WHY I TEACH

For as long as I can remember I have been driven by sports and competition.

I have never raced for second place.  I have always been intense and aggressive in anything athletic.

In elementary school, during lunchtime when all the girls were playing girl stuff like swinging and making mud cakes, my best friend and I were playing soccer with the boys.  We were known as “Las Piranhas”, and we were always picked first.  I believed it was ‘cause we were so fucking good… but in reality, it was more likely that nobody wanted to play against us on the opposing team as we played quite dirty.

In high school I started to realize that my competitive edge, my intensive personality, and my nonconformist style played better in individual sports.  Therefore, I focused more on horseback riding rather than team sports.  I was competing nationally in both show jumping and dressage.   During those years of horse shows and competitions I learned failure, humbleness, grace, patience, gratitude and, above all, my own courage.

Once I got into college I started taking group fitness classes at the University Recreation Center in order to stay in shape, as I was no longer riding horses.  I took the ACE group fitness certification exam so that I could start teaching classes on campus.  I remember that the first class that I taught was aerobics - it was 1995 and yes, I was wearing a leotard - it was love at first sight!  I quickly discovered that I could aggressively motivate my class to move faster, jump a little higher, or lunge a little lower.  All along the way I was getting paid for it, and my class loved my energy and intensity!

After college I moved to Baltimore for work.  One of my priorities was to find a gym where I could keep teaching, as teaching had become an integral part of who I was.   

In 2000 I was hired to teach at Brick Bodies.  I was teaching aerobics, step, and kickboxing.  Shortly thereafter the gym purchased their first 20 spin bikes and I instantly jumped like dynamite to get certified as an instructor.  Back then gyms didn’t have a designated room for spin, so we had to roll the bikes in and out of the main group fitness room.  Eventually spinning got so popular that a room was created just to hold more spin classes.  From the first second jumping on a spin bike, I knew my life had changed forever.

Teaching spin has allowed me to unleash my truest badass self in the most positive and intense way that allows my riders to also find their inner athlete.  I started expanding my teaching at other studios such as Merritt and the MAC.  Eventually my passion for spinning grew so big that I had to venture out on my own - to create the first dedicated indoor cycle studio in Baltimore!

Each time I clip into the pedals to teach, I am there to serve my community to help them push past their own comfort zones no matter what fitness level they are in.  I coach with purpose and focus to make sure my tribe finds the courage to hit the wall harder than it hits them.

Through spinning I have found my edge within my community.  I now lead instructor training to teach others my passion for indoor cycling, as I am an absolute believer that together we go farther!!