This is not your typical wedding vendor highlight.. but it is a highlight that definitely deserves attention.. and in some way it is relevant to the wedding process. Read on...
About 2 years ago I walked into the Double Tree Hotel in Green Tree for a 2 hour hip hop fitness event. At the time, my friend Bri and I took classes at LA Fitness and one of the hip hop teachers was doing an event with a girl named Kam. So while we were waiting.. I saw so many people with her tank tops on.. and thought "wow..this chick has an amazing following".. so the event started and our instructor was first.. and then Kam. As soon as Kam hit the stage.. it was like an explosion. You know when you first experience something you think.. "This is *$^#&@( amazing".. yea, that was my first thought. Her energy.. her motivation.. her true gratitude for the people she has touched.. I could see it all, and I was floored.
Now Jump two years later (I was 5 weeks preggo when I did this class).. I FINALLY get to take her Hip Hop and Insanity (hopefully PiYo) classes and am so excited to feature her here so you all can learn a bit more.. and experience how awesome this chick is..
When and how did you get started in the fitness industry?
I grew up playing sports but I was always kinda curvy. I'm not blessed with the fit genes and realized at an early age that I needed exercise in my life. I first got into group fitness in college where I studied physical therapy. I started going to classes at the gym and doing Tae Bo workouts on our sorority wing. After college, I found Zumba and kinda fell in love with the dance fitness concept. I decided to become a Zumba instructor but I wasn't very good at all the rhythms... Me and salsa, not so much. I then began teaching Hip Hop Zumba like some of my favorite instructors in Pittsburgh. What started slow gradually built into a more intense full body workout that most people know as Kam Jamz. I am currently AFAA and ACE group exercise certified. In addition to Kam Jamz, I also teach the Beachbody formats INSANITY and PiYo and have recently become a Beachbody Trainer and look forward to holding live certification events to help mentor and pay my love for instructing forward.
Describe your journey to where you are now?
I believe my true fitness and professional journey began after my pregnancy. I gained the normal 35 lbs with my daughter but I struggled the first 6 months to lose the weight. I was exhausted and frustrated. In January of 2012, when my daughter was 6 months old I decided to go all in and I began the home workout program INSANITY. It was a burned copy, I didn't have a Coach... I had no idea that there even were coaches. I finished INSANITY but I still had 15 lbs to lose. That's when I decided I needed help with my nutrition. I heard about Shakeology and was pretty skeptical. But I did my research and since I don't cook, shakeology made sense to me. It was whole foods, actually the healthiest superfoods I could put into my body... And it was simple. Blend and go. I signed up to be a Beachbody Coach just so I could get the discount on my shakes. In just 2 months, I realized shakeology was my game changer. I got results and people who came to my class wanted to know what I was doing differently. I started my first online accountability group in May 2012 and had an ah-ha moment. Coaching was my way of helping others get results. It was the full fitness package for me. In just over 2 years, I have built a business and an amazing team that are equally as passionate to pay it forward and help others on the journey. What was once a hobby is now my full time job. I resigned from my physical therapy position in January 2013 and am living a life a freedom and flexibility by working at home and being fully present in my daughters life.
What do you offer as a coach, instructor, etc?
My instructor and coaching roles go hand in hand. I believe in the power of a fitness family. You may have seen the hashtag buzz #fitfam but you may also think it's so cliche. Actually, a fitfam is quite powerful. A fitfam is a group of people who come together with the same interests and same goals. They make fitness fun and nothing like a dreaded item on your busy to do list. This support and accountability is the magic weapon to achieving fitness results. If you come to class, you can feel the power of the fitfam... If you can't make class, you can still feel that power in my accountability groups. We're all better together. I truly believe that. I've seen it work time and time again.
What or who is your motivation?
My drive comes from someone I like to call my "why." My why is my daughter Kendall. This started as me wanting to be a fitness role model for her. Over the last 2 years my why has evolved into me wanting to be present in her life 100%. I want to show her that with passion and perseverance that she too can do or be anything she wants. I am driven to provide her and my family the best life possible. My passion is now my paycheck and it fuels my fire every day.
What are your future goals?
I'm a dreamer and I have many personal items left to accomplish on my dream board. As far as the bigger picture, I want to inspire and empower as many people as I can to go after their scary goals, whether that's helping them become an instructor to lead the class or maybe it's helping them to build a life a freedom and flexibility like I have.
Please tell me anything else that we should all know about you.
I am no different than anybody else. I struggled with my weight growing up and wore double digit pant sizes in high school and college. Through patience and hard work, at 35, I am now in the best shape of my life. We all have the POWER to make a change and it's never too late to start. Just do it. Do it for YOU.
If any of my brides, clients, or just someone reading this.. needs that motivation.. that #fitfam.. look no further!
https://www.facebook.com/kamjamz
Summer Schedule: Mon 7:30 Kam Jamz at Faster Pittsburgh Wed 7:30 INSANITY at Faster Pittsburgh Thur 6:00 Hip Hop at Amerifit Fitness Club Sun 12:00 PiYo at Faster Pittsburgh