Hi, friends! I’m Emily, and I never expected to find myself in fitness. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve always enjoyed movement, but all the standard labels of “gym rat,” “athlete,” or “body builder” never fit. “Nerd” was more like it. Sometimes “misfit.” In high school, I was a debate team kid too busy with classes for formal athletics, and as an adult I worked as a college composition instructor, a waitress, an industrial kitchenware salesperson, a law clerk. Through it all though, movement was something that kept me sane. Working with my body kept me on the ground rather than stuck in my head. I knew something was really wrong when I didn’t want to go to the gym. So, I decided to earn my certification as a personal trainer through the National Academy of Sports Medicine. The student in me loved learning about muscle groups, strategies of combining resistance and stability training, and assessing cardiorespiratory endurance. But, when it came time to find a job in the fitness industry, all my knowledge and certificates weren’t enough to make me feel like I belonged. A couple of interviewers admitted to being puzzled by my resume
I was shocked when I landed a job working at a local training facility alongside two amazing coaches, both of whom were former college athletes. They welcomed me in with so much kindness and lent me their expertise and perspective from years in the professional fitness world. I grew and started to gain confidence as a coach, at least when it came to working with clients on the turf. The next hurdle was to figure out how to incorporate this new… thing into the rest of my life. I hadn’t spoken much with coworkers at my day job about fitness or shared that I was certified, so when I mentioned that I was working as a trainer, reactions were mixed. “You? A trainer?” Some asked me to flex at inappropriate times. Fitness, health, ability, and body image are fraught subjects, and sometimes their insecurities and mine would surface uncomfortably.
Not fitting into a box can be….. awkward. I’m a nerd, a fitness professional, a writer, a baker, a queer woman in the American South. I have never been a cool kid. Sometimes, I am certified awkward. And I love this life nonetheless.
This blog is a place to reflect on fitness industry and share stories from the life of an unexpected trainer. I’m glad you’re here! Feel free to share something about your background and how you came to fitness in the comment section below or send me an email through my contact page.
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