Introductions thread. Introduce yourself here.
AFS Education
Administrator, Moderator, Practitioner admin
Use this thread to tell the community a little bit about yourself. We want the forum to feel like an extension of the in-facility community, and that means we should know each other a little bit beyond our little virtual avatars that accompany our posts. Additionally, introducing yourself and sharing a little bit about yourself can serve as a further symbol of commitment to your goals and desired behavior change.
Feel free to share as much or as little as you'd like to, but we do hope each of you will introduce yourself!
In health,
Your AFS Fam
Comments
My name is Chris Eskin, not to be confused with @chrisearly
I graduated from Wayne State University in 2013 with my Bachelors in Kinesiology, Exercise, and Sport Science. From there, I returned to school at Oakland University and received my Masters in Exercise Science (with my Thesis on Cellular Hydration and Performance) in 2017. I have worked in just about every training setting you can be in; Cardiovascular rehabilitation, Strength and Conditioning, Commercial Fitness, Spinal Cord and TBI Recovery. I find that I am able to blend a little bit of everything that I have learned in each of those settings here at Applied FItness Solutions, which is why this makes this place such a unique place to work.
I believe that there is more to fitness and health than just looking good. To me, fitness embodies everything that goes into moving well (exercise, recovery, mindset, nutrition) and health embodies everything in a persons day to day life (social wellbeing, mental wellbeing, physical wellbeing). I believe that in order to be truly at your best, there needs to be a balance between ALL aspects of your fitness and health. That is what I love about being a coach, having the ability to influence any one of these areas at a given time.
I look forward to meeting everyone that I have not already met in the AFS community, as well as seeing what sort of amazing things this Forum brings to the community as a whole!
Chris (or simply, Eskin)
Hi everyone,
I am Tricia Nault, and you may have seen me lurking around the front desk in the evenings in Plymouth. I also help to set up for the next day and to beautify the facility.
I'm not your typical gym person, but I am your typical "struggles with weight loss" person. I'm so thankful for coming to AFS as a client in 2017, and for their help in changing my eating and exercise habits. In fact I love this place so much I wanted to become an employee and help others achieve the same success. I began working for AFS in May of 2019.
I have struggled with my weight my entire life. I remember at 10 years old, noticing that I couldn't see my toes anymore because my belly was in the way! I felt fat all through high school and college. I say "felt" because I recognize now that I wasn't, but I suffered for years with body dysmorphia and a dysfunctional relationship with food. After reaching my highest weight of 234 as an adult, I knew that I couldn't keep living the life of a couch potato and eating to excess; with age it was only becoming harder to lose weight at all!
With the help of AFS I last weighed myself at 192. While my journey is not over, I am the most fit I've ever been, and I only have positive thoughts on what I will achieve next.
I'm still learning everyone's names (thanks for helping me out with this, since I completely admit that I'm horrible at remembering things!) but if I can make your path to fitness a little easier, let me know!
Tricia :)
Agent of Change / Fitness Innovation & Education Coordinator
My name is Bailey Paull-Baird and I am a Fitness Practitioner and Co-General manager at the Plymouth location. I graduated from Michigan State University(Go Green!) in May 2015 with a degree in Kinesiology and came straight to the Ann Arbor AFS to fulfill my internship requirement. At the end of my internship(Aug 2015) I was hired full time as a Fitness Practitioner at the Plymouth location.
Growing up I stayed active and in good shape because of all the sports I played but when that ended after high school and I gained the Freshman 15, and the Sophomore 10 😂 I realized I needed to get back in to exercise and taking better care of my health. That is were by passion for fitness and more importantly helping others blossomed. AFS gives me an awesome opportunity to fulfill that passion along with help me develop as an individual. AFS is an extremely special place filled with amazing people(employees & clients), and I am extremely blessed to be apart of the AFS family.
When I am not at AFS I spend most of my free time with my amazing girlfriend Kaitlyn and our 4 fur children- 2 dogs(Captain & Parker) and 2 cats(Thor & Freya). I also enjoy sports(MSU football & basketball, & Detroit sports), video games, Netflix/movies, and listening to podcasts.
