Welcome to FIT4MOM, Central Leeward Oahu

Monday, June 22, 2009

Meet the Trainers


Trish H.
All Locations


Hi! My name is Trish and I am married to my awesome husband Jake. We have been married for five years and have two wonderful kiddos.

Our daughter, Riley is four and our son Gavin is three.

I am originally from the East Coast, but have moved frequently throughout my life. I have lived everywhere from Texas to Europe. I have been in Hawaii for just over nine years, and now consider this home, as it is the longest I have ever lived anywhere (plus, my husband has lived here his whole life and both of our children were born here, and we have NO plans of leaving anytime soon).

I was quite athletic in my high school days, playing every sport imaginable. I also lifted weights, hiked, swam and never really turned down the opportunity to be active.

After getting married, and putting on too much weight with two (pretty much) back-to-back pregnancies, my body was in horrible shape. I started running on my own, but the chaos of motherhood often got the best of me, and I couldn’t consistently make time for myself to exercise.

I tried getting back to the gym, I tried yoga, I tried it all. But the one thing that was hard was finding the time. I hated the thought of putting the kids in childcare so I could work out; but I was often too tired to go at the end of the day when my husband came home from work.

Then, I discovered Stroller Strides (in November 2010). The single best thing that has happened IN.MY.LIFE (besides, of course, my husband and my kids). Stroller Strides has helped me get rid of all those extra pounds I was carrying around. It solved my childcare issues. It has given me back a confidence that I thought was gone forever. I am in better shape NOW than I was when I got married. And as an added bonus, I have met some phenomenal mothers, and some very inspirational women, who I am honored to call friends.


Stroller Strides has been the beginning of what is now a whole new lifestyle. Fitness and nutrition are priorities to me now. It has pushed me to exceed goals I had previously set for myself. I am constantly renewing that desire to push harder, go deeper, and become stronger than I was yesterday.

This is ALL because of Stroller Strides. I have been so inspired by the results I have seen in myself and in others. I knew that I had to take what I have learned and what I have worked so hard for and put that effort right back into helping others achieve their fitness goals.

Once I became an instructor, I found out Joni was selling the franchise, and I knew this was something I had to do. In January 2012, I became the new owner of Stroller Strides Leeward Oahu. They say if you love what you do, you've never worked a day in your life.... and I can honestly say, I feel like I've got the BEST job ever!





Liza 
Hickam

 

Hello, my name is Liza and me and my family have been living in Hawaii for over a year now. My handsome husband Matthew works for the United States Air Force and we have a beautiful toddler, Zoey, who will be two this August. I absolutely love everything about fitness, I am a runner, yogi and huge health nut. I have always been active but fell in love with running after my husband introduced me to competitive racing. Something about the adrenaline rush when you cross that finish line got me hooked. As of today I have finished 6 half marathons, 3 full marathons and countless 5ks, 10ks and 20ks and hope to keep adding to my list. I came across Stroller Strides shortly after moving to Hawaii and it was my saving grace. I found myself thousands of miles away from family and needed an outlet for the roller coaster of emotions that comes with such a huge move. Armed with my jogging stroller and resistance bands I showed up to my first class and was hooked. Not only was I getting an awesome workout but I have met some of the most inspiring, strong and amazing moms who I am sure will be lifelong friends. I hope to transmit that positive energy in my classes so that the moms I will be teaching find that inner strength to accomplish their fitness goals. 

Erika
Schofield, CORP 


Hi my name is Erika and I have been living in Hawaii for little over one year with my husband, Jon, and our 2-year-old boy, Sebastian. 

I am from Rhode Island, but since becoming a military spouse, I have lived in North Carolina, Washington DC, and now Hawaii, which I love! Before having my son, I was a middle school and high school assistant principal, but my current position, as a stay at home mom, is my favorite job by far.

Growing up and all of my adult life before becoming a mother, I was always into sports. I played sports in high school and started running and taking group exercise classes in college. Once I started working full time, I kept up with my exercise regimen as best I could. Running, group classes, and, hot yoga were pretty much my go to workouts.  This all changed when I became a mother. I did not exercise during my pregnancy and gained 40 lbs. After having my son, I returned to work after 6 weeks. I knew I needed to get out and exercise, but I didn’t want to leave him after being at work all day.  A year later, I left my job and we moved to Hawaii. Living in such a beautiful climate with so many opportunities for outdoor exercise, I knew I had no more excuses and I finally got off my butt and started running with the jog stroller. Running alone was ok, but definitely not very exciting. I needed to meet people and get more of a challenge, so I started looking for group exercise classes. I tried a few but my biggest dilemma was that I wanted a class where I could bring Sebastian. That’s when at a playground I met a happy and fabulous looking mom and asked her how she did it. She told me about Stroller Strides.

