Basically My Whole Life Story

We’ll get right to the point - I got into fitness because I saw an industry that desperately needed more compassion, more body neutrality, more science, and more coaches who actually gave a fuck about something other than just making money.

I studied Biology at Furman University and thought that I would combine my love for science and deep desire to help people by becoming a doctor. When my life went to hell in a hand basket my senior year, I had no plan for after graduation. At the time I was fully set on attending Physical Therapy school, and thought that maybe being a personal trainer would be a good resume and experience builder.

I distinctly remember timidly asking a woman at the Y if she was a personal trainer and how she went about getting that certification. She told me she studied and sat for an exam. I was ecstatic to find out there was no push up test or timed mile involved.

I’ll spare you the full details of my career, but once I started coaching, training, and teaching group fitness I realized that there was a career I could start right then that helped people with their health and was way more fun than going to medical school.

This was from my first ever fitness photoshoot, how cute is she!!!

Flash forward to 2020, I enrolled in the University of Florida Health and Human Performance Program for a Masters of Science in Applied Physiology and Kinesiology, passed my Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist from the NSCA, and my love for this field only grew alongside my knowledge. More and more I realized there was a desperate lack of experts and that often Instagram followers were equated with expertise.

When I moved to Seattle in 2021, I found a little neighborhood gym called Seattle Strength and Performance with an owner who was as excited, ambitious, and values-driven as I was. Over the last few years we’ve grown that little gym from just over 100 members to almost 500, we’ve added a second and third locations, and grown a team of coaches that I truly believe are the best and brightest in the industry. Not such a little gym anymore 😉

I currently work at SSP as the Chief of Staff which involves a little of everything: coaching on the floor, mentoring other coaches, being head trainer and head of our exercise programming department, directing our Youth Athletics program, and so much more. I truly love my work and it is not lost on me how rare that is.

In my personal fitness journey, I’ve taken up powerlifting and love feeling like a competitive athlete again. I found that being strong as a fucking ox is one of the most empowering feelings. It’s helped me learn how to tune into my body instead of away from it and taught me the importance of community in a fitness journey. I also love to run jump - staying athletic and fit while being strong as shit is very important to me. We spend a lot of time hiking and I have to stay in tip top shape to keep up with my amazing partner.