Kathy is a certified
Personal Trainer through International Sports Sciences Association
since February of 2006. Her experience started at A Better
Way of Life in Coldwater, MI then to Gold's Gym in Battle
Creek, and now a successful full-time Personal Trainer, Dance
Instructor, and Fitness Staff Supervisor at Bronson Athletic
Club in Kalamazoo, MI. She has been a student of American
Intercontinental University since July of 2005. During Kathy's
career grow and experience she has accomplished achieving
her Bachelor's degree in Business Administration.
Kathy is also an amateur
Fitness and Figure competitor. Being involved in the dance
ministry has led her to the Fitness division of these competitions.
It allows Kathy to minister and witness to others through
dance and movement that is glorifying to God rather than the
typical sex appeal show-like routine. The hit Christian radio
station, Way FM, has supplied Kathy with outstanding custom
music for the mandatory routines. She is already scouted sponsors
and has established professional relationships with other
Professional Competitors. Her first season was has landed
her national qualification in 2008. Her competitions during
the summer/fall of 2007 were the following:
Kathy placed 2nd in NPC Jr. MI Fitness
June 2, 2007 and has trained with Tracy Traskos, a local
pro-fitness athlete, for the August 4th, Motor City Event.
On Saturday, August 4th in the Motor City
competition she achieved 3rd Place Figure Middle Class.
This event was an indescribable experience. Kathy acquired
new coach, Remi Bruyninga, at this event.
Her next competition was September 22 at
the NPC Western Michigan Figure and Fitness (National Qualifier)
Competition held in Grandville, Michigan. Her awards were
1st in Fitness and 3rd in Figure.
In that same week she was off to
Las Vegas Nevada to experience the 2007 Olympia Weekend,
the ultimate professional world competition, September 26,
2007. She also competed in the Miss FLEX 2007 contest for
the cover of FLEX magazine. Kathy plans to attend as an
actual competitor in Ms. Fitness and Ms. Figure Olympia
at this annual event within two years.
My Life Experiences and Testimony
I have been dancing
since the age of three and I am now twenty-six years of
age. My experience includes dance instruction at Indiana
University for two years and the opportunity to perform
and work with professional dancers such as; Amanda McKerrow
New York City Ballet, classes with Jurgen Schneider who
was previously Mikhail Baryshnikov's coach (a famous Russian
dancer with the American Ballet Theatre (ABT) and New
York City Ballet), classes with Audri Mendel of the NYC
Ballet, classes with John Pierre Bonneafux and Patricia
McBride (retired from ABT), and classes with Fred Walton
at Bloomington School of Dance who choreographed for Paula
Abdul and "Rhoda" on Mary Tyler Moore. I have
also taught and coached at several locations.
I am also a mother
of one, a beautiful little girl, Jocelyn (7)
You can do it too!!!
Overcome any obstacle with God in your life! I did!!!
No, I have not always
been in shape. I have a 7-year-old little girl and we
all know how pregnancy affects the body. I maintained
a healthy figure until my senior year in high school when
l starting lacking in dance classes. I gained a bit for
a year and then started back in classes just when my husband
and I began a family. After a 50 lb pregnancy weight gain,
topping the scales at 178, and some ups and downs post-pregnancy
I joined a national known fitness facility which features
the circuit training (it was minimal cardio and hydraulic
resistance for weights) . I slowly lost 15 lbs over 9
months and came to a stand still. I quit the fitness center
and got back into a Jazz class and performing again and
the weight came off. What I didn't realize then was that
every 6-8 weeks the body needs to be shocked. Your body
will adjust to the workout and calorie in-take and come
to a stand still if it is not changed. The weight kept
dropping as I continued to dance and purchased an elliptical
machine for the house. I incorporated ½ hour sessions
on the elliptical 3 times a week that began to increase
to 4 5 6 7 until I had an obsession
with exercise. My world began to spin out of control when
the scale controlled my life. Eating disorders took over
and I eventually had no energy for exercise, to raise
my own daughter, to work, to keep up on homework
I was 5'6" and hit 100 lbs. I was a walking skeleton.
I had to sew all my size 0 clothing, even my underclothing,
to fit or it would fall off. I simply looked like death.
That was over two years ago. I am now a very muscular
128 lbs at 5 foot 6 inches. What changed my life? Prayer.
I now have a daily walk with God. He is truly a Savior.
I tried everything to recover from my disorders. I tried
acupuncture, partying, money, vacations, moving, men, and
nothing in this world can satisfy your soul like God can.
He can help you with anything, even that empty space you
can't seam to fill.