Hey there. I want you to be active and live the best quality of life possible for as long as you can. That’s my hope for anyone who comes across my content, whether you’re trying to lose weight, gain muscle, improve your health, or just move more.
I also want to be real about something. I don’t like a lot of what’s being thrown at us by the fitness industry. I don’t like the way social media has turned fitness into a game of absolutes. You should be doing this. Don’t do that. Follow this meal plan. Don’t ever eat that food. It’s all too rigid.
What’s missing is the space to honor individual context. The truth is, your weight loss journey, your fitness plan, your active lifestyle — it should all be about what works for you. That’s why I show up and create content the way that I do. I’m not here to convince you to follow someone else’s rules. I’m here to get you to think. To ask yourself, “Does this work for me?” or “How can I build something that fits my preferences and lifestyle?”
When I respond to comments or post longer videos, my goal is to spark conversation. I hope you see something familiar in what I share, or that it makes you want to share your own perspective. That’s the kind of community I want to build. Not just another fitness echo chamber, but a space where people feel heard and empowered to try things their way.
My relationship with fitness started back in high school. I was aware of my body and my weight early on. I also have cerebral palsy, which adds a layer of complexity to how I move through the world and how I’ve experienced the fitness industry. While my CP allows me to communicate clearly and use my right hand freely, it also creates visible physical differences that have shaped my perspective on body image and fitness.
I’ve been in the fitness industry for over twenty years. My first job was in a local gym during college back in 2004. I’ve also worked in marketing and advertising for over fifteen years, often at the same time as working in fitness. That crossover gave me a front-row seat to how fitness is marketed, and how that affects how we feel about ourselves.
The early focus in fitness is often on appearance. That made sense to me when I was younger. I wanted to look a certain way. But over time, especially as I got into my thirties and now forties, the focus shifted. It became more about how I feel, how I move, how I function day to day, and how consistent I can be over the long haul.
Five or six years ago, I was running a habit-based coaching business. We focused on actions that lead to outcomes, not just the outcomes themselves. It wasn’t about losing a certain number of pounds in a few weeks. It was about building habits you can live with for years.
Life shifted for me again over the last few years. I dealt with some heavy emotional stuff and struggled with depression. That made me step back and really look at how I wanted to approach fitness for myself.
After a trip with Heather to Ocean City last year, I decided to recommit to getting into the best shape I could. Not because I hated my body, but because I enjoy being active and wanted to keep moving forward.
I started simple. I cooked more meals at home. I paid attention to the foods I enjoyed and how to fit my favorite things in. Heather and I love grabbing pizza on trips, so that had to stay. I focused on what I could do consistently, not what looked the most impressive online.
Now, in my forties, I want to help others do the same. That’s what Your Level Fitness has always been about — meeting you where you are and building from there. It’s about creating a plan that works for you from the inside out. Because how you feel about yourself impacts every decision you make.
This stuff goes beyond fitness. That’s one of the reasons I love this space. The habits we build around food and movement reflect how we show up in other areas of life.
There’s always going to be pressure to chase results, but I want to help shift the focus. I want us to think long-term. To ask better questions. To build lives that support our well-being and self-worth, not just our body comp.
And when you comment, share your perspective, or try something new because of what you saw or heard, you’re contributing to that shift. So thank you for being here and being part of it.
If you're ready to build something sustainable and get support without pressure, I'd love for you to join The YLF Experience. We're doing things differently over there. And I think you'll feel the difference.