Professional Education and Licensing within NWANA

Every NWANA Professional Pathway Starts Here

What Becomes Available Next?

The next available stage depends on the professional direction and the requirements already completed.

• Instructor development continues through progressive levels of technical education, instruction, assessment, and practical experience.

• Coach development becomes available only after the required instructor education and instructional experience have been completed.

• Judge preparation requires advanced understanding of competition technique before rules education, supervised judging, and practical evaluation.

• Race Director and Competition Technical Official development follow their own progressive education and practical requirements after the common foundation.

NWANA Academy makes available only the professional education for which the participant has satisfied the established prerequisites.

A course may also require registration, payment, an assessment, practical work, or individual approval before access is provided.

Explore the NWANA Professional Pathways

The pathways below describe long-term professional directions within NWANA. They are not interchangeable, and viewing a pathway does not establish eligibility for its courses or licenses.

A person may eventually qualify in more than one professional area, but each area has its own education, practical preparation, assessment, experience, and licensing requirements.

Nordic Walking Instructor Pathway

The Instructor Pathway develops the ability to teach, demonstrate, analyze, and progressively improve Nordic Walking technique.

Instructor development proceeds through three levels:

• Level 1 — Fundamentals Instructor;

• Level 2 — Fitness & Wellness Instructor;

• Level 3 — Competition Technique Instructor.

Each level builds upon the education, assessment, and practical experience required at the preceding level.

An Instructor License authorizes professional instruction only within the scope of the holder’s active license. It does not automatically grant Coach status, Judge status, or authority to perform another NWANA professional role.

Nordic Walking Coaching Pathway

The Coaching Pathway is for professionals responsible for athlete development, structured training, competition preparation, performance monitoring, and long-term progression.

Coaching is not an alternative entry point immediately following the Beginner Level Certification.

Before entering Coach education, a candidate must complete the required Instructor education and develop the instructional and practical experience established by NWANA. Coach development then proceeds through progressive coaching levels.

A Coach License confirms the holder’s approved coaching level and scope. It does not automatically appoint the holder to an NWANA team, program, or national-team position.

NWANA Coach education may prepare qualified professionals for advanced club, high-performance, and national-team coaching environments. Appointment to a national team remains the responsibility of the applicable national federation, national governing body, or other organization authorized to manage that team.

Competition Judging Pathway

The Judging Pathway prepares officials to evaluate Nordic Walking technique and apply NWANA Competition Rules fairly and consistently.

Completion of the Beginner Level Certification alone is not sufficient preparation for judging.

Before receiving an independent Judge License, a candidate must develop an advanced understanding of Nordic Walking competition technique, complete the required rules education and assessments, gain supervised judging experience, and demonstrate the ability to evaluate technique under actual competition conditions.

The pathway then continues through progressive judging levels reflecting increasing experience, responsibility, consistency, and authority within the NWANA competition system.

Race Directors & Technical Officials

Race Directors and Competition Technical Officials perform separate professional roles within the NWANA competition system.

A Race Director is responsible for the organization and administration of a competition.

A Competition Technical Official performs assigned technical and operational functions connected with the course, venue, start and finish, athlete flow, equipment, timing, results, documentation, and other competition operations.

These roles follow their own education, assessment, and practical-development requirements after the common foundation.

Neither license automatically grants Judge status, sanctions a competition, authorizes use of the NWANA name for an event, or guarantees an appointment to a particular competition.

How Professional Progression Works

1. Begin with the Common Foundation

Complete the Nordic Walking Instructor – Beginner Level Certification through NWANA Academy, including all required lessons, assessments, and technique review.

2. Continue to the Next Eligible Stage

After the preceding requirements have been completed and verified, the next applicable course, qualification, practical assignment, or registration opportunity becomes available.

The next stage depends on the professional direction and the participant’s completed requirements.

3. Complete the Required Practical Development

Professional progression may require more than online course completion.

Depending on the pathway and level, requirements may include:

• technique assessment;

• instructional practice;

• documented professional experience;

• competition experience;

• supervised officiating;

• practical assignments;

• video review;

• written or rules assessments;

• evaluation by NWANA.

