Personal Trainer Bios
Ashley Gartland (She/Her) - accepting new clients
Your greatest project is yourself.
When considering fitness and wellbeing, what are your top 3 values and/or priorities?:
My top three values as a trainer are consistency, joy and collaboration.
Consistency comes into play because, often, my clients have forgotten how to make their own health and wellness a priority. They might have taken a break from exercise because of work stress or caregiving demands or health challenges. No matter the reason — or how long it’s been since you worked out — I can help you recommit to yourself, build small, simple habits and make fitness part of your everyday life.
I focus on joy as a trainer because I don’t believe in shoulds in the fitness space. I’ve never understood why people force themself to run when they hate running or choose forms of movement that don’t feel good. As your trainer, I’ll help you explore different workouts until we discover what you enjoy, whether that’s a particular type of cardio, a motivating group fitness class or strength and conditioning exercises that actually feel good in your body. Not only is this kind of joyful movement more fun — it will also motivate you to keep going.
Finally, I value collaboration. While I may have knowledge and experience as a trainer, you’re the expert on your body and life. Think of our work together as a partnership, where we’ll collaborate to figure out what works best for you to improve your health and achieve your fitness goals. That means we’ll check in often about your workouts, exercises and goals. Then I'll adjust or progress elements of your workouts so they can work even better for you.
How do you personally pursue an active and balanced lifestyle?
I'm a former athlete whose workouts have anchored my days for decades. Movement has kept my mind and body healthy through multiple moves, two pregnancies, a pandemic, running businesses and caregiving.
Exercise still energizes me today — it just looks different than it did when I was 20. These days, I'm better at tuning into what my body needs and continually ask how I can support a long and healthy life through my actions.
Though I used to be a distance runner and basketball player, I focus more on progressive strength training, functional fitness and mobility work than lots of cardio now. I go for walks, do prehab work and prioritize recovery. And I still find new ways to challenge myself — I just got my first pull-up (and then more!) this year.
What strategies do you use to create a fun environment for your clients?
I keep things interesting for my clients by bringing a lot of variety to their workouts. I'm a lifelong learner who will always bring you fun things to try, and new things to do. Our sessions will never be boring.
I also ask lots of questions (it's the former journalist in me!) to keep you engaged with what we're doing and why we're doing it. I'll listen carefully to your answers to determine ways we can make our time together even more enjoyable and fun.
Personality Traits: Dedicated, encouraging, thoughtful.
Training Specialties: Strength training, functional training, athletic performance & injury prevention.
Certifications: ACE-Certified Personal Trainer, OSAA Certified Coach
Major: Magazine Journalism
Minor: Women's Studies
Languages Spoken: English
Brenda Alexander (She/Her) - tentatively accepting new clients
Workouts are like showers. Wet, lather, rinse and repeat.
When considering fitness and wellbeing, what are your top 3 values and/or priorities?
When contemplating hiring a personal trainer, you should know a little something about them. The best way is via referral. If someone you know and trust has had an experience with that trainer, they could then give their personal and hopefully accurate account. If that method is impossible, then you can either observe the trainer in the gym or read their "Bio". If you're reading this, I'd have to deduce the latter.
What can I say in this format that would help you identify if I might be the “right” trainer for you? I could say that I'm punctual, prepared, personable, polite, positive, practical, (aka professional), passionate, perceptive, progressive, persuasive, proactive, precise, performance-driven, productive, and patient...am I? I believe in all those P's and try to emulate them, but I am NOT perfect. A past client once said that a well-rounded workout with me has 4 components: I must miscount the reps (counting to 10 is hard), planks must be performed (my favorite exercise), I must tell a lie (decide to do more reps or sets than originally communicated) and they must drop an F-bomb. Dare I say more.
How do you personally pursue an active and balanced lifestyle?
I can't possibly do everything all the time, so how does one find balance? I prioritize first (that should've been included in all those "P's"). What's most important to me? Well, that gets pretty fuzzy sometimes. It varies a lot. I must calculate every morning, the thing that will get my attention for that day.
