Meet our Fitness Instructors

Stephanie

Personal Trainer

Classes She Teaches: Strength & Core, HIIT & Core

Education/Experience: BS in Sport Psychology/Exercise Science from WWU; ACE Certified Personal Trainer; 12 years of teaching experience

How Long She’s Been at the Y: Started in February 2008

Favorite Part About Teaching: I really enjoy building relationships with members and showing them that exercise can be fun!

Favorite Exercise: Burpees, Devil Presses, and Dumbbell Snatches

Natalie

Classes She Teaches: Total Body Workout, Spin

Education/Experience: ACE Certified Personal Trainer; 7 years of teaching experience

How Long She’s Been at the Y: Started in October 2021

Favorite Part About Teaching: My favorite part about teaching classes is the connection you make with members. I enjoy creating workouts that are both beneficial and fun and give members a sense of accomplishment.

Favorite Exercise: Running! I am currently in a run streak (running 1+ mile every day) and enjoy running half/full marathons.

Charlotte

Classes She Teaches: Chair Yoga, Pilates

Education/Experience: Certified in Group Fitness, Pilates, Advanced Pilates, and Senior Fitness.

How Long She’s Been at the Y: Started in April 2014

Favorite Part About Teaching: Interacting with members

Favorite Exercise: A good deep down dog is my go-to! Or any nice, deep stretch!

John

Classes He Teaches: Morning Yoga

Education/Experience:
Certified Yoga Trainer; Certified NETA Personal Trainer; Certified YMCA Swim Instructor

How Long He’s Been at the Y: January 2018

Favorite Part About Teaching: The joy of being at the Y is amplified by leading classes. Showing up for others is tremendously rewarding; it reinforces and encourages my own needed activity schedule.

Favorite Exercise: In addition to long walks on Little Mountain, it’s rewarding to spend hours clearing blackberries and English Ivy from our property in Mount Vernon.

Amy

Classes She Teaches: Strength and Core, Yoga, Yoga/Pilates Fusion, Yoga for Back Strength

Education/Experience: ACE Group Fitness Instructor since 2015; Yoga Fit Level One certified since 2015; 7 years of teaching experience

How Long She’s Been at the Y: Started in September 2014

Favorite Part About Teaching: I love helping our members reach their health & fitness goals: whether they leave my Strength class feeling tired from working out or fully relaxed after doing Yoga.

Favorite Exercise: I really love doing inner and outer thigh exercises!

Robin

Classes She Teaches: Step

Education/Experience: 40 years of teaching experience; former fitness instructor trainer

How Long She’s Been at the Y: Has worked at the Y off and on since 1982

Favorite Part About Teaching: My favorite part about teaching classes is my participants! They are so fun and happy to work out

Favorite Exercise: I pick all my own music and do all my own choreography!

Marie

Classes She Teaches: Spartan Training

Education/Experience: ACE Foundations of Group Exercise Certified; NETA Youth Fitness. Speciality Certified

How Long She’s Been at the Y: Started in January 2019

Favorite Part About Teaching: I am looking forward to sharing my experiences I’ve accumulated in previous race events. I’m excited to share how best to workout, train, and set personal goals to better yourself.

Favorite Exercise: Leg Day

Kim

Personal Trainer

Education/Experience: NFPT Certified Personal Trainer; 7 years teaching experience; half-marathon and bodybuilding competition experience

How Long She’s Been at the Y: Started in January 2015

Favorite Part About Personal Training: I enjoy helping people increase their fitness levels and helping them see that they are capable of more than they give themselves credit for.

Favorite Exercise: Pull-ups, push-ups, and deadlifts.

Tosha

Classes She Teaches: AOA Chair Yoga, Introduction to Yoga Nidra

Education/Experience: Certified Hatha Yoga Instructor; Practicing yoga since 2014.

How Long She’s Been at the Y: Started in August 2022

Favorite Part About Teaching: I love doing something that helps both me and my clients live a healthier and happier life. I love realizing, seeing and feeling the mind, body, spirit connection.

Favorite Exercise: I love exercise in disguise! A hike with a rewarding view, a yoga class with powerful music, an awesome meditation or visualization exercise, a bike ride to a fun destination, a walk in the woods with a good friend, and dancing!

Patty

Classes She Teaches: H20 Fitness

Education/Experience: Certified Water Fitness Instructor since 2017

How Long She’s Been at the Y: Started in June 2017

Favorite Part About Teaching: I enjoy seeing members come to class ready to become more flexible and stronger. I also like how the stress of everyday life is relieved.

Favorite Exercise: All exercises are fun, but ball exercises are a favorite.

Avery

Classes She Teaches: Social Dancing (Waltz, Tango, Foxtrot, Swing, Cha Cha, Rumba, etc.)

Education/Experience: Dancing since 2005, DIVIDA certified in Smooth and Latin dances; teaching ballroom dance for 5 years

How Long She’s Been at the Y: Started in October 2022

Favorite Part About Teaching: Laughing! The confidence that students grow into when they start feeling what their bodies can do. I’m all about the fun in dance.

Favorite Exercise: Body rolls or dog walking. Sometimes body rolls while walking dogs.

Kerri

Classes She Teaches: Zumba, Pilates

Education/Experience: Zumba® Certified (Basic, Toning, Gold, Step, Sentao, Kid/Kids Jr.); STRONG Nation®, NETA Certified Personal Trainer, NETA Advanced Pilates certification

How Long She’s Been at the Y: Has worked at the Y off and on since 2014

Favorite Part About Teaching: Being able to reach that one person (or more!) who really needed a workout. Also, hearing stories about how a single class has changed someone’s life for the better and given them a new, positive outlook!

Favorite Exercise: Dancing of any kind and spending time working my muscles while gardening.

Kali

Classes She Teaches: Strength and Mobility

Education/Experience: ISSA Certified Personal Trainer, Strength & Conditioning Coach, & Group Fitness Instructor; Competitive Powerlifter & WA State record holder, US Navy Veteran

How Long She’s Been at the Y: Started in September 2022

Favorite Part About Teaching: Being able to pass along valuable skills, encouragement and connection through fitness to help others find their power!

Favorite Exercise: Deadlifts and keeping up with my twin boys.

Elissa

Classes She Teaches: Hip Hop 101

Education/Experience: Bachelor of Fine Arts from Cornish College of the Arts, Certified Holistic Health Coach from Institute for Integrative Nutrition, 15 years of teaching experience

How Long She’s Been at the Y: Started in October 2022

Favorite Part About Teaching: Seeing the transformation of members from the beginning to the end of class. There’s always a shift that happens when we move and dance in a community with others. It’s both uplifting and healing.

Favorite Exercise: Anything outdoors! Besides dancing, I love hiking, swimming, biking, kayaking, gardening, yoga, meditation, and martial arts.

Greta

Classes She Teaches: Power Spin, Full Body Resistance Bands

Education/Experience: NETA Certified, 5 years teaching experience; extensive triathlon experience (Iron Man, Half Iron Man, Olympic, and Sprint distances); open water swimming teacher

How Long She’s Been at the Y: Started in September 2015

Favorite Part About Teaching: My favorite part of teaching is encouraging others to become more active and watching them achieve new levels of fitness.

Favorite Exercise: Triathlons