The first time I went to a class at Schofield, I just watched the group.  I wanted to check it out and see whether I would fit in with the group and if it was a challenging workout. Once I saw the group and saw how hard they worked and how much they laughed and supported each other, I was sold! It has been one year since I joined and Stroller Strides has been the best thing I have done for myself since becoming a mom. I surpassed my expectations and fitness goals and feel stronger than ever. The best part is that I have met the funniest and coolest moms, who continually push me to be better and stronger everyday.

CJ
All locations

Hi my name is Catherine, but everyone calls me C.J :-) I grew up in Jacksonville, Florida where I met my amazing husband Shane. He is in the Navy and at our first duty station in Virginia Beach we had our first child; a crazy and handsome little boy named J.D.
For years in Florida I coached swim team and taught aqua aerobics and swim lessons. Eventually I took a break from that and worked in the day spa business for awhile, but after I had my kid I needed to get back into the fitness world. I joined Stroller Strides in August of 2012 and was immediately addicted! I've lost 30 pounds and many, many inches just from my amazing SS workouts. Then in April of 2013 I became an instructor and I couldn't possibly love it any more than I do. I like to mix High Intensity Interval Training and slow, controlled pilates during my workouts to keep the body guessing.
When I'm not teaching, I love to watch cartoons with my now 2 year old, train for running and swimming races, explore the island with my friends and family (snorkeling especially) and cook anything and everything on my grill.


Trish F. 
KAP, CORP, SCH


Aloha! My name is Trish and I was born and raised right here in beautiful Honolulu, Hawaii! I am married to the love of my life, best friend, and college sweetheart, Brooks, and we have four amazing children—Dominic, Amelie, Ezra and Micah!
We had Dominic the summer after my sophomore year of college and thanks to being active in ROTC, I had no trouble bouncing back into pre-pregnancy shape soon after giving birth. Following graduation, I commissioned into the Air Force and we moved to Scott AFB, IL where we added our only daughter Amelie and our son Ezra to our family. You would think that being in the military meant I led a very active lifestyle, but quite the opposite was true. I found myself stuck behind a desk all day and it became increasingly difficult to stay active and shed the weight after each baby.
After spending four years in Illinois, I was lucky enough to get an assignment back home to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, where we welcomed our fourth (and final!?! J) child, our son Micah. Although I loved being in the Air Force, my heart longed to be at home with my kids, and in October 2011 my prayer was answered! I joined Stroller Strides of Ewa Beach that same month, just 10 days after I left active duty and 8 weeks after Micah was born. I knew I needed to find something to connect with other moms, get me out of the house and start exercising again…and fast! Stroller Strides was exactly what I was looking for!
I was out of shape and had a long way to go to lose all the baby weight I had accumulated over the years, but with the support and encouragement of my SS sisters, I ran my very first race in February 2012, and my first half-marathon in April 2012! Never in a million years would I have thought I could be capable of such a feat! My marvelous Stroller Strides workouts, combined with switching to a whole-foods, plant-based (vegan) diet, led to over 30 pounds gone for good and even more ambitious fitness goals in the future!
I wholeheartedly believe in what Stroller Strides stands for, so when the opportunity to become an instructor at Leeward came up, I jumped at the chance! I am so excited to share my passion and love for fitness in my classes, and help other mommies reach and then exceed their fitness goals! Personally, I’ve seen my overall health improve, my kids see first hand the importance of exercise and a healthy diet (and how fun it can be!), and I have made so many incredible friends along the way. I can’t say it enough…I am so blessed and so very thankful to have found Stroller Strides!

Jessica
All Locations

Aloha, I'm Jessica - proud Air Force wife and mother of two. Originally from Pennsylvania, I traveled to sunny Florida for an internship and met my incredible husband, Jeremy. We were married, blessed with our first precious son, Carter Jacob (3 y.o.), and on our way to Hawaii all in one year! Once we settled down in paradise we grew our family by one more adorable son, Lucas Kai (1 1/2 y.o). Although I have my degree in Tourism & Hospitality, with the unpredictability of military life and our family not yet complete, I've decided to enjoy motherhood while my children are young and plan to focus on a career in the future.
A little about me: I enjoy baking, interior design, playing tennis with my hubby, and entertaining our friends & family (I love any excuse to throw a party!) When in doubt, you can find me at the beach with my two little boys or out shopping!
Physical activity and sports, such as soccer and competitive horseback riding, were always a part of my youth, but my transition into amotherhood meant more time at home and less time working out! I discovered Stroller Strides in August of 2012 and since then, my sanity and waistline have been saved!! Through dedication, sweat, and motivation from the other fabulous moms & instructors I have experienced some amazing results. I accredit this to the empowering and supportive atmosphere SS provides. I have learned you can, indeed, "get your body back" after children AND feel great! I also love the positive example we are providing for our children; I believe seeing a parent physically lead a healthy lifestyle of exercise is PRICELESS (and what is cuter than seeing your toddler try to do a burpee?!)
That being said, I am excited for a new journey in the fitness profession as a Stroller Strides instructor! I look forward to making even more great friends while motivating & inspiring mothers to make their own health and well-being a priority!