BS in Recreation Leadership Greenville College, IL

AA in Drama, Seoul Arts College, Seoul, South Korea

Age: 45

Occupation: Personal Trainer/Fitness instructor at the Hawaii Kai Oahu Club/Cross Country Running Coach Assistant Iolani School.

I have always been very active in my life. For example, in elementary school I was into gymnastics, in intermediate school I was a handball goalie and in high school I played tennis. When my daughter was three months old I pursued a black belt in Tae Kwon Do. I also became a certified aerobics instructor in my early 20’s while still in Korea. I became a marathon runner after moving to Hawaii when I was 39 years old, and so far I have completed 13 marathons.

I have averaged 3 marathons per year, but this year I will run a fourth marathon. I will never forget running my first marathon. I literally thought I was going to die. It was so painful. I ran it in 3 hrs and 53 minutes. I ran my 4th Boston Marathon this last April, the Kona Marathon in June, the Berlin Marathon in September, and I will run the Honolulu Marathon this coming December. My fastest marathon time was 3 hours 38 minutes (Phoenix, AZ Rock n’ Roll Marathon), and my first international marathon was this year in Berlin. I finished in 3:41:01. I have been a qualified marathon runner for the Boston Marathon four times (2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007). If you’ve ever noticed, many marathon runners look much too thin and not tone, appearing to be years beyond their age. If a long distance runner would incorporate strength training through weight lifting and core exercises, they will maintain a much toner and youthful appearance. I lift weights and do a full body workout at least twice a week. This helps to maintain my muscle mass and appearance to look stronger and more tone.

For the past two years I have had the privilege of coaching the Iolani Girl’s Cross Country Team working with girls in the 7th to 12th grades. It has been very rewarding because I can share my running experience with the girls and encourage them to do their very best and to push beyond their limits. I’ve seen some of the girls’ blossom in their running commitments and that makes me feel like I have contributed something to their lives. I have also taught Tae Kwon Do over the past 15 years to children ages 4-12 years. I love working with children because I believe that if you can lay a foundation of fitness into young lives, it will stay with them throughout their adulthood.

I am also a certified Pilate and Aqua fitness instructor. As a personal trainer I know that people suffering from obesity also suffer from chronic knee trouble. This inhibits their ability to perform squats and lunges, two keys exercises for strengthening and toning the lower body. To work around this, I have put together an exercise program that substitutes other strength training techniques for squats and lunges, to prevent knee injuries but reap the same benefits.

All of my clients have different reasons for working out. Some want to tone up, others want to slim down. Some want to develop more endurance so that they can become strong runners. Women in their 40s and above want to keep their youthful appearance. The only way to do this is to stay in shape. This means weightlifting, cardiovascular training, and healthy eating. As a 45 year old woman and mother of two children, many women ask me how I stay in such good shape. The answer to this question lies in lifestyle choices. I choose to make time for exercise. I wake up early so that I can run before I start my day's work. I choose to eat healthy. I make time to eat properly. I also choose to hang out with people who are motivated to take care of themselves as well.

People can give many excuses for why they are out of shape. Usually it boils down to one thing. They have not taken care of themselves in the past. We need to leave the past in the past. The focus needs to be on the present and the future, because that is what we have the power to change.

Being a marathon runner, personal trainer and group fitness instructor, my clients need to see that it is possible to reach their fitness goals. I keep myself healthy and in shape so I can show them by example that it is possible to be healthy and fit at any age.