I am very excited to interact with all of you on here and help spread a supportive community that encourages health and happiness
Bailey
My name is Zach Ottman, and I'm a Fitness Practitioner and Instructor at the Rochester location. I graduated from Oakland University in 2017 with a journalism degree that has not seen much use considering my career choice. But I have been in the weight room working out since I was 13, and I've played sports since I could walk, so I like to think I have some practical experience!
After working out for years with little to show for it I finally decided to take my fitness goals seriously in 2017 by pushing myself and eating right, at which point my passion for fitness and exercise really began to take hold. I came to AFS in March of 2018 after jumping around to a series of different jobs in the business and marketing sectors, and I haven't looked back since. I love being able to work with clients while doing something I enjoy, and the atmosphere at AFS is unlike anything I've ever experienced in a gym. I'm currently studying for my CSCS and working more and more with some of our local athletes and youth sports teams, which I find extremely rewarding!
When I'm not at AFS, you can probably find me in a weight room somewhere working out, or at my house in Clarkston working on some kind of home improvement project. Otherwise I'm probably watching Netflix/Hulu, reading or enjoying the view of the lake from my hammock! I'm a huge Star Wars fan, and I love anything nerdy (I have a "Nerd Room" in my house filled with memorobilia from The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, Star Wars, Halo, Star Trek and a million other things you've probably never heard of lol).
I'm excited to see what new opportunities for growth the forum will bring us, and I can't wait to interact with everyone on here, so feel free to say hi or as a question if something comes to mind!
Zach
I couldn't be more excited to get this forum rolled out and extend the AFS community beyond our 3 physical locations.
I started at AFS 10 years ago after meeting Mike Stack at Oakland University where I was studying Wellness and Health Promotion with a focus in Exercise Science. I was so impressed by Mike's passion for AFS and knowledge that I reconnected with him upon graduating and started working at AFS Ann Arbor shortly thereafter.
My passion for fitness started in high school, I was extremely skinny and never felt confident in my own skin. The confidence I acquired through strength training set me on this path as it was a feeling I knew I wanted to share. I feel most fulfilled helping our staff develop, helping young athletes gain confidence both within and outside of their athletic endeavors, and helping adults increase/maintain independence as they age.
Outside of AFS you can find me playing sports (basketball, spikeball, soccer, hockey), reading (philosophy, consciousness, exercise science), fishing, biking, hanging out with my family or laying on the couch watching Michigan football/basketball.
I look forward to reconnecting with Ann Arbor clients on this forum and meeting some of the Plymouth clientele
With love and gratitude,
Jared Freeman BS CPT CSCS
Agent of Change / Managing Partner
I wasn't in great shape as a kid, but I was active as I rode horses every day. I married my high-school sweetheart in college and we started having kids young. Every time I got pregnant I gained A LOT of weight.... I was able to work it off after, but then kept getting pregnant LOL! We have three kids, Jacob, who is 17 and has severe autism, Bella, who is 14 and a figure skater and fellow AFS girl, and Bennett who is 8 and is into whatever sport he and his friends are doing at the moment. My husband works for Chrysler and is generous to let me work out whenever I want
Due to our son Jacob, I began really researching diet, health, and how our body works in any attempt to help him. I am also super fascinated by how you can use your brain to train yourself to be the best you can be, along with what you do, as well as how faith matters as well in success. Helping others is a way of life for our family. In a lot of ways, being at AFS gives me an opportunity to encourage others while I am working out and I love that!
AFS is a place that cares as much about how you feel on the inside as how you look on the outside, and that is what makes it so special!
I look forward to seeing where this all goes!
