Where’d You Go, Pelo-Faves? Keeping Up With Former Peloton Instructors
So far in 2024, Peloton has welcomed back two of its former instructors to the fold: pro cyclist Christian Vande Velde and Germany/London based new mom Irene Kaymer. These returns were warmly received by Peloton riders in the US and abroad; while they both have different teaching styles and training goals, they are fan favorites in their own right. Seeing this excitement among members, along with marking my own five year Pelo-versary, and exploring my some deep dives thinking about life’s paths and journeys (hello, new Meditation badge!) got me wondering… what are some of the other former instructors up to now?
Kristin McGee
We recently learned that yoga, meditation and Pilates instructor Kristin shared surprising news that she will be leaving Peloton at the end of the month after six years on the platform. Kristin is beloved by many for her relatable approach (to parenting and to fitness), sneakily challenging classes, and her three adorable boys. As part of the team who launched the Pilates programming and then the Yoga Conditioning classes, Kristin found ways to push us to connect to ourselves more deeply than we might have imagined we could, both physically and emotionally. As a longtime yoga instructor teacher (remember her MTV yoga DVDs?), trained actress, budding singer, and first-time marathoner, the world is her oyster and we can’t wait to see what’s next. It also appears that Kristin intends to maintain an online presence via her Substack, which you can read and/or subscribe to here. We sincerely wish her continued success, and we will definitely be going back and retaking those burner classes that will remain in the library!
Kendall Toole
Also in June, Kendall announced she would be leaving Peloton at the end of the month. California girl Kendall has been a champion for mental health awareness and metal rides, as well as helping to bring Shadowboxing classes to the platform. Her announcement included a teaser for her “next adventure” and we are here for it! We wish her all the luck reaching her next goals. If you haven’t experienced her amazing energy and impactful message, don’t worry, her classes will be remaining in the OD library. Thanks, Peloton!
Ross Rayburn
As of this writing, we still have Ross on the roster but not for much longer! Following the success of his first book, Turning Inward, published in early 2024, Ross is leaving Peloton to bring his signature message promoting meditation to the masses in more ways than through our Peloton tablets and apps. Ever the teacher, Ross will shine from within at his next venture and we wish him all the best! Personally, I will miss his wildly creative visualizations (IYKYK), his expert biomechanical cues in yoga, his quirky sense of humor and, being the same age, his funny cultural references. Luckily, I will still be able to revisit old favorites in the OD library. I know a lot of other members will be similarly happy to know his famous sleep meditations will also be there, safe and sound for now.
Daniel McKenna
Prior to Kendall and Ross, the most recent instructor to have left was Daniel, aka the Irish Yank, in 2022. Daniel appears to be having a grand old time building his brand of fitness training in NYC, known as The Irish Yank Society. Having come in alongside Callie, Kirra, and Rad during 2021, Daniel was a popular Strength and Tread instructor who parted ways with Peloton under unfortunate circumstances not long after he started. A glance at his Instagram reveals that fans from Peloton and beyond who love his high energy personality and workouts are embracing his new program and experiences.
Chase Tucker
Before Daniel, Chase elected to leave the platform (also in 2022) to develop his own coaching business focusing on supporting executive women to build their physical and mental health for personal and professional success. I used to love Chase’s outdoor walks and when he made this move, I felt like it made a lot of sense for him! If you’ve ever taken his classes, you know he really speaks to your soul while strengthening your body. If you haven’t taken his classes, go get them before they disappear in a scheduled calendar purge! As of this writing, he’s in 117 Strength classes, 69 Running classes, 39 Indoor/Outdoor Walks, 28 Tread Bootcamps, 12 Cardios, and even 1 Stretch all from 2020-2022. He’s listed at the end of the current instructors (not alphabetically) so don’t miss him. (I had to give up running but now I might go back and do his A Tribe Called Quest Run from 2022, that sounds like an amazing match of music and energy!)
Marina Andresen
Don’t blink or you’ll miss Marina! She was a German instructor on the Tread back in 2021, but her time with Peloton lasted only about three months. While her arrival was heralded with much fanfare, as it turned out, the corporate life was not for her. She parted ways with Peloton rather bluntly (as we discussed in our podcast episode) but apparently has gone on to achieve her personal fitness goals and more, reporting on her IG that she has now run 66 marathons and two Ironmans.
Oliver Lee
Next in line is Oliver, who recently returned to social media offering a new online fitness coaching platform. After a quick and eyebrow-raising parting of ways with Peloton back in 2020 (after only two years here, as he had joined the same time as Selena), and then a cancer diagnosis (caught and treated early, luckily), Oliver is back and ready to work, with his dreamy accent and adorable dogs (yes, he has a new one now!). Like Chase, he was a Tread and Strength instructor and another whose outdoor walks I enjoyed quite a bit. Though his content was removed from Peloton, you can now find him on Instagram again. (Although you CAN still get a little intro to Oliver Lee in the 2019 All For One Run!)
