About Charity

About charity

My Background

I was raised in a small town outside of Nashville, TN, where eggs fried in bacon grease and white flour biscuits topped with chopped ham gravy were the foundation of breakfast. Vegetables were a means to consume butter while healthy food and exercise were foreign concepts; something 'skinny' people worried about.

When coronary thrombosis took my father’s life, it was obvious that obesity and lack of physical activity were primary factors, and it became clear that I would need to make a profound change to protect my own health. As a teenager, I traveled nearly thirty minutes to the closest recreational center for fitness classes and weight training. As a young, and single mother, I balanced college coursework, and a personal training job and placed my daughter in fitness center nurseries so I could get my training in.

Striving to attain the "perfect" body, I started lifting and prepped for a Venus Swimwear pageant in 1998, which lit the competitive flame for years to come. In 2014 I won my class in my first NPC show and in 2016 I earned my IFBB Pro card.

Each of these experiences were highly challenging, enabled me to become acutely aware of how the mind and body respond to proper nutrition and exercise and helped shape the approaches that I take today!

My Bio

I have been in the fitness industry since 1998 (my first personal training job was at a ladies only gym in Knoxville, TN).

I am a personal trainer, lifestyle, health, contest prep and posing coach, researcher, published author, public speaker and an IFBB Pro.

I hold a PhD in Health and Human Performance from Concordia University, Chicago, a Master of Science degree in Exercise and Nutrition from the University of Tampa and certifications as a certified personal trainer (CPT), fitness nutrition specialist (FNS), and group fitness instructor (GFI).

I focus on health first, and my training methods are centered upon developing customized strength, conditioning and injury prevention programs and I work with physique competitors, tactical and professional athletes, and the general population.

I also serve as Director of Program Development and Board Member for a non-profit foundation dedicated to developing, testing, and implementing strategies to improve quality of life and physical function through research, community outreach and education.

I LOVE helping people realize their inner strengths and I love to help them succeed! Some of my favorite experiences have stemmed from helping women realize that ITS OKAY TO EAT CARBOHYDRATES and that THEY WON'T GET HUGE from lifting weights. However, I also enjoy working with men who want to push their bodies to the maximum potential and optimize performance!