As Fitness Together in Brecksville celebrates its ninth
anniversary this month, owner Sean Sullivan is venturing into his 10th
year by embarking on an ambitious initiative to give back big-time to
the community.
The goal is to provide 10,000 training sessions in 2017. The payout is to donate $10,000 to the Ohio Action for Healthy Kids organization.
“Thanks to a loyal client base that stays motivated and dedicated, and spreads the word about their results, as well as a talented team of trainers, last year our studio led the nation among Fitness Together studios in the number of training sessions,” says Sean. “We are proud and humbled by this accomplishment and want to show our gratitude.”
He says he chose Ohio Action for Healthy Kids because it mirrors his can-do philosophy of making fitness and peak health attainable for all.
“By ensuring students have access to healthy breakfasts, as well as nutrition education integrated into the curriculum and daily physical education, our kids will have a much better shot at living a healthy future,” says Sean.
A Whole Greater than the Sum of its Parts
By amassing a synergistic team of nationally certified trainers with complementary strengths over the years, Sean says the clients reap the benefits, as most clients work with different trainers each session. To that end, he has honed his own system of hiring.
“After I meet with a prospective trainer, I have them come back and train one of our trainers, while the rest of the team observes,” he explains. “We can always train someone how to be a better trainer, but finding someone with a compassionate and dedicated personality who fits with our team is the big goal.”
Here’s the skinny (no pun intended) on the colorful trainers at Fitness Together.
Justin Traft
Justin had to overcome being overweight during childhood. He says that being out of shape and unhealthy for so long, and then making the journey to total fitness, helps him understand the day-to-day struggles his clients go through.
His favorite move: a renegade row, which is a two-in-one exercise of doing rows with kettle bells from a plank position to engage core, back, shoulders, triceps and biceps.
Lisa Clark
“I was looking for a different career path,” recalls Lisa. “It hit me one day that I was already coaching and motivating my friends to join me at the gym each morning. Someone said I should really be a personal trainer, and I listened. It’s been so rewarding to turn a lifelong passion into my career.”
Her training signature: Lisa has been known to belt out songs during workouts, treating her clients to resounding renditions of tunes such as “The 12 Days of Fitness.”
Cody Plank
An avid sportsman, playing travel baseball in high school and golfing every week in summer, Cody brings to the table a strength in sports-specific training. He did an internship with the Cleveland Gladiators arena football team before coming to Fitness Together.
Fave old school move: a bench press.
Brooke Kratche
After playing NCAA basketball in Massachusetts, Brooke embarked on a promising marketing career until she found out she hated it. So she followed her true passion and became a trainer, also helping local high school and college athletes meet their goals. This self-confessed adrenaline junkie loves travel, snowboarding and just finished her first marathon.
Pet peeve: Whiners and complainers, “but I have fun joking with complaining clients, giving them a hard time until they focus.”
Amanda Ricci
A fierce competitive streak has taken Amanda from
swimming for her high school and college teams to running in races
through Cleveland and even rowing in the Dragon Boat race downtown.
Interning at St. John West Shore Hospital gave her additional expertise in the cardio and pulmonary fields.
Fave killer move: Olympic bar squat thruster, a complex move that tones core, quads, arms and legs by blending a front squat with an overhead press.
Michael Roberto
This mild-mannered dynamo describes himself as part Conan O’Brien, part Jason Statham, so clients will be laughing one minute and strictly following orders the next.
“I have a passion for finding each client’s peak moves to stoke the metabolism for the best results, such as 10 minutes of non-stop lunges,” he says.
Side passion: As a “red coat,” Michael volunteers every Saturday downtown at Playhouse Square.
Lexy Cook
With the six-week Nutrition Together counseling program, Certified Nutrition Together Coach Lexy Cook takes clients on a journey of awareness and understanding about how what they eat shapes their lives.
Mojo motto: “Food is personal. I feel clients let me into their lives and learn to trust me by sharing their unique attitudes and behaviors toward food.”
Fitness Together is located within Creekview Commons, across from Heinen’s, at 8251 Chippewa Road, in Brecksville. Hours are Monday through Friday, 5 a.m.-10 p.m.; Saturday, 6 a.m.-3 p.m.; and Sunday, 7 a.m.-1 p.m. For more information, call 440-550-4862, or visit the website at FitnessTogether.com/Brecksville.
