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Group Fitness Instructors
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Stefanie Owczarski
Stefanie was born in South Dakota and moved several times with her military family. While in high school in Puerto Rico she began her health and fitness career teaching step and floor aerobics in Spanish. Throughout college in Gainesville, Florida Stefanie taught step, funk, Latin spice, and spinning under ACE, AAFA, and Mad Dogg Athletics (spinning) certifications. Stefanie made a career move to Charleston, South Carolina in 2003 where she now practices as a Physicians Assistant in Trauma Surgery at the Medical University of South Carolina. She also teaches a surgery class to the Physicians Assistant students at the Medical University.
Education and Certifications:
Bachelors Degree in Exercise and Sport Sciences, Masters Degree in Physicians Assistant studies University of Florida (Go Gators!)
Hobbies:
Reading, running, travel, Gator football & basketball, playing outdoors
What's most important to Stefanie?
Stefanie believes life is best enjoyed with a healthy mind, body, heart, and spirit and lives a life pursuant to this. She is most excited to be a part of the elite fitness team at Blue Fish Fitness Club where she teaches spin and step.
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Catherine Fairfield
Catherine was trained to be a FIRM instructor in Columbia, SC in 1998. Additionally she has been a cast member in 3 FIRM workout videos. She graduated with a B.S. in Business Administration from University of South Carolina with a major in Finance.
After graduation Catherine accepted a job in pharmaceutical sales and a ring from Mitch. Catherine has recently moved to Charleston after she and Mitch were married in April of 2007.
Education and Certifications:
B.S. Business Administration (USC), Group Power
Hobbies:
Reading, running, traveling with her husband Mitch
What's most important to Catherine?
A very special person once told me: Try to do your best and be your best every day.
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Lois Newberry
Teaching group fitness classes and training clients brings Lois a great deal of satisfaction. She loves watching people transform their bodies and minds through exercise.
After teaching school for 8 years and having children she decided to use her teaching skills in the fitness environment. After teaching in many of the Charleston gyms she joined the Blue Fish Fitness Club team and was a cast member in "Dynamic Strength and Power", a part of the Tracie Long Productions early release series.
When her husband's medical practice moved the family to Beaufort, SC Lois opened a functional training studio. She spent most of her time training golfers, tennis players and moms. She has since moved back to Charleston and has rejoined her family at Blue Fish Fitness Club.
Education and Certifications:
Med-CofC, NASM CPT, Mad Dogg Athletics (spinning), AFAA, AFPA (Personal Training) NDEITA (Group Fitness) Mat Pilates I & II.
Hobbies:
Walking and running the bridge, boating, reading, and being social
What's most important to Lois?
Enjoying the outdoors with her family and friends, especially the water. She loves watching her boys participate in their various sports. Lois's therapy is exercise and she maintains that there is no cheaper therapy.
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Nancy Batchelder
Nancy was born and raised in Charleston, SC. She graduated with a BS in Business Administration and a BS in Accounting from the College of Charleston and is a Certified Public Accountant in the State of South Carolina. She is the Accounting Officer at The Bank of South Carolina and is a District Manager and Independent Consultant with Arbonne International.
Nancy began teaching group fitness for The Firm in 1983 and was a cast member in 8 FIRM video titles and 1 video with TLT. She met her husband Lee at the 6am Firm workouts.
Education and Certifications:
BS Accounting, BS Business Administration from the College of Charleston, CPA, NASM CPT, Mad Dogg Athletics (spinning), Precision Cycling, Mat Science, AFFA, Group Power
Hobbies:
Running (completed 2 New York City Marathons and 2 Chicago Marathons), hiking, traveling, reading and playing Sudoku.
What's most important to Nancy?
Spending time with family.
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Bonnie Geer
Bonnie Geer was born and raised in Charleston, SC. She graduated with a B.A. from the University of Georgia and has pursued a career as a marketing executive. Bonnie enjoys her career as a Regional Vice President and Independent Consultant with Arbonne International, which allows her to earn an income from home while taking care of her husband Gordon, and 2 young children.
Bonnie was a client at The FIRM in Charleston, SC for 2 years before she became a trained instructor and cast member of The FIRM video series. Bonnie went on to lead her own video titled Functional Strength with Tracie Long Productions.
As a young girl Bonnie's Father took her to a local weight gym during his workouts so she learned about weight training at an early age. Bonnie loved The FIRM because it was the first institution to promote weightlifting for women. Weight training makes women feel strong ~ both physically and mentally. Now that she has a daughter Bonnie wants to teach her to take care of her body and know she can do whatever she puts her mind to.
Education and Certifications:
B.A. University of Georgia, NASM, Mad Dog Athletics (spinning), Group POWER
Hobbies:
Exercising outside ~ tennis, running, walking, bike riding
What's most important to Bonnie?
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Linda-Marie Garrett Hamill
At the ripe old age of 29 (and holding) Linda-Marie, nicknamed "LM", clearly has the longest name of all the instructors. One of our youngest instructors, LM was "raised" at The FIRM. She started working out in college as a way to burn off the "freshman 15" and grew close with the instructors. Her natural athletic ability was spotted right away so she went through the training program and has been instructing since 1998. She's now raising 2 of her own beautiful little girls with her husband Rob who served as a pilot for 10 years in the Air Force.
Education and Certifications:
BS Biology from The College of Charleston, MS Health & Exercise Science from Furman University
Hobbies:
Running, skiing, kayaking, tennis, playing the harp (10 years)
What's most important to Linda-Marie?
Being with my family is the most important thing to me. I'm motivated being in an environment like Blue Fish to learn and grow with this fast changing fitness industry.
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Stephanie Lasek
Stephanie discovered her love for group fitness as a client at The FIRM in Charleston in the late 90's. She was recruited to go through the instructor training program and has been teaching a variety of group fitness classes ever since.
Many moons ago Stephanie was on the University of Texas at Austin Women's Gymnastics Team. After retiring from gymnastics her sophomore year due to injury, she transferred back to her native South Carolina to the University of South Carolina CCU where she was a member of the nationally ranked co-ed cheerleading squad.
More recently she became a Peak Pilates certified trainer, with over four years of teaching private, semi-private and group sessions on the Reformer, Tower, Cadillac, Chair and mat. Stephanie works at Exhale Pilates studio, located on the first floor just below the club. She was also a cast member in the TLT production Better Burn...Better Buns.
Stephanie has been married since 1998 and feels blessed to be the mom of one wonderful little girl.
"I absolutely love working with this team of great people and seeing clients that have been loyal to us for so many years, as well as new clients whose lives are forever changed by investing in their health".
Education and Certifications:
Stephanie graduated with a degree in Political Science and minored in English from the University of South Carolina. "Nice to see I'm putting those hard earned degrees to use right?" Additional certifications include Group POWER, Mad Dog Athletics (spinning), AFAA, ACE, Precision Cycling, Kick Boxing, Yogalates and AFFA Step.
Hobbies:
Spending time with my family, as well as reading, water/snow skiing and going for long runs.
What's most important to Stephanie?
"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." Philippians 4:13, are words that I try to live by each day. Oh and "when a problem comes along, you must whip it!"
DEVO circa 1980.
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