4. Progress Through the Required Sequence

Advanced courses and professional levels remain unavailable until the required preceding stages have been completed.

Coach preparation requires the applicable Instructor education and experience.

Judge preparation requires advanced technical understanding, rules education, supervised practice, and practical evaluation.

Race Direction and Technical Operations have their own progressive professional requirements.

5. Request a Professional License Eligibility Review

After completing the education, assessments, practical preparation, and other requirements for a specific Professional License, submit a License Eligibility Review Request.

The Eligibility Review is not used to select a first course or bypass required stages.

No license payment is collected during the review.

6. Receive Approval and Private Purchase Instructions

NWANA reviews the applicable Academy records, assessments, qualifications, experience, professional scope, and other required information.

If eligibility is confirmed, NWANA identifies the approved Professional License and provides a private purchase link or other purchase instructions.

Do not purchase a Professional License before receiving NWANA approval.

7. Activate and Maintain Your Professional Status

The approved Professional License becomes active after the authorized purchase has been completed.

Maintaining active status may require renewal, continuing education, current assessments, policy compliance, updated documentation, professional activity, or other requirements applicable to the license.

Education, Certification, and Licensing

These terms represent different stages of professional development.

Education

Education provides the knowledge, technical preparation, professional understanding, and practical learning required for a particular role.

Certification

Certification confirms successful completion of a specific course, assessment, or qualification.

Professional License

An Active NWANA Professional License confirms the holder’s current approved professional role, level, and scope within the NWANA system for the applicable license period.

Completing a course or receiving a certificate does not automatically activate a Professional License.

Licensing may also require practical experience, additional assessments, specialist preparation, current policies, participant-protection requirements, or other conditions applicable to the professional role.

Professional License Eligibility and Purchase

NWANA Professional Licenses are not available for unrestricted public purchase.

This process protects applicants from purchasing the wrong license or paying before the required education, assessment, experience, and professional scope have been confirmed.

The License Eligibility Review is free.

After approval, NWANA provides private instructions for purchasing the specific license for which the applicant has been found eligible.

Annual Professional License Period

NWANA Professional Licenses remain valid through December 31 of the applicable license year.

RunSignup automatically prorates the annual license fee according to the time remaining in that license year.

Professional Licenses do not renew automatically.

Continued active status may require satisfaction of the education, professional-development, documentation, conduct, participant-protection, or other requirements applicable to the new license year.

Working with Participants Under 18

A primary Instructor, Coach, Judge, Race Director, Competition Technical Official, or other Professional License does not automatically satisfy every requirement for working with participants under age 18.

Depending on the professional role, the required combination may include:

• an appropriate active primary Professional License;

• the applicable Children’s or Youth specialist license;

• an Active NWANA Minor Participant License;

• participant-protection or safeguarding education;

• background screening when required;

• organizational approval;

• additional requirements established by applicable law or by the organization responsible for the program.

The required licenses and conditions depend on the professional role, participant ages, program, organization, responsibilities, and nature of the professional contact.

Professional Scope and Responsibility

Each NWANA Professional License applies only to the role and level identified by that license.

A Professional License does not automatically:

• authorize the holder to use another NWANA professional designation;

• authorize work beyond the approved professional scope;

• appoint the holder to a particular program, team, event, or competition;

• authorize the holder to sanction a competition;

• authorize use of another organization’s name, logo, facilities, communication channels, or resources;

• guarantee employment, clients, assignments, compensation, or team appointment;

• replace any government-issued, occupational, educational, medical, therapeutic, or other license required by applicable law.

License holders must work within their approved professional scope and comply with current NWANA standards, policies, codes of conduct, competition requirements, and other conditions applicable to their role.

Begin Your Professional Development

Everyone begins with the Nordic Walking Instructor – Beginner Level Certification through NWANA Academy.

Already progressing through an NWANA professional pathway? Continue with the next course or requirement that has become available through your Academy record.

Completed all requirements for a particular Professional License? Submit a License Eligibility Review before attempting to purchase the license.