Personal Biography: Meet your Trainer

Hi Everyone!!!!!!
Thank you for stopping by my website.  I wanted to share a bit about me in order for you to know me better on your journey to selecting a personal fitness trainer. I look forward to hearing from you in order to help improve the quality of your life, adapt a fit lifestyle, or simply refresh a program that no longer works for you mentally or physically. 
 

Who am I ???
Before I get into credentials, I wanted to share the personal side of me.  I am very passionate about my job as a personal fitness trainer, consultant, and coach. I design programs to meet the specific needs of the client, assist in keeping the client focused, and motivated to meet their fitness goals. The bond I form with all my clients is meaningful and long lasting. I walk the talk wearing the outward appearance of fitness. This is not to intimidate, but to motivate, as I am a 46 year old woman on a mission to reach out and help as many people as I can showing that achieving this lifestyle is possible at any age. I applaud a client’s first step into my fitness studio and their decision to make such an important life change, and celebrate each day a client shares a success story, even a new healthy find at the grocery store.  Each day we all are works in progress…isn’t that great!!!  I do not teach perfection, but being the best you can be, taking genetics, medical issues, or other life stresses into consideration. My heart is touched on a daily basis by my clients, and emails I receive on how I have inspired someone to start getting fit.  Life does not get better than that for me.

A little of the personal stuff….
Now, getting really personal….I was born and raised in sunny Northern California.  My parents gave me structure as a child, something so lacking today, and I want to say thanks Mom and Dad….I love you.  I am also happy to announce my recent marriage to my once-in-a-lifetime true love, Don Leal, this September.

I have 2 wonderful children who are adults now.  My fabulous son is attending college, working, and is quite the photographer. My beautiful daughter  also attends college and plans to major in psychology.  I love them both dearly and could not be more proud of who they are as my children and as the young adults they have become.   I have 2 brothers and 1 sister and I am very fortunate to have my family live nearby.  Life has given me many challenges to include divorce, single parenthood, early empty nest, surgeries, and job changes, returning to college in my 30s, and graduating from Massage Therapy School in my 40s.  My fitness has enabled me to maintain a healthy, balanced life and enabled me to reduce my stress and recover from surgeries fairly quickly.  When I share that I have life experience….that is definitely a true statement.  Life experiences have been part of my education to my road to happiness.  I realize that life is not about what happens to me necessarily, but how I respond to it.  Life is just too short to not make the most of each day;)


Bodywork and Fitness Credentials.........
Getting into my fitness background…I have always been an athlete.  In fact, I wanted to follow in the footsteps of my coaches and eventually become a Physical Education teacher. I played every sport I could in Junior High and High School.  I excelled in track and cross country.   I actually did not start sculpting my body with weights until after the birth of my daughter.  My body responded quickly to the weight resistance program and I continued running.  I started taking step classes at the gym and weight training.  I was approached to teach one day….NO WAY!!!  Public speaking was not my strength back then.  Constant requests led me to try and the fitness bug never stopped.
I became an International Fitness Trainer and Consultant, Galaxy Competitor, Tri-Fitness Coach, Figure Coach…and the list continues.  My goals were accomplished one by one over the course of several years.  I developed my passion for fitness into a business and started Fitness-4-You and Stay Healthy Fitness which has been good to me for several years.  My bodywork also includes being a certified Clinical Massage Therapist, and  Published Fitness and Nutrition Expert which are perfect compliments to fitness training. 

My personal interests and hobbies besides fitness include cooking and baking, camping, hiking, elliptical training, long trail walks, getting together with family and friends, or most of the time just snuggling down with good conversation with my husband.

My training has spanned over 20 years in the fitness industry with AS degrees in Biological/Life Sciences, Human Anatomy focus, specialized Nutrition courses, International Fitness Certifications through the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA), AFAA Member in Good Standing, American Body Work and Massage Professional Member in good standing, Advanced Massage Therapy Courses, Women’s Tri Fitness Coach, Published Fitness Expert & Nutrition Writer, Intensive Medic First Aid Training, CPR Certified, Licensed and Insured, and Life Experience working with wonderful women, men, and youth for many years.

I look forward to meeting you and helping you achieve your fitness goals today!!!

Stay Healthy!!!
Darla;)  

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