónay-Zakar treat herself to a trip from her homeland of Hungary to a first ever trip to Ireland. And it wasn’t just a trip to see the green fields of the Emerald Isle. A committed fan of the band U2, Gina treated herself to a ticket to a concert given by the rock band in Dublin’s Croke Park.
And it was while rocking on Jones Road to such numbers as ‘With or Without You’, ‘I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For’ and ‘Where the Streets Have No Name’, that the birthday girl met her future husband Victor. One can only suggest that it was while moving and grooving in Drumcondra that she did find ‘what she was looking for’.
This week The Kilkenny Observer met up with Gina to talk about her amazing success story on the banks of the Nore.
Background
“I’m originally from Hungary, where I earned an MA in Literature and Hungarian Linguistics and worked in PR and communications before transitioning to fitness 14 years ago. It was a life-changing decision, especially as someone with ADHD. Turning my passion into my profession and channelling my energy, rather than spending a life behind a desk, was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made,”Gina informed this paper. In 2013, she opened her movement studio in Budapest, which was the first in the country dedicated to supporting women with hormonal disorders like PCOS, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and thyroid conditions.
Moving to Kilkenny
At the time of her 40th, Victor was living in Drogheda and working as a graphic designer, when a better job opportunity brought him to Kilkenny, and immediately the match was made.
They both moved here in April 2018. Three years later, at 43, she gave birth to a beautiful daughter. Gina explained that husband Victor is now a drum teacher at River Nore Music Academy. “We’ve been living in the city since we moved here. I’ve always believed in finding purpose wherever you are. I didn’t just want to live here, I wanted to be a valuable part of the community and to contribute to it.” That is when Gina committed to improving her English and obtaining Irish fitness qualifications. That in addition to her Hungarian ones.
Gina elaborates “I went back to full-time study at Ormonde College, and while some saw it as an unnecessary delay, it turned out to be a perfect path. My work placement at Kilkenny Recreation and Sports Partnership (KRSP) with the guidance of Seamus Nugent, led to a tutoring role with them, opening the door to further community involvement. I won’t say the first few years were easy, because they were actually filled with hard work—going back to school, finding the best ways to serve my clients, understanding the local demands, navigating COVID, gaining several new qualifications, and managing the challenges of our growing family. But it was definitely worth it.”
Work in Kilkenny
Today, Gina runs approximately 25 classes per week, working with 200–300 people in Kilkenny. Half of her work is community-based, supporting groups with less access to fitness—vulnerable adults, seniors, people in rural areas, and those with disabilities. She also serves as a tutor for KRSP, KCETB, the HSE, and local libraries, delivering accessible fitness programmes across the county. “I’ve lived in this charming city for seven years now, and it’s wonderful to see more and more familiar faces wherever I go. The sense of belonging and comfort in a place where I had no prior connections feels like “a sort of homecoming.”
Karate
Outside of teaching, Gina also takes part in the city’s sports life as an enthusiastic member of Kilkenny Karate Club (JSKA Shotokan). “Kyokushin Karate was my childhood sport, and returning to karate more than 30 years later as an adult has been incredibly rewarding,” said Gina.
The powerful movements, pushing her limits, and learning from an excellent sensei, Kevin Shortall, has brought her a new kind of strength and focus. For Gina, it’s her dedicated time to step away from teaching and just be a student.
A different approach to fitness
Gina is dedicated to supporting women at all stages of life, particularly during pregnancy, postnatally, and around menopause. She takes a body-neutral approach to coaching: “I encourage movement for strength, confidence, and joy, without toxic fitness messages or pressure to ‘look’ a certain way. My focus is on how the body moves and functions, not how it looks. My goal is to help clients shift their mindset from appearance and weight loss to recognising how their body feels, enabling them to respond effectively to its reactions during exercise, while respecting and supporting their body in everyday life. I take this seriously and never comment on anyone’s body, in or beyond my classes. Rest is just as important as movement, and I actively encourage it, knowing how many women struggle to give themselves permission to slow down. In my classes, modification isn’t a dirty word—it’s a way to honour how you feel on any given day. Movement should adapt to you, not the other way around.”
The award
Speaking about the award, Gina says she was nominated for the Kilkenny-Carlow Customer Excellence Awards in the Personal Trainer of the Year -category by her wonderful trainees. “Just being shortlisted among incredible trainers was an honour, so when my name was called as the winner, I was completely shocked. I’m incredibly grateful to my amazing clients for nominating me and sharing why they love our classes, and to the jury for recognising the body-neutral approach to fitness.”
