Shortly after she returned to the US after four years living in Yeosu, South Korea, Katie began working with a personal trainer. While she knew they would be able to help with her main goals (increase balance, learn the 3 main power lifts, and learn how to make it so her “back didn’t feel like total garbage” on long-haul flights) – one thing she didn’t anticipate was just how profoundly her mobility and strength would change with a little bit of personalized help. Katie has been in the client position before, so she understands that just getting started can be the biggest hurdle.

Katie has worked with a wide variety of clients ranging from people who just want to learn something new to people with mystery shoulder/back/knee pain to surgery prehab to people who are brand new to exercise and feeling uneasy in the gym. Some moments that make her the most proud with clients are when she can see movements they’ve struggled with finally click and when they report that they’re no longer feeling pain.

Katie’s approach with the individuals that she works with is to not only teach new techniques, but also assist in building an instinct for how the exercises should feel in the body as they’re executed so you can confidently take those learned skills out into the gym (and real world). She tries to bring not only her knowledge and experience into her sessions, but also humor when appropriate – a previous client dubbed her sessions “Katie’s exercise, science, and comedy hour.” Above all, she wants to make sure that her clients (and all members she crosses paths with) feel safe, supported, challenged, and like they’re learning something new in each session. Her mission is to make the gym a comfortable and inclusive space.