My name is Corinne Albrecht and I work as the administrative manager here in A2!! I came to AFS 5 years ago after my roommate Mackenzie, who was working as an instructor, recommended I apply mainly because she loved the people so much. I didn't consider myself a people-person at the time--anyone was who was working here 5 years ago can tell you I barely made eye contact that first year, haha!--but this group of goobers definitely grows on you
I have my own complicated history with health and fitness that I'm happy to talk about with anyone, but honestly fitness isn't a passion of mine like it is for my peers! What I'm most passionate about is emotional, mental, and spiritual wellness, especially in regard to mental health. For a long time I struggled with depression and anxiety in secret and shame, but these days I'm very open about it! No shame here
Outside of AFS I'm usually at home playing video games with my adorable pup Watson, kitty Milo, and boyfriend Clint! Currently making my way through Breath of the Wild if there are any other Zelda enthusiasts out there
My name is Brook (B.) Adams and I am a Fitness Practitioner at Plymouth. I joined the AFS team in September 2018 after working for a foster care agency as a Recreation Director and Nutritionist. I found AFS through Connie Brown who graduated with me from Northern Michigan University. Every time we called to catch up, she would tell me how amazing the atmosphere was at her new job. I wanted to get into fitness coaching with adults, and when I made the trip down for my interview process, I found out myself how unique and welcoming AFS truly is.
I played many sports in high school and then intramural sports in college. But my passion for fitness really stems from a body building program that I applied for in 2011. Throughout the program I learned more about myself and my mental strength than anything else. It really taught me that fitness is much more than a physical/visible result. It was at that point when I realized I wanted to work with other people to have similar realizations for themselves and feel empowered mentally through fitness.
In my time away from the gym, I work on my side hustle as a woodworker (By the Brook Woodworking), spend time with friends in Detroit, and go on many walks with my golden retriever, Fisher.
I grew up in a very sporty family. My two older siblings played sports every season, so I was there to watch all the games all the time. I loved it. Watching football has always been my favorite. I grew up watching Michigan football (Go Blue!) and graduated from GVSU (Go Lakers!). I played softball from the age of T-ball (when the "rover" position was still a thing!) through high school. I also played tennis in high school. So there's definitely a competitive side within me! As genetics would have it, I am a sturdy lady. I have muscles and I love them! But I didn't always love and appreciate my body. Although I was active as a kid, I liked to eat too. I grew up in a loving family of cooks and bakers... and food was the main event for all occasions. My first memory of trying to intentionally diet and lose weight was when I was in middle school and saw an infomercial for Richard Simmons Sweating to the Oldies (I believe it was his Disco VHS lol). I told my Mom I wanted it and that it would help me lose weight, so she ordered it off of QVC. Needless to say, it didn't "work". As the years have passed I've been on Weight Watchers more times than you can count and I've tried a whole mix of diets/plans in between. Some might have offered a temporary fix, but years later as an adult, I was still left scratching my head and gaining back weight. About five years ago my doctor diagnosed me with PCOS, which is a very common condition among women, but often is hard to navigate especially when it comes to weight loss. Even though I've battled back and forth with weight loss/gain, I've still done some pretty awesome things in spite of my plus size and what society thinks can't be done by bigger bodies. I've run 10 half marathons (this past October in Detroit was #10!) as a proud back of the pack runner (run/walk intervals). I've found a love for lifting heavy things in SS. And, most importantly, this year I've worked really hard with my trainer (Eileen!) to find joy and gratitude in movement/exercise and beginning to find my peace with food as I have pursued eating more intuitively. It has been a process (it still is), but I have never felt better about my progress physically and mentally (mental health is very important to me as I've struggled with anxiety since I young) than this year... and I believe the best is yet to come.