Jennifer Jacobs
Ahead of Oliver, another clean break was made with the “original JJ” (apologies to Jermaine Johnson!) in 2019 – Jennifer Jacobs. Part of a smaller group of instructors that included at the time Cody Rigsby, Jess King, Hannah Corbin, Nicole Meline, Robin Arzon, Steven Little, Jenn Sherman, Kim Fischer, Alex Toussaint, and Christine D’Ercole (and later that year joined by Matt Wilpers and Ally Love), JJ’s first year (2016) was also the year #ClipOutCrystal lit up the leaderboard and the (now-extinct) Century Shirt was introduced. Seems like eons ago, but JJ’s fans are still as energized as ever, joining her on other platforms, such as her own personal coaching business, the J Method, and with Beachbody. JJ can also be spotted socially on some of the other NY instructors’ Instagram accounts from time to time, looks like they are having allllll the fun.
Steven T. Little
Another unique personality that graced the halls of the 23rd St studio was “STL.” This former Marine gave early members a taste of metric-driven rides along with his no-nonsense style of coaching. As part of the instructor team from 2015 to 2017, Steven’s rides did stay in the library until 2019 when they were removed. Since leaving Peloton, Steven has been part of other fitness ventures, and he has dipped into real estate. Steven has also been open about work he needed to do on the personal side of his life. Seems like he may have been a precursor to some of the conversations we hear from current male instructors on that same topic? Check out our interview from 2020 to learn more about this former fan favorite, and enjoy his Instagram, which is chock full of training tips, scenic travel, and the motivation you may have been missing. (Also, now at 50, is he the OG Peloton zaddy? You be the judge!)
Lisa Niren
Since leaving Peloton in 2017, powerhouse instructor Lisa continues to dominate the fitness industry. A self-proclaimed “disruptor,” Lisa has held executive leadership and content development positions at innovative ventures including Studio, a connected fitness immersive experience, and FITURE, an interactive fitness mirror for home workouts. Those who took her classes from 2014 to 2017 will not be surprised to learn that she brought her energy and passion for this industry to new audiences and platforms. You can check out a special interview with Lisa here from 2018.
Nicole Meline
Nicole is another early leader from the OG instructor team who brought a signature style to members seeking more holistic balance in their workouts. Teaching from 2014 to 2016, her classes stayed in the OD library until 2019. In 2017, she joined The Clip Out for a special interview. She now offers spiritual coaching through her own company and website, Alter.
Steph Nieman
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One of the first instructors (and head coach) at Peloton, Steph continues to be well-known in the global fitness industry. Her experience includes leadership at Barry’s, Technogym, consulting for companies across Europe, and building her own training program, #TeamSteph, in which she offers live and OD classes focusing on “life changing motivational coaching.”
Kim Fischer
Professional actor and dancer Kim, who was a Peloton instructor from 2015-2016, has been focusing on his literal performance goals (not fitness performance, haha!) since leaving 23rd St. Appearing in numerous productions on stage and on the small screen, he appears to be making his dreams come true being a working actor, based in Brooklyn and traveling the country to share his craft.
Colleen Saidman Yee
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Colleen was the first yoga instructor at Peloton, starting in 2015 with the “Beyond the Ride” collection, and she is currently married to yoga DVD king Rodney Yee (I did some of his videos back in the late ‘90s, along with Tae-Bo, but that’s another story… I actually saw Billy Blanks a few years ago at a regional high school track and field meet but no one understood why I almost passed out! Sorry, I digress…). A true yoga powerhouse, Colleen is very well known as a teacher, spiritual guide, and wellness practitioner with many celebrity connections and endorsements. Along with her own studio, Yoga Shanti, based in Sag Harbor, NY, you can find Colleen on various platforms including Gaia Yoga, Yoga International, Yoga Journal, One Commune and UZIT.
Antonia DeSantis
Antonia, the first Peloton instructor to be live-streamed, was on the platform from 2014-2015. After a career change at 38 from Wall Street to workouts (sound like any current instructors we know? Must be something in the water over there!), she followed her stint at Peloton with a wide range of other impressive roles in the fitness industry. She is currently a private coach and instructor based in Chicago, continuing to bring people her skills and passion as they embrace their wellness journeys.
Marion Berrian Roaman
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The OG of OGs, Marion was Peloton’s first leader brought on board to hire and train instructors, run studio operations, and oversee the creation of classes, and she taught Peloton’s first official class. A veteran of her own spin studio in the Hamptons, which was later acquired by Flywheel (seems like a lot of instructors have some Flywheel lore attached to them…), Marion was responsible for creating the structure of classes that we still enjoy today. Though she left Peloton after not too long, bringing her energy and leadership vision to similar ventures (including Swerve, an immersive cycling experience in gym settings), Marion’s mark is still felt at Peloton.
(Marion has only a private IG so we are not linking it here)
Do you have an instructor without whom you’d lose your mojo? Who are you dreading imagining life at Peloton without? Though I try to be “in the moment” (practice makes progress, right?) sometimes I can’t help but worry about the day when my own faves leave for new challenges and opportunities. I mean, they all totally deserve it, but, let’s keep this thing going a bit longer shall we? Let us know who you just can’t live without, and keep up with all the current instructors on their IGs here! And, if you’d like to continue your walk down the Pelo-memory lane, check out our exclusive interactive Peloton timeline!
Tune in to The Clip Out every Friday to hear Tom and Crystal’s take on this and other hot Pelotopics. We’re available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, iHeart, TuneIn. Be sure and follow us so you never miss an episode. You can also find the show online on Facebook.com/TheClipOut. While you’re there, like the page and join the group. Lastly, find us on our YouTube channel, YouTube.com/TheClipOut, where you can watch all of our shows.
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