My Journey to a Healthy Lifestyle

Mom. Wife. Daughter. Personal Trainer.

My story includes so many twists, turns, and bumps in the road (as I’m sure many can relate). I grew up in Northern Virginia with my fun loving family of five. My parents worked full-time while raising three very active kids. We lived in a tight knit community where no matter where you went, you ran into someone you knew. I’m your typical type A first born who has everything planned out (all the time) but I absolutely never imagined that something so tragic could happen to my family. I was a freshman in college trying to navigate my new world when everything came crashing down. On September 25th, 2006 I received the worst call of my life, it was my Dad’s voice telling me my younger brother died. That is the moment my life forever changed and a moment that has shaped me into who I am today.  

Gaining the Strength to Move Forward

When you reach the lowest point in your life (at least I hope it was), you choose a way to try to dig yourself out of depression and help with the pain. We all have our chosen outlets (good and bad) – alcohol, drugs, a job, faith, a relationship, a friend, etc. I chose fitness or you could say fitness chose me. I desperately needed an outlet, something to help me deal with the pain and get away from it all. That outlet became the gym. I didn’t want to go to therapy but I had so much anger, resentment, and sadness that I had to get out some way, somehow. I found release by sweating it out. It was the only time I could escape into my own world and just leave everything behind. It was my relief and something I absolutely needed to get me through those extremely dark and sad days. Fitness saved me and it allowed me to feel again and start coping with the unbelievable loss I just experienced. I started to sweat the stress and I continue to do so to this day.  

Living a Healthy Lifestyle

Today, life looks completely different. I am happily married, building a business I love, and a mom to my little boy Ricky, who is named after my brother and my husband’s father. My husband lost his father, whose name was Ricky as well, when he was thirteen years old. It’s so special to us that our first born is named after two very important people in our lives who aren’t able to be with us today. We cherish every moment together and love creating a healthy lifestyle for ourselves and our little one.