
Meet the Sol Academy Team
Changing the Future of Fitness, One Certification at a Time.
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Sunny Bayne
OWNER + HEAD TRAINER
CPT, CES, YES, RYT-200, REIKI MASTER
Bluegrass-raised Sunny Bayne's life revolves around a few passions: friends, family, fitness, and her enduring love for horses. Introduced to riding on her grandfather's farm at age 10, she discovered her calling in connecting with these majestic animals. Despite facing injuries in 2004, Sunny's journey through rehabilitation ignited her passion for fitness, leading her to become a Certified Personal Trainer through the National Academy of Sports Medicine. With additional certifications in yoga, youth exercise, corrective exercise and online training, she founded Sunny Bayne Fitness, fostering a vibrant community focused on wellness and support. Expanding beyond her initial gym space, Sunny established Sol Fitness in 2022, aiming to create a welcoming haven for holistic well-being. Living in Lexington, KY, with her wife Stephanie, daughters Mia and Simone, three dogs, and four cats, Sunny's dream includes adding horses to her family soon.
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Stephanie Melvin
OWNER + ACADEMY DIRECTOR
CWC, BA, BUSINESS
With twenty years of leadership, business and consultative experience, Stephanie took a break from corporate life to make a difference in her local community. She currently serves as the Wellness Coach at Sol Fitness and is proud to guide the success of Sol Academy, as Academy Director and Co-Owner with her wife, Sunny Bayne.
Prior to opening Sol Fitness in 2022, Stephanie proudly served as the National Director of Enrollment and Marketing for a group of 100+ cosmetology schools for nearly a decade. Her love for the students and her passion for connecting the talent of tomorrow with an industry ready to embrace the evolution that each generation, each unique person inherently brings, was Stephanie’s inspiration for opening Sol Academy. The fitness and wellness industry is growing rapidly and our communities need access to hands-on, client-ready education that prepares them for a safe and successful career. Through a balance of expert-led practical training and classroom instruction, and self-guided learning, learners enjoy a flexible schedule. This, along with keeping tuition affordable, will fulfill Stephanie’s mission of providing low-cost, high-performance training to our students, providing high-quality graduates to the wellness industry, and raising the vibration of the community through education.
To support the efforts she implements, and to best serve the industry at large, Stephanie’s research is rooted in cross-generational communication. With this knowledge she guides individuals and teams toward building connections, communicating in ways that inspire growth, and coaching generations of leaders to embrace the future of our industry.
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Casey Bayne
DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION. LEVEL 3 PERSONAL TRAINER, CERTIFIED NUTRITION COACH
CPT, CNC, BA, EDUCATION
After a decade of living her dream as a middle school science teacher in Lexington, Casey decided that it was time for a change. Not only did her own health and fitness journey inspire her decision, but her love for teaching and helping others find and reach their full potential was her driving force.
Casey earned her Certified Personal Trainer certificate from the National Academy of Sports Medicine and has spent countless hours training a diverse group of clients - all bodies, all goals, all fitness levels - to create well rounded training methods designed to take each client to their next level of wellness. Casey combines her love of education with her passion and experience in personal training to lead Sol Academy’s Certified Personal Training program and design curriculum for Sol’s other professional courses.
Lexington charmed her the moment she moved here for college in 2005 and she hasn’t wanted to live anywhere else since. Casey lives with her wife of 15 years, Kristi, and their sweet shepherds, Kora and Keiko. Going on walks, focusing on their health and well being, and sharing their light with others are a few of their very favorite things.
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Erin Short
YOGA INSTRUCTOR, TRAUMA INFORMED MINDFULNESS FACILITATOR
RYT 500, E-RYT 200, YACEP, BA, REIKI LEVEL I
Erin is a highly accomplished yoga instructor, locally known for her versatility, challenging yet adaptive style, and unwavering support - on and off the mat - for every student and client. Erin began her own yoga practice in 2007 and earned her RYT-200 to begin teaching others in 2017. She has since gone on to earn her Advanced Yoga Teacher Training from the Asheville Yoga Center, Yoga Alliance Continued Education Provider certification, and as a lifelong learner, Erin has added various other credits to support her students and community, including a trauma-informed facilitation certification.
Aside from leading Lexington’s most transformative and inclusive yoga classes, Erin also owns and handcrafts each mala and piece of intention jewelry in her bespoke collection, Sage + Strand. When Erin is not on her mat or raising her vibration through intentional craft and community involvement, you can find her nestled in her Lexington cottage with her cat, Sage, or enjoying time with her friends + family.
Our Mission
We are dedicated to revolutionizing the fitness and wellness industry by providing innovative, hybrid learning programs that empower individuals to pursue fulfilling careers. Our mission is to equip our students with the knowledge, skills, and confidence needed to excel in the ever-evolving field of fitness and wellness. Join us at Sol Academy and embark on a transformative journey to unlock your full potential and shape the future of fitness.

“We are on a mission to provide an industry-leading, hybrid, hands-on and self-guided learning experience at an affordable cost to prepare the future of fitness for the growing demand for wellness professionals around the world.”
Stephanie Melvin | Academy Director, Certified Wellness Coach & Co-Owner at Sol Academy.