The goal is to provide 10,000 training sessions in 2017. The payout is to donate $10,000 to the Ohio Action for Healthy Kids organization.
“Thanks to a loyal client base that stays motivated and dedicated, and spreads the word about their results, as well as a talented team of trainers, last year our studio led the nation among Fitness Together studios in the number of training sessions,” says Sean. “We are proud and humbled by this accomplishment and want to show our gratitude.”
He says he chose Ohio Action for Healthy Kids because it mirrors his can-do philosophy of making fitness and peak health attainable for all.
“By ensuring students have access to healthy breakfasts, as well as nutrition education integrated into the curriculum and daily physical education, our kids will have a much better shot at living a healthy future,” says Sean.
A Whole Greater than the Sum of its Parts
By amassing a synergistic team of nationally certified trainers with complementary strengths over the years, Sean says the clients reap the benefits, as most clients work with different trainers each session. To that end, he has honed his own system of hiring.
“After I meet with a prospective trainer, I have them come back and train one of our trainers, while the rest of the team observes,” he explains. “We can always train someone how to be a better trainer, but finding someone with a compassionate and dedicated personality who fits with our team is the big goal.”
Here’s the skinny (no pun intended) on the colorful trainers at Fitness Together.
Justin Traft
Justin had to overcome being overweight during childhood. He says that being out of shape and unhealthy for so long, and then making the journey to total fitness, helps him understand the day-to-day struggles his clients go through.
His favorite move: a renegade row, which is a two-in-one exercise of doing rows with kettle bells from a plank position to engage core, back, shoulders, triceps and biceps.
Lisa Clark
“I was looking for a different career path,” recalls Lisa. “It hit me one day that I was already coaching and motivating my friends to join me at the gym each morning. Someone said I should really be a personal trainer, and I listened. It’s been so rewarding to turn a lifelong passion into my career.”
Her training signature: Lisa has been known to belt out songs during workouts, treating her clients to resounding renditions of tunes such as “The 12 Days of Fitness.”
Cody Plank
An avid sportsman, playing travel baseball in high school and golfing every week in summer, Cody brings to the table a strength in sports-specific training. He did an internship with the Cleveland Gladiators arena football team before coming to Fitness Together.
Fave old school move: a bench press.
Brooke Kratche
After playing NCAA basketball in Massachusetts, Brooke embarked on a promising marketing career until she found out she hated it. So she followed her true passion and became a trainer, also helping local high school and college athletes meet their goals. This self-confessed adrenaline junkie loves travel, snowboarding and just finished her first marathon.
Pet peeve: Whiners and complainers, “but I have fun joking with complaining clients, giving them a hard time until they focus.”
Amanda Ricci
 |
| Fitness Together personal trainer Amanda Ricci working with a client |
Interning at St. John West Shore Hospital gave her additional expertise in the cardio and pulmonary fields.
Fave killer move: Olympic bar squat thruster, a complex move that tones core, quads, arms and legs by blending a front squat with an overhead press.
Michael Roberto
This mild-mannered dynamo describes himself as part Conan O’Brien, part Jason Statham, so clients will be laughing one minute and strictly following orders the next.
“I have a passion for finding each client’s peak moves to stoke the metabolism for the best results, such as 10 minutes of non-stop lunges,” he says.
Side passion: As a “red coat,” Michael volunteers every Saturday downtown at Playhouse Square.
Lexy Cook
With the six-week Nutrition Together counseling program, Certified Nutrition Together Coach Lexy Cook takes clients on a journey of awareness and understanding about how what they eat shapes their lives.
Mojo motto: “Food is personal. I feel clients let me into their lives and learn to trust me by sharing their unique attitudes and behaviors toward food.”
Fitness Together is located within Creekview Commons, across from Heinen’s, at 8251 Chippewa Road, in Brecksville. Hours are Monday through Friday, 5 a.m.-10 p.m.; Saturday, 6 a.m.-3 p.m.; and Sunday, 7 a.m.-1 p.m. For more information, call 440-550-4862, or visit the website at FitnessTogether.com/Brecksville.
