As a child and young adult I grew up doing a variety of sports and gained much of my confidence in being an athlete. I had many great coaches over my years of swimming and crew and I had some coaches that lacked that "spark" to inspire motivation and excellence. As an adult I have learned that not only my physical health but also my mental health is directly affected by my workouts. I hope to educate and motivate other people in their physical health so they can gain that confidence in themselves as well.

I married young and had three children. As they grew, my identity was very tied up in who they were and what they were involved in. I felt I lost a part of "me". I stayed involved with physical fitness by taking aerobics at a local gym. I noticed I felt almost euphoric when I had finished a really intense class. A highly motivational instructor talked me into getting my group fitness certification and from there my love for exercise was reborn and reshaped.

I began teaching at several gyms in the area and excelling at boot-camp, cycle, and kickboxing. I was approached several times in class about possible personal training opportunities and from there decided to become certified and help others one on one with their fitness.

At the same time I was also reaching my own personal fitness goals of entering and winning some triathlon races as well as marathons and longer distance races. I cycled 150 miles for Muscular Dystrophy, competed in a 70.3 Ironman series event, and became a nationally ranked triathlete.

I hope to motivate other people to realize their own personal fitness goals, to lead healthier more active lives. Whether that means losing weight, competing in a local 5K race, or totaling reinventing themselves into a fitness buff! Staying active not only promotes physical health, strength, and well being but it also nurtures the soul and releases wonderful "feel good" chemicals in the brain. Here's to you and an energized fresh start!

Below Jennifer explains how she got into the business of personal training, her overall approach with clients, her fitness philosophies and more.

A: I became a personal trainer because i love fitness and I know it well. I can be very motivating and I love to see people happy with their results.

A: I am different from other trainers because I really get into the workouts with the client. I like to be involved in the workout. Maybe a run/walk session, or a piggyback hike,... I can be creative and stay very involved. My specialty would be in vigorous cardio. I like to train people for races when they think they can't or never will accomplish it. It is an amazing reward to help someone who can't even run 2 minutes, train and finish a running race. They are so proud of themselves.

A: The biggest challenge I face with clients is what they usually face themselves...time and motivation. Moms with kids are pulled in so many different directions they rarely allow themselves time for just them. And others find that after a full day of work the motivation escapes them.

A: The most important component of personal training is staying active. Get up and move! Park your car further from the shopping mall than you have to so you walk further. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Take your laundry upstairs one color at a time to get more trips out of it. Whatever it takes but keep moving!

A: My weakness as a trainer is nutrition. I have a hard time with my own nutrition. It is something I will need to learn more about.

A: Any kind of quick fix diet like Atkins is not popular with me. It isn't something someone can continue for a life time and in some cases can be quite dangerous.

A: The question most woman ask me is "how do I get so-and-so's arms, or legs, or butt....." etc. Men usually ask me for sports workouts.

A: My greatest success story was an overweight mom of four who trained with me for 8 months and who completed her first 5k last year. She was great and her whole family was there to cheer her on. She also managed to lose 30 pounds on her journey there!

A:My advice for clients just starting into fitness... beginnings are always scary, and sometimes hard but the journey is always worth it!

A:I don't have a particular training preference. One-on-one is great because there is an element of trust and bonding but group is fun because you can use the natural competitive nature of humans to get a little extra out of some clients.

A:My personal goals for the future are to continue motivating other people in their own fitness. I would also like to do another half iron distance race and to perhaps qualify for the national championships at some point. I also want to save enough money to enter the Ironman in the U.K. in 2009. I would love to see me daughter run a small race with me as she has expressed some interest in it. And my husband and I are planning to cycle another 150 miles next year for MS. If there is any time left in all of that I would love to learn how to play tennis or the guitar!