About Jenn

Like many of you, I’ve had a long and winding relationship with exercise.

As a kid, I was a classic tomboy — always outside, competing with the neighborhood boys, and happiest when I was playing sports. Movement gave me a way to be myself before I even knew who that was. As a queer kid in the 80s and 90s, sports gave me confidence, community, and a sense of belonging.

In high school, I found distance running and never looked back. I loved my cross country and track teams. In both high school and college, my teammates were my people. Running became my outlet, my identity, and my therapy. I pushed myself hard — sometimes maybe too hard. My form was, in a word, terrible. My knees caved in, my legs kicked out, and my teammates lovingly said I looked like a dying horse when I ran. But I was fast, so I figured it didn’t matter.

It did matter, but I didn’t realize it until my body stopped letting me get away with it.

In my twenties, I was teaching at a therapeutic high school and coaching running and strength training. My own running continued to keep me sane, grounded and connected to my community. But as I entered my 30s, things started to change. If I ran too many days in a row, my hip or knee would hurt. I found myself running less and less to avoid injury.

Around that time, my life changed in some big ways. I shifted careers, had a child, and stopped exercising almost entirely. I went from being on my feet all day as a teacher to sitting at a computer full-time as a web developer. My energy dropped. My body felt foreign. None of my old workout strategies worked anymore. If I tried to get out of my rut by running or hitting the gym like I used to, I’d get hurt. Then I’d stop. Then I’d feel worse.

Approaching 40, I hit a wall. I needed something different.

I started going to group fitness classes, and for a little while it worked great. I enjoyed the community, and for the first time in years I felt strong again. But my old movement patterns — and the changes that came with aging and childbirth — kept getting in the way. Squats and lunges made my knees and back hurt. The coaches were great, and physical therapy helped, but I knew I needed something more personalized.

That’s when it clicked: I didn’t want to just blindly follow a program. I wanted to understand what was holding me back. I wanted to understand why some people remain strong and active as they age, while others become increasingly limited by pain and injury.

So I signed up for the NASM Certified Personal Trainer course, originally just for me. But one thing led to another. I kept asking questions, kept learning, and kept seeking out better answers. Before long, I realized: this is what I want to do. I want to help others who feel like I did — smart, motivated, and stuck. People whose bodies are changing, whose old routines don’t work anymore, and who want to feel strong, capable, and confident again.

Today, I help people who feel limited by pain, old injuries, changing bodies, or the belief that their best years are behind them. Through assessment, strength training, breathwork, and recovery, I help them build the strength and capacity needed to stay active and age powerfully.

I plan to stay active for the next several decades. If that’s your goal too, I hope you’ll consider reaching out. I offer in-person sessions at my fitness studio in Essex Junction, VT, or online via video call for folks who live further away or prefer to train from home.

My Background & Credentials

• Masters Degree, Colorado State University Global Campus
  MS in Teaching & Learning, Specialization in Online Program Development
  
• Certified Personal Trainer , National Academy of Sports Medicine
  NASM-CPT
  
• Former licensed Vermont educator
  10+ years as a teacher and school leader
  
• Former High School Coach
  Distance running & strength training

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