Areas of Specialty:

Strength and Conditioning Development

  • Comprehensive assessments to establish your baselines and monitor function

  • High-efficiency fitness programs that are created for your body and goals

  • Metabolic conditioning based on foundational gymnastics programming to improve cardio, endurance, and athletic performance

Muscle Development, Body Fat Reduction

  • Systematic cycling of endurance and strength training to challenge you safely and effectively

  • Hand-crafted nutritional guidance and accountability monitoring designed to match your goals, motivations, and personality

  • Assistance with behavior modification and “new habit” training

Lifestyle and Wellness Coaching

  • Mental and physical check-ins to assess your successes and roadblocks

  • Assistance with establishing a maintainable fitness routine that works with your schedule and life

  • Recovery guidance to aid in stress reduction, improve sleep, and increase mindfulness

Moving Better and Connecting with Your Body

  • Assistance with establishing a deeper mind-body connection in order to feel intended muscle activation, improve technique, and prevent injury

  • Correcting muscle imbalances to assist with proper joint function, prevent injury, and maximize strength potential

Bio:

I’ve always been sensitive — I feel things strongly — like “an exposed nerve… I don’t know how else to say it, but I am” (Bea Arthur). I think my sensitivity goes hand in hand with my creativity. Although my artistic side comes as a surprise to many when they learn about it, it’s always present and impacts every thing I do. It used to feel separate from my other interests, but it’s part of what I’ve discovered as “the artist’s way.”

My first interest was in art and animation. I wanted to be a cartoonist. I loved my superheroes and Saturday morning cartoons (still do). It wasn’t until I was invited to a friend’s gymnastics-themed birthday party that I truly showed an interest in physical activity. Shortly after, my mom signed me up for classes at our local YMCA, and I was hooked. It was the closest thing to having superpowers of my own.

I fell in love with the sport. The majority of my time was spent inside the gym. I didn’t realize until later the lasting impact gymnastics had on my life. I learned about hard work, dedication, persistence, patience, self-discipline, winning, and losing, as well as my body. And, one day, it was gone.

I awoke from extreme pain in my shoulder, and I could barely raise my arm. I had nerve damage and shortly after had to retire from the sport. My dreams of continuing gymnastics were gone. I was left with this empty space in my life — this hole — that I didn’t know how to fill.

My body was changing, but I didn’t realize until my pants no longer fit. I gained 30lbs of fat, and I became resolved to do something about it. This became my path into health and fitness. I wasn’t an unhealthy athlete, but I could have been a healthier one, but I did take my health for granted at times. I looked good, felt good, and could move well, but that isn’t necessarily an indication of health.

As a personal trainer, I make it my mission to see the full person in front of me. I’m interested in working with clients to see how we can improve multiple aspects of a person’s life to enhance their daily performance — mentally and physically.

There’s an art to healthy living that can exist in all aspects of life, and as a former competitive gymnast, I worked hard to make the difficult seem effortless. Health is our greatest investment and making changes in our lives can seem daunting at times. But, with practice, support, and a little time, I believe anyone can make healthy changes to improve their lives and, consequently, the lives of others with whom they come in contact.

Images shot by Mark Raimondo Photography and Billy Polson