Trading paintbrushes and spreadsheets for dumbbells and treadmills

November 7, 2025
Hamid “Jim” Karimi putting a large weight on a bar at the North Grounds Recreation Center

On most days, Hamid “Jim” Karimi can be found at North Grounds Recreation Center, teaching classes and helping clients. (Photo by Lathan Goumas, University Communications)

Hamid “Jim” Karimi’s journey has followed many paths. The latest has led him to the University of Virginia, where he works as a personal trainer – a role he never expected to take on.

His path to fitness has been anything but direct, going from studying economics in Norway and the United Kingdom to running an art gallery in Barboursville.

“I wasn’t really planning to be a trainer, but when it happened, I realized that this is the right job for me,” he said. “What I’d been looking for was to work with people and not be stuck sitting in an office all day.”

Jim Karimi in front of painting of a school bus

A longtime painter, Karimi still makes time for his art outside of work. (Contributed photo)

Originally from Iran, Karimi lived in Norway and then England while pursuing a bachelor’s degree in economics and then a master’s in business administration. A longtime painter, he then opened Barboursville Fine Arts and ran the art gallery in Barboursville for several years before moving to Charlottesville to work as a financial analyst for the CFA Institute and later bookkeeper for Charlottesville Public Schools.

“Working in finance, I felt lonely in the office where I didn’t have much communication and everything was done on a screen,” he said. “As a trainer, I’m always on my feet and meeting new people.”

One day, while working out at Planet Fitness, he decided to ask the person working the front desk if he could volunteer his services as a personal trainer, accidentally finding “the perfect job.” He was surprised to find a natural link between being an artist and being a trainer, realizing “that it’s very much an art to be able to create exercise programs, very creative.”

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“You always have to be able to recreate yourself, especially nowadays,” he said. “When you get stuck in a role, it can be really hard to change it after you invest so much time and money into your education. You have to be able to think out of the box and make some sacrifices to get something different.”

Since 2017, Karimi has helped people meet their fitness goals at UVA Recreation, leading group fitness classes for students, faculty and staff, while also offering private personal training. He teaches several Hoos Well fitness classes, offered for free to UVA faculty and staff and at a subsidized rate to students and the general public.

Karimi offers two different kinds of personal training: partner classes for pairs who want to train together, and one-on-one classes for individuals. “Mostly couples sign up for the partner classes, but occasionally I get friends who want to work out together, which is quite nice,” he said.

Close up of Jim Karimi spotting a client

In addition to offering one-on-one training, Karimi teaches a variety of group classes. (Photo by Lathan Goumas, University Communications)

He also works for the School of Education and Human Development’s kinesiology department on the Kinesiology Lifetime Physical Activity Program, a 13-week course designed to help students for life. The course covers a range of physical activities, including hiking, cross training and weight training.

Sticking to fitness goals can be more approachable when people focus on a few simple activities, he said. “If the bar is set too high, it becomes hard to implement and easier to give up, so start small,” he stresses. “Also, if you’re ever unsure how to approach a type of training, come talk to us (trainers) in the gym. There are so many of us and we’re happy to help, unless we’re with clients.”

This year, Karimi teaches a series of weight training and strength classes, posted on the UVA Recreation website schedule, including a beginning weight training class on Mondays, an outdoor cardio bootcamp on Tuesdays, bouldering on Wednesdays and boxing on Thursdays.

Media Contacts

Jim Karimi

Personal Trainer UVA Recreation

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