Heather
My name is Cody Mikuska and I am a Fitness Practitioner at AFS Plymouth. I joined the AFS team in August of 2017 as a weight room assistant at the Ann Arbor location. Through the last two years I have had awesome mentors at both Ann Arbor and Plymouth that have helped me become the practitioner that I am today. I found out about AFS from my friends Gino and Danny and decided since they love their jobs that I should check it out myself. I grew up in the upper peninsula (Newberry, Mi) all 18 years until I went to school. As a kid, I spent a lot of time doing outdoor activities, hanging out with friends, and playing sports. I discovered my passion for fitness when I was playing sports in high school (Basketball/Football) and how much of an impact the weight room could have on your game no matter the sport. In December of 2013, I was going to school at North Central Michigan College in Petoskey when I was playing intramural basketball, I had torn my ACL. Not having health insurance at the time, I had to take things into my own hands. I spent weeks on looking up whatever I could to promote the recovery of my injury and started on my own rehab. I was able to start playing again by April of 2014 comfortably again. I moved down to the Ypsilanti area with my sister around that time and started to work at a Planet Fitness to get my foot in the door for a fitness career. I enjoyed my job as being a fitness instructor there but there was not a real good sense of community that I was looking for. When I started at AFS, it was almost instant that I had finally found the place where fitness, family, and community were all in one. I also have another job working for the M Den (only sporting events). I have a HUGE love for all U of M sports so the job has provided me with not only another source of income, but also chances at seeing games more frequently whether it is basketball or football. In the time I am not working at either job, I am usually hanging out with my friends, listening to podcasts, or studying material to further my knowledge in fitness. I am really looking forward to interacting and meeting with you all here!
-Cody
Hi Everyone! My name is Mariana Cathers...I am 38 years old work full time and married to my High School Sweetheart Nathan ❤️. We have 4 kids Jordan 17, Mariana 15, Sammy 12, and Isabell 9. We have been with AFS Rochester for a little over a year (5am champs here!!) and feel incredibly blessed that I found them on Instagram because our lives have been changed. Every single practitioner has encouraged and cheered us on and have walked alongside us during a trying time our family is walking through. The people we have met during our workouts have become friends and thankful for the encouragement we get all the time. This act of love towards us proves they walk the talk that we are a family! Excited for this new community!!
My name is Terry Priestley. I am originally from Saginaw, MI. I moved to MN as a young adult seeking new adventures. I lived there for 21 years and returned home for the love of my family in 2017. I've been and oncology nurse for 16 years. As of March of this year I made the choice to quit my job and care for my 84 year young mother in her home. I love music. Christian music is what I listen to most and appreciate many different artists. I enjoy reading when I make time for it. My guilty pleasure is playing online games namely Candy Crush and others. Baseball and Football are the two sports I enjoy to watch. Detroit Tigers for baseball, Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions for football. Yes, in that order.
I have been active most of my life in sports when I was younger and for health and fitness as I got older. I became an AFS family member April 2018. After meeting with Andrew and discussing my fitness history and how I discovered AFS he asked me "What took you so long to come in?" I knew I found my fitness home. Unbeknownst to me it would become more than "my new gym". Trent and all the AFS staff guided me to find my fitness potential and help me achieve it. Recently, in the last 3 months I went through one of the hardest times of my life. Something we all will go through. Caring for an elderly parent and the death of a sibling. AFS was right there with me and believe me I couldn't have done it without the love and support of my amazing AFS family. I am so looking forward to meeting all of you through these forums and to watch the family grow.
Feeling blessed....Terry
Good morning! I’m super excited about this new forum! My name is Aimee Tinkham. I’ve been with AFS for almost 2 years. I can honestly say that AFS has become home for me. I’ve been on my fitness journey for almost 9 years. When I began I was 342 lbs. I’ve collectively lost 172 lbs in the 1st years of my journey. Along the way I found a love of working out. I NEVER thought that I’d be someone who looked forward to being active. I’d loved far too long in a heavy body. About 6 years into my new life I hit a wall. I needed to take a step back from what I was doing and whom I was working with to reevaluate my goals and needs. I gained some weight back and knew that I needed and wanted more. I used to drive by AFS daily and finally I stopped in. That day changes my life. I found a supportive community of people with a similar mindset willing to help challenge me and help me reach my goals. Here I am today stronger in mind, body and soul!
Outside of AFS I am a full time nanny to 3 active boys in Birmingham. So if you see me crabby at a 7:00 class it’s because 696 steals your joy! LoL AFS helps bring it back! I am a huge sports fan, Disney lover, concert lover, game player (board and card) , an over all lover of being busy and not sitting on the sideline person.
