This year, I’m excited to share a monthly series spotlighting some of my amazing clients and Achieve with Athena ambassadors! If you missed the previous months, you can find them here:
Now, meet Serrie! Serrie has been a member of my Empowered Together Coaching Club for five years, and her story is a great example of how the tools that we use in that community can grow with you as you move through different seasons of your life. Whether your goal is to build muscle, lose fat, or manage stress, there are tools you can use and someone else working toward a similar goal!
*Responses have been slightly edited for clarity.
Meet Serrie!
How long have you been working with Athena?
I joined Athena’s Holiday Hustle Challenge in December 2016, and I’ve worked with her ever since! I joined her Wellness Your Way group coaching program in Winter/Spring 2017 and then worked with her 1:1 for a few years. I’ve been a member of the Empowered Together Coaching Club for almost 5 years and also completed some of her other standalone programs (Master Your Meal Prep, Ambition Nutrition, Learn to Lift, etc).
What did your fitness and nutrition look like before working with her?
Before I started working with Athena, my workouts were pretty haphazard and not consistent. Weightlifting was nowhere in my vocabulary! As far as nutrition goes, it was pretty much the same as my workouts – spurts of “healthy” eating, and then spirals of emotional eating + not really caring. I also struggled a lot with body image + feeling comfortable in my own body.
What are some of the most impactful changes you’ve made over the years? Have these changes helped the way you show up outside of the gym too?
I still remember the first day I walked into the weight room at the YMCA, the first day I did an assisted pull-up, my first 5k, and the first time I took a selfie in a full-length mirror and loved it! Some impactful changes have been with specific knowledge around nutrition + fitness: how to properly fuel my body, completing different kinds of lifts, pushing myself in the weight room because I’m stronger than I realize, etc. What has come with this is confidence, both in my body and in myself.
What I’ve been reflecting on recently, however, is how my mental space has shifted, specifically around the seasonality of life, with Athena’s help. There are some seasons where I’m able to set big goals and push myself to that next level, and there are other seasons where it’s enough to focus on myself for 5 minutes – drink that glass of water, write down three things I’m grateful for, take a deep breath and a walk around the block. Working with Athena has shown me that it is the little changes, the small shifts in habits and beliefs, that are where the magic happens.
“What has come with [working with Athena] is confidence, both in my body and in myself.”
What advice would you give to someone who feels hesitant about working with a fitness coach?
Talk to them and see if it’s a good fit! I had followed Athena for a while, joined her free challenge, and really felt drawn to her energy and approach before I started working with her. Athena helped me sort through all of the information I was taking in and realize what was going to be beneficial for ME, rather than taking a cookie cutter approach. She has also helped take me out of overthinking + overplanning and to just do the things!
If you could only do one strength move for the rest of your life, which would you pick?
Ha! This is really hard. Deadlifts for me, I think, though I do love a good set of iron angels.
What are you excited to continue focusing on in your journey?
In this season of my life, I’m grateful + excited that I have all of the tools that Athena has helped me develop over the past 6 years – consistency over perfection, getting up and just doing the thing, and finding joy in every win, big or small. And continuing to celebrate + work with the amazing community that is ETCC!
Serrie would love to welcome you into the ETCC community! If you want help developing consistency and working within the seasons of your own life, book a connection call with Athena and explore which of her coaching services is the best fit for you and your goals!