My personal story illustrates the evolution of my passion for fitness starting with a physically active childhood. I played softball, took dance classes, attended “aerobic” classes early in high school, was a member of and eventually captain of my high school Drill (dance) Team, and designed and implemented my own personal resistance training. Throughout high school and college, I became more and more fascinated about healthy eating and lifestyle practices. Publications, videos, and discussions that interested me most centered around fitness, nutrition, and wellness. I started applying these principles in each area in my own life, including the challenges faced by full-time office professionals and mothers. As a mother, I have tried to educate and help foster lifelong healthy habits for my children.
I obtained my initial AFAA Certified Group Fitness Instructor certification in 2004 and started teaching multiple group fitness classes in a variety of formats using a variety of equipment for people of all fitness levels. I had the opportunity to work with other instructors more closely for a few years as one of the group fitness program coordinators at LA Fitness. As a result of this training and experience, I became an expert in designing and leading safe, effective, and exciting group fitness classes and continued teaching to this day.
In May 2021, after a wonderful and fulfilling career in Information Technology full of fantastic people and valuable lessons and experiences in leadership, business, and technology, I was blessed with the opportunity to pursue a career focused on my lifelong passion in fitness, nutrition, and wellness. While I really enjoy working with adults of all ages in my group fitness classes, I decided to focus my personal and group training on people age 50+ for a few personal reasons:
– My heart goes out to my father who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease several years ago and now in his upper-70s has very limited mobility,
– My mother, now in her mid-70s, is an inspiration and great example of the power of a lifetime of regular exercise and activity. She enjoys bi-weekly personal training, regular walks with her friends, and joining family members on various outings, and
– I am in the demographic myself working for the same lifetime of active longevity that I want for my clients.
I greatly value ongoing education and enjoy learning about the latest scientific research and information. To enable me to provide a more complete service offering, I obtained the NASM Certified Personal Trainer (CPT), FAI Functional Aging Specialist (FAS), and NASM Certified Nutrition Coach (CNC) certifications as well as specializations in NASM Corrective Exercise (CES), NASM Virtual Training, and as a Functional Movement Screen Levels 1 and 2 Certified Professional from Functional Movement Systems (FMS). I continue to dive deeper into these areas and look forward to continued growth and education, so that I can provide top-notch service to you. I hope that you will journey along with me!