I hope to interact with and learn along with you all!
Have a beautiful day!
I was always pretty active, mostly playing soccer and other sports, but my fitness journey really began about 3 years ago. I reached a point where I was really unhappy with what I saw in the mirror, and I decided it was time to really make a change. After struggling to make real progress on my own, I found AFS, and it's been life-changing! Not only am I in the best shape of my life, down 30 pounds from where I started, but my fitness has gone from being an afterthought to being one of the most important parts of my life and who I am.
Greeting FitFam !
Nicole Porter, but you've probably heard me called Muscle Barbie by someone if you're in A2. This January 5th will be my five year anniversary at the A2 AFS. I pretty much live there now. I started in the class formerly known as WLS, and within a couple months was in the GRSt room a couple days a week. This week was the two year anniversary of my first FSx class (which I wish there were more of!). I've never been "skinny", and at 5ft 1.5 inches, any weight gain is instantly noticeable. I came to AFS at the suggested of a fellow spin instructor and immediately saw results.
Aside from AFS, I also run, teach spin at a couple studios and ride when I can, and take other HIIT classes here and there. I get bored easily and like to be challenged. As far as diet, I'm vegetarian, almost vegan (I make the best choices I can each day). I'm hoping to have more FitFam members to talk about vegetarian and vegan diets with on the discussion boards (especially eating high protein when going out, which we do a lot).
Just married in May to my partner of almost 10 years, Bill (he hangs out in the GRSt room once a week); no kids, I help advise a chapter of 40+ish sorority women, that's all the parenting I'm interested in. Instead we have two rabbits, Curie, who we've had for a few years, and Spencer, who we're fostering to adopt, if Curie will let us.
Oh, and I turned 40 this year, but Camie thought I was only 28 when she first met me, so whatever we're doing here must be working!
Hey Fam!
I'm Alyssa Romig and I've been with AFS for a little over 5 years! I actually started cleaning the Ann Arbor facility and within months I transitioned into childcare and the front desk. My job responsibilities have changed so much over the years but now I'm mostly doing HR and operational things behind the scenes. If you've ever wondered who's in that SUV AFS car at your facility, it's me! 🤗
Although I'm on the "business-side" of AFS, my education background is actually in Kinesiology! I graduated with a B.S. in Movement Science from the University of Michigan, where I was also on the varsity women's rowing team! #RowBlue Prior to rowing, I was heavily involved with sports starting at age 4----soccer, softball, volleyball, basketball, and track & field. I did it all and some might consider me highly competitive. Seriously though, my family euchre games can get intense. 😂
On a personal note, I married my high school sweetheart of 10 years in 2017 and we currently live on the west side of Ann Arbor. Outside of work, you can catch me playing in some type of sports league , doing a DIY house project, or cheering on the wolverines.
I look forward to connecting with more of you on this platform!
Hey everyone,
My name is John Kochan, and I am a Strength Solutions Instructor at AFS Plymouth. I found AFS through my father (Rob Kochan) and started out as a client back in 2017. I began working as a weight room assistant in August 2018 and I soon realized that I would like to learn more, so I trained to become an instructor.
I played baseball and ran cross country for Plymouth High School, where I also started a bit of strength training. As I started college I continued to lift weights with some of my friends, but I never really knew what I was doing. When I started as a client at AFS I found the personalized programming and instruction to be way more effective than anything I had done before. I eventually talked with Devin about working a part-time job throughout the school year, and became immediately attached to this awesome community! It has been a little over a year since I've started working here, and I am learning more everyday. I will be graduating in Spring 2020 with a degree in Marketing from U of M-Dearborn (Go Blue!) and I hope to bring in and help more people through their fitness journey at AFS.
I look forward to reading about all of you on here!
Hello AFS family,
My name is Maranda McMaster and I'm front desk in Plymouth! (you can usually catch me here on Saturdays 😋) I have been working at AFS for over 4 years....wow time flies when you're having fun, and surrounded by an amazing group of people! I found AFS through a local job listing and have not looked back since. Over the years I've seen AFS grow so much, and I couldn't be more excited for the direction we're heading!
