My love affair with fitness began at the young age of 14. After being bullied for most of my childhood, I found exercise to be an effective outlet in working through my emotions. Since those early days, I have dedicated my life to exploring all aspects of healthy living. By 18, I was a certified personal trainer and for over a decade worked in two corporate gyms, training hundreds of clients. I learned and experimented with various methods of fitness, such as power lifting, running and Pilates.
However, my true passion was discovered the first time I walked into a boxing gym. I was searching for a way to let out my aggression after a bad break-up and immediately became addicted to punching! After several years of intense training and preparing, I started competing in fights with an amateur record of 8-4. The most memorable accomplishment of my boxing career was fighting in Madison Square Garden, winning the 2008 New York Golden Gloves Championship.
Boxing helped me tackle my insecurities, fears, and body image issues and gave me the opportunity to succeed in a male-dominated arena. This experience helped me become a fierce, strong and confident woman, an education for life that no classroom could ever provide.
Being heavily influenced by a trip to India, I discovered a deep and passionate love for yoga, its philosophy and ancient science. I traveled to Thailand to complete my teacher training in 2010 and have since been teaching students the mind-body-breath connection. This transition has allowed me to apply the same principles of focus, discipline and commitment from the boxing ring to the yoga mat.
Currently, my attention has expanded to pregnancy, having just completed a prenatal yoga teacher training to combine with my prenatal fitness certification. I am also exploring childbirth education and becoming a doula to assist women with their birthing experience. When I'm not in a fierce Warrior 2 pose, you can find me riding my bike through the streets of New York City, running laps around Central Park, or diving into the local farmers markets in search for the healthiest (and tastiest) foods that serve my veggie-preferred palate.
I am an agent of change with the life purpose to inspire everyone to look, feel and live their best!