Hi Friend! I'm so excited to hear your story soon! Is it cool if I share mine with you?
I grew up in the south suburbs of Chicago. I've always been a happy, active kid. I especially loved playing field hockey and badminton during high school. I ate my veggies, but I loved my nachos and homemade chocolate chip cookies too! I learned early on that it was all about balance. I am blessed to say I had a wonderful childhood. Life was going great until my dad passed away suddenly from complications to chemo-therapy (from colon cancer) when I was 17. This event turned my world upside down. All the healthy basics and balance I once easily practiced where lost for a few years.
However, your problems are your greatest gifts if you choose to see them that way. Tony Robbins helped me learn that. The loss of my dad made me realize how important diet and exercise are to live a long, healthy, and vibrant life. It's simple really. Eat your vegetables and move everyday! After a lot of soul searching, I realized I can't save my dad, but I can live my best life and inspire many other dads, brothers, sisters, and mothers to live their best lives too. Every person I help is in honor of my dad. However, that realization didn't happen right away...
Let's go back to high school and then college. I graduated with a BFA in Industrial Design from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. I've always loved designing and making things. From children's swimwear to pre-teen wallets, I loved adding my touch of sparkle to make things better. However, as much as I loved product design, my soul always yearned to be in the health and fitness world.
I joke that I am the Madonna of the health and fitness. Why? I love to reinvent my fitness style/focus every couple years. From marathons, to triathlons, to adventure racing, to fitness model/bikini competitions, I've tried it all. It's like the fitness appetizer combo platter...I've tried a bite of everything!
After losing my college pizza and beer weight in my 20's, I thought it would be fun to give back to the fitness community. I became a certified group exercise instructor and personal trainer back in 2003. In 2009, I fell in love with Les Mills Body Pump and became a certified instructor. KIA KAHA! From 2009-2011, I also attended Tony Robbin's UPW and Mastery University. This was life changing! Tony helped me see how important it is to have a positive mindset and take action. In 2013, my passion for nutrition led me to become a Certified Holistic Health Coach thru the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. My journey keeps evolving every day. I look forward to every next step!
In 2015, I took the leap to pursue my passion for health and wellness 100%. I am thrilled to be able to live my passion daily. I still call myself a designer because I'm always on a mission to make things better. However, now I am a healthy life designer, helping people improve their body, mind, and spirit! This is key. Health and wellness isn't just about diet and exercise. It's about having a positive mindset, setting goals, creating healthy habits and doing them consistently. I use this approach with all of my clients.
My mission is "To make health, fitness, and wellness FUN, ACCESSABLE, and SUSTAINABLE for a lifetime for all populations by adding my touch of S.P.A.R.K.L.E. (“Simple Programs and Recipes to Keep Living Energetically”) every day!
I'm so glad we found each other on our journey! Oh, the places we'll go!