I do use what's commonly known as habit stacking or layering. Building new habits upon established ones. I have to get to work, so I either ride my bike (~5 miles) or walk 3/4 of a mile to and from work. Once I'm at work, I've delegated space on my calendar for the briefest of exercises (6 exercises for 8-12 reps). I have Zoom workouts with my niece on the weekends (yes, I still Zoom). The Universe has forced me to find balance. If I obsess on something, it usually hurts in the long run.
I find moments to relax, restore and replenish. I love gardening, walking, working, and wildlife videos.
What strategies do you use to create a fun environment for your clients?
As you can surmise from the reading thus far, I use much humor and storytelling. I use some variety, but not so much that it complicates the workouts or the program.
Personality Traits: Benevolent, humorous and dutiful
Training Specialties: Corrective Exercise, Injury Prevention, Special Populations
Certifications: ACE Certified Personal Trainer, YMCA Fitness Testing Specialist
Languages Spoken: English
Brenda Sutton (She/Her) - accepting new clients
Live large, love big, get strong and have fun!
When considering fitness and wellbeing, what are your top 3 values and/or priorities?:
#1: “Nobody’s perfect, we are all imperfectly perfect.”
Every day we get a chance to do our personal best, and that can change by the day, or even the minute. I will learn, stumble, laugh, grow and change together with you. You are already imperfectly perfect in all the ways. How can we appreciate what our body does for us and accept that it's imperfectly perfect? Strength comes in all shapes & sizes, so our focus will be strength, mobility & stability rather than striving for perfection.
#2: “Change happens slowly, then suddenly.”
Every action, reaction and choice in every moment creates our experience. When we get clear on what’s most important to us, then it becomes the compass guiding our journey. Small changes slowly add up to sudden results. What is most important to you? Why? Let’s get clear on those priorities and develop a plan to make them happen. We will celebrate each win along the way, so you stay motivated to continue creating the results you are looking for on your lifelong health & fitness adventure.
#3: “It’s never too late to start, and you can always start again.”
I had a foot issue as a child that kept me from participating in PE. After I got my foot fixed in my 20’s, my own limiting beliefs kept me from not realizing my potential for over a decade. I ran my first ½ mile at age 39, and since then I’ve run the Hood to Coast three times, backpacked some of the most challenging terrains and finished 2nd in my first triathlon at the age of 50! What’s been holding you back? Let’s break down those barriers and get started together. It’s never too late to begin a fitness journey so you can feel your best and live a long, healthy life.
How do you personally pursue an active and balanced lifestyle?
Remember, my fitness journey didn’t start until I was 40, but today, activity is like brushing my teeth, it’s just a way of life. TRUTH… I LOVE being way up high, deep in the mountains, but it’s A LOT of work hiking/backpacking to get there, AND it’s not fun AT ALL if I’m not in shape. So, I am committed to a base level of exercise so that backpacking trips are easier for me, otherwise I wouldn’t want to go.
What’s your “WHY?” Let’s work to discover the driving force for “why” you really want to get strong and/or fit, and how it will change the way you feel in your body and the experience of your life.
What strategies do you use to create a fun environment for your clients?
Really, I hope we laugh! We will try new things and change it up regularly to keep it fun. Some things will be easier than others. I hope we can lighten challenges and see our way through them with a shared “magic chuckle.” Learning to laugh through challenges, mistakes and hard times can make “growing” more fun.
Being curious helps too. How can we be more curious? Fun is a necessary part of the recipe to create a sustainable plan that becomes a lifestyle. Let’s get curious together and figure out how we can make exercise more fun for you!
Personality Traits: Curious, compassionate & communicative.
Training Specialties: General health/fitness, bodyweight training, and pilates.