I currently go to Eastern Michigan University where I am studying Exercise Science. I have had a passion for exercise, health, and fitness ever since I was little when I would write lists of exercises for my mom and I to do, and research healthy recipes. In my freetime I love doing outdoor activities, games, crafts, and spending time with my friends and family. I definitely enjoy lifting and strength workouts over cardio based ones, but every now and then you might catch me in a Fitness Solutions class 😅. Currently I am working on a goal of accomplishing 5 unassisted pull-ups!
Dogs are just about my favorite thing in the world, and I can't wait to get my own one day! I really want to get a boston terrier and name it Stitch, or just take @Corinne Albrecht 's dog because he is just the most adorable thing 😍
I looked forward to reading more of these introductions and learning more about all of you:)
My name is Kemper Sosa, General Manager of our Ann Arbor location. I joined the AFS community almost 6 years ago as a Fitness Instructor, Fitness Practitioner shortly after, and now my current position as General Manager of AFS Ann Arbor. I can't begin to explain what the AFS community has done for my personal growth. I've prided myself on the ablity to build strong relationships with almost anyone, but AFS has helped me take that to an entirely new level. If I were to tell you the most rewarding aspect of my day to day, it would be positively connecting with someone else.
I studied Exercise Science at Eastern Michigan University (Eagles not Hurons lol). Shortly after graduating, I became fond of continuing education. In a few short years I completed my certifications as a certified personal trainer & exercise physiologist through the American College of Sports Medicine along with the certified strength and conditioning specialist through National Strength and Conditioning Association. Currently,
Looking forward to creating the greatest community-based forum the internet has ever seen!
Fun Facts:
- Father from Argentina
- Mother is Italian
- One older brother and younger sister
- Met my amazing girlfriend, Ashley, through the great community that is known as AFS
- Oreo's & peanut butter = best combo ever.
- Drummer for 20 years
- Beaches > Mountains
- Favorite Show: Breaking Bad....or GOT.
Kemper Sosa
Agent of Change & General Manager
BS, CPT, CSCS, ACSM Exercise Physiologist
ahahah @Maranda McMaster there are some days I would DEFINITELY let you have Watson 😂😅
Hi Everyone! I am Patti Thibodeau, I’m 56 years old and I’ve been a member at AFS PLYMOUTH for almost 5 years now. I previously worked in the health care system as a PA and now hold a few part time gigs...I am a partner in a global nutraceutical company, a Standardized Patient in the Simulation Department at St. Joe’s in Ann Arbor, domestic gardener & chef, full time dog lover, proud Mom of 3 kids (Anthony 28, Monica 26, Nicholas 19) and happy wife to Chris!
I have had weight issues for most of my life...I was often the “chubby girl”. I started running track in junior high and added cross country in high school-it helped me to lose the excess weight and was a great stress relief in college and in my young adulthood years. I dabbled in other fitness activities but running was always my favorite! It was great to eat fairly healthy, have all of my goodies and just run a few extra miles to maintain my weight. As I got older, I knew I needed to add some weight training but I didn’t know what I was doing and frankly, I just didn’t enjoy it so I didn’t do it!
When I was 41, I returned to my career as a PA and worked for 10 years-when I left that position, I unfortunately found myself 20 lbs heavier & quite fluffy and unfit😕. I spent about a year trying to regain my fitness and sadly discovered that I could no longer out exercise poor eating habits. I needed a fresh approach and I desperately needed accountability and that’s when I discovered AFS, which had just opened 3 miles from our home!
I quickly realized that I had struck gold and had found my fitness tribe! The AFS Team helped me reach my initial weight loss and fitness goals (figuring out what my next goals will be!). And now I LOVE my time in the weight room!!!
I truly love this community and in actuality, “AFS Cheerleader” should be added to my list of part time gigs! I’m excited about this forum and I think it will be a great opportunity to learn more about fitness, nutrition and each other!
