For most of my life, I was an athlete. I grew up playing soccer and eventually had the opportunity to play Division I soccer at Loyola Chicago. For years, training was simply part of my life. I had coaches, teammates, scheduled workouts, and a clear direction for what I was working toward. Then college ended and suddenly, all of that structure disappeared.

Living on my own after college, I found myself in a season I wasn't prepared for. I wasn't training like a collegiate athlete anymore, my eating habits had changed, and for the first time, I had no direction or guidance when it came to taking care of myself. I didn't feel confident, I wasn't happy, and honestly, I felt lost. When I went home for the holidays and stepped on a scale for the first time since moving away, it was the wake-up call I needed. I knew I wasn't heading in the direction I wanted for myself, physically or mentally, and I decided right then that I was going to make a change.

I joined Planet Fitness, started running, began lifting again, and slowly started rebuilding myself. There wasn't a magic diet or perfect program. I simply started showing up and learning how to take ownership of my health without having a coach standing beside me telling me what to do. The weight began to come off, but more importantly, my confidence came back. I felt strong again. I felt like me again. And that experience changed the direction of my life.

When I eventually moved back to Michigan, I knew I wanted to be the person I wish I'd had during that season. Today, I'm a wife, mom of two, coach, marathoner and HYROX athlete and life is a whole lot fuller than it was back then. Fitness still matters deeply to me, but I've learned that being fit doesn't require your entire life to revolve around training. There are kids, careers, practices, family dinners, social events and seasons when life gets downright busy. Your fitness should be able to exist alongside all of it.

That's why I coach. I never want another woman to feel like she has to figure it all out alone. I want to provide the direction, structure and support I didn't have when I needed it most — helping busy moms get strong & fit without burnout, and giving them the confidence to feel like themselves again.