Certifications: ACE Certified Personal Trainer, ACE Certified Group Fitness Instructor, Trained Balanced Body Pilates Instructor, ICF Certified Professional Coach
Major: Business Management & Communications, Psychology and Behavior Change (Concordia graduate)
Languages Spoken: English
Erica Richardson (she/her) - accepting new clients
“When we live afraid to fail, we don’t take risks, [and] we end up failing before we even begin.” ― Abby Wambach
When considering fitness and wellbeing, what are your top 3 values and/or priorities?:
Your relationship with your body and exercise is the most important focus for me. Finding the reason behind your drive to move your body and finding what movements help you feel connected to your body helps me foster safe and engaging workouts. These are things we will look at and talk through when we first meet so your workouts are catered to you. Your goals are also fundamental to me. I am a goal-oriented person; I like developing and seeing growth. If goals aren't your thing, I am here to help you decide your goals and break them down into bite-sized pieces. On that same note understanding what motivates you is just as important. This gets you through tough days and will help you get through tough workouts! Lastly, tracking your success is where we see how far you've come. From taking a few seconds off your mile to squatting your goal weight, recognizing you for being awesome is my favorite part!
How do you personally pursue an active and balanced lifestyle?
I like functional fitness. I take the stairs or walk and I love hiking. When I am working out in the gym I am usually weight lifting or circuit training. Making exercise a part of my daily habits is how I have found balance.
What strategies do you use to create a fun environment for your clients?
Making your workouts fun means doing what you think is fun! We have a lot of different ways to move our bodies and trying new things is always an option. If you're not sure what you like yet, that's ok, we can try out different things until we find something that helps you feel excited to exercise.
Personality Traits: Compassionate, reliable, open-minded
Training Specialties: General health/fitness, functional training, behavior change
Certifications: ACE certified Personal Trainer
Major: Applied Health and Fitness
Languages Spoken: English, Spanish (some)
Jenna Siegel, Fitness Coordinator (She/Her) - tentatively accepting new clients
“Success isn't about the end result, it's about what you learn along the way.”- Vera Wang
When considering fitness and wellbeing, what are your top 3 values and/or priorities?:
My top three values when it comes to fitness and wellbeing are safety (physical, mental, and emotional), authenticity, and variety.
Health and wellbeing is about feeling and accepting our emotions, letting them run their course, and being our authentic selves through whatever comes up in our life journeys. Allowing yourself to take the journey and feel like you have someone to help guide you in every step of the process is how I want each of my clients to feel. Fitness and wellbeing, in my opinion, should be about treating yourself as you would your best friend. Ideally you support yourself through kind words, actions, reassurance, and love. Together and in this fitness journey we figure out who you truly are and what your goals are, instead of living as you think other people want you to be. I will be your biggest cheerleader as we navigate your fitness journey together! :)
How do you personally pursue an active and balanced lifestyle?
I am so lucky that my full time job allows me to incorporate some aspect of physical activity into my daily life! My favorite form of exercise is taking a group fitness class. I love the community atmosphere! I also teach a few group fitness classes a week. When I’m not teaching or taking group fitness, I love to swim and play tennis or pickleball. I was a competitive swimmer and tennis player when I was younger. I believe that if you find the type of physical activity you enjoy most (which can be a process!) you’ll always look forward to it and it will naturally grow into other interests!
What strategies do you use to create a fun environment for your clients?
I believe the biggest strategy a trainer can use to create a fun environment for their clients is communication! I like to really get to know someone so that I can cater to their needs. I love to ask questions as I feel that’s the best way to really get to know someone. I also LOVE to acknowledge wins/progress! Big or small - it’s worth celebrating! When you train with me I hope that you will feel like you’re talking to your best friend, someone that you know has your best interests at heart and is always in your corner!
Personality Traits: charismatic, optimistic, passionate, empathetic, encouraging
Training Specialties: general health/fitness, behavioral change, HIIT/circuit training, strength training
Certifications: ACE certified Personal Trainer, ACE certified Group Fitness Instructor, Schwinn Cycling certified Instructor