Ok, I should have also included that I’m not good with technology-I thought I was adding my little circle picture and that didn’t happen...can someone help me delete the gigantic picture from my intro post?🤣
@Patti Thibodeau I deleted that for you =). Welcome to the forum! =)
Agent of Change / Fitness Innovation & Education Coordinator
Thank you Sawyer!
Happy good day, everyone!
I am Katelyn Meck, a practitioner and fitness instructor at the Plymouth facility. I have been with AFS a little over a year and a half. I attended school at Grand Valley, graduating with a Clinical Exercise Science Degree, with every intent of going to Physical Therapy school. As I learned more, I realized I was much more attracted to the exercise aspect as well as a personal connection that Physical Therapy did not seem to provide. And so, I came upon AFS and I could not be happier😍
When I am not instructing Fitness or strength classes you will probably see me taking a Fitness class. I find taking a class with all of our wonderful clients is a really good way to connect a bit more; what a better way to do that than lifting, laughing, and sweating together! My other exercise of choice is hockey. It has brought me happiness since I was 3. So if hockey is your game, I am the girl to talk to! I am currently engaged to my fiance Kevin, who is a police officer in Lincoln Park, and set to be married September 24, 2021.
I am really looking forward to getting to know more of our FitFam in Rochester and Ann Arbor as well as learning more about our Plymouth family😊
Hey AFS Fam!
My name is Anne Grady and I've been at AFS Ann Arbor since July 2018. I first found AFS through a coworker's Instagram posts. It was exactly the right time - I was unhappy with how I felt in my own skin, tired of throwing away money on a Planet Fitness membership I never used, and frustrated with studio fitness classes. I was intrigued by the idea of having the accountability of an assigned practitioner, so I scheduled an appointment with Gable and never looked back.
Since then, AFS has definitely become my happy place. I'm incredibly grateful for the community I've found here, and the unending support and encouragement and celebration through all of my struggles and successes. I was never an athletic person, even when I played ultimate frisbee in college, so to have reached a point where my workout is something I look forward to and am excited about every day has been mind-blowing.
I grew up in Arizona and, after 5 cross-country moves in 6 years, am quite happily in Michigan to stay for a while (even on the days I complain about shoveling my driveway...). I'm a recovering librarian/current user experience researcher. Outside of AFS, I love baking, knitting/quilting/crafting in general, and while I don't have time to read or play video games as much as I used to, I'm still a huge nerd at heart.
My current goals include finally being able to do pull-ups, drinking more water, remembering to stretch, and managing stress. You'll see me dancing during bridge holds in FS on weeknight evenings or weekend mornings, and I'm always happy to make new friends in class - the shared suffering makes it go by faster!
Fit Fam!
My name is Andrew Anderlie and I started working with AFS 18 months ago. Most of you at our Rochester Hills location see me inside the fish bowl next to the front desk (my office). My background is a variety of different things all in the fitness industry and I've spent more than 10 years growing within it.
I'm a husband, a father, a son, a nephew, a grandchild, a brother, and an uncle (I'm other things too, but those are what came to mind). My favorite things to do are spend time with my wife who is pregnant with our 2nd little girl (expected any day now) and spend time with my 2 year old daughter. My hobbies outside of that are playing hockey, camping, doing yard work, exercising, and going to AFS... yes I just said that one of my hobbies is going to work.
Very excited for this forum and even more excited to connect with everyone throughout our 3 locations!
Thank you for encouraging members to do an introduction <3
Hi to each of you and a big smile. I'm Angela and:
I'm the happiest when I'm learning new skills or mentoring children. You may see me fall from grace if I'm overly tired or someone is unkind to a person in a vulnerable condition. I'm most at peace when I'm home and I value keeping my living environment serene.
Present favorites: @Samantha McDevitts yoga class at AFS Ann Arbor, the television shows Declassified on CNN & Jersey Shore Family Vacation.
Presently working on: eating something other than a toasted Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwich from Panera, not getting discouraged that I get migraines frequently during the cold weather season.
High five from my heart to yours,
Angela