Kristy is originally from New York. She has two children who are the light of her life. Kristy was born with one arm. Her parents raised her with the mindset of “you can do whatever you set your mind to.”  They did not give her a pass on things because of her limb difference. She rode a bike, learned to swim, and was actually better at tying her shoes than her older brother. In high school, Kristy played soccer and was on the cheerleading squad. Things took a turn as she got older and went away to college. She did not always have a healthy relationship with food and exercise, quite the opposite really. She became very self-conscious of her little arm and became obsessed with getting skinny. This obsession led her down some very dark roads, battling anorexia/bulimia, depression, and substance abuse. 

 

In spite of her struggles, Kristy had a successful career in Property Management for many years while living in New York. However, in 2010, she had surgery on her only hand, which left her with permanent nerve damage. She moved to Raleigh 8 years ago. Shortly after she got into recovery and has been able to turn her life around. She has been able to heal in many ways. One of the greatest turns in her journey has been her attitude toward exercise after she hired a personal trainer several years ago. She wanted to learn how to lift

weights. Her trainer had a very no nonsense approach. She worked with him for nearly two years. Over that time, she learned to stop basing her goals on the number on the scale, and to start looking for things like how much stronger she was and how she could now do things that she had never been able to do before. She went from being afraid of the gym to walking in with confidence because she knew exactly what she was doing. The added bonus was the transformation that her body was taking, She felt and looked better at 39 years old than she ever had in the past. She began to look forward to going to the gym, as she noticed the benefits on her mental health. Her mood was better, she had more patience for her kids, and she was simply a happier person.

 

About two years ago, Kristy was offered the opportunity to begin teaching people how fitness can impact your mental health and recovery. She began volunteering for a program called The Phoenix, whose mission is to provide free fitness opportunities to people in recovery. She was instrumental in opening a satellite program in Raleigh. She says that it has been a gift to be able to help others find their strength and confidence. She has earned her Level 1 CrossFit certification, which is the training required to help others improve health and fitness through effective training and nutritional strategies. Additionally, she successfully completed the Active Life personal training course.

 

Kristy enjoys working with people of all abilities and fitness levels. She has been working closely with the adaptive CrossFit community for years. This has given her many tools for working with clients despite any health concerns or limitations they may have. Her aim is to work with you to reach your true potential, and support you in reaping the mental and physical health benefits from getting a great workout.