About

The health and fitness industry is flooded with messages about self-judgment, especially for women: body-shaming, food-shaming, hell, even exercise-shaming.

WE WON'T DO THAT HERE.

Fitness is not about shrinking yourself with a goal to be less. It's not about punishing your body or earning your food.

THIS JOURNEY IS NOT ABOUT FEELING GOOD ABOUT WHO YOU WILL BECOME.

This journey is about learning to feel good about WHO YOU ALREADY ARE, while adopting better habits and a realistic fitness routine.

Health and fitness are self-care, not punishment.

It's compassion, not harsh judgment.

Working with Me

When you work with me, we outline your goals and together create a plan for achieving those goals. We use strength training as our primary tool, but fun is essential to our work together. In fact, fun is the most important piece of our work. Kindness is the second most important, and then we bring in the tool of strength training.

I have found that true change is rarely about the nuts and bolts of fitness and nutrition. You have likely spent many decades already learning and doing (or not doing) the right things regarding exercise and diet. Yes, I will help you understand how much protein to eat, the benefits of strength training, and how to exercise without getting hurt. But my "Special Sauce" is everything else—mindset shifts, visioning, habit changes, goal setting, and accountability.

Who I Am (& How I Got Here)

My career path is so varied that I've become a sort of renaissance woman. I have been, in no particular order: a newspaper reporter, a photographer, a college teacher, a caregiver for senior citizens, a resident director, a sandwich artist, a salad bar attendant, a retail extraordinaire, a coach of college softball, cross country, basketball and lacrosse, an athletic administrator, and a personal trainer. I've played in a band, done open mike nights, read at poetry readings, and started more than one blog. There was also a stint in a Catholic convent for a year, but if you want to know more about that, you'll have to buy me dinner.

What that means for you is that I bring a lot of life experience into my practice as a coach and trainer. I've developed many opinions on training over the years, but they are just that—opinions. There are no absolutes in training and life. And the views I do have are not set in stone. As a coach and human, I am constantly evolving.

Professional

• Certified Personal Trainer (American Council on Exercise)

• Certified Senior Specialist (American Council on Exercise)

• Precision Nutrition Level One Coach

• Working as a coach for 2 decades

• Working in the fitness industry for 1 decade

• Communications degree from Gannon University (Erie, Pa.)

• Masters in Sports Leadership, Northeastern University (Boston, Mass.)

Personal

• Before getting hooked on strength training, I exercised by running. Though I don’t run as much now as I used to, I understand the appeal and simplicity of running. I’ve done a few half-marathons and countless shorter races. I even ran a biathlon once. You know, where you shoot things after every mile...

• I have a vinyl record collection and a working turntable, even though my wife says that’s pretentious. My favorites include Frank Sinatra, Sam Cooke, and Marvin Gaye.

• I am from Western PA, where we say PA instead of Pennsylvania, and go to this wonderful place called Sheetzes (and it’s Sheetzes, not Sheetz).

• I’m a diehard Pittsburgh sports fan. The Pirates usually have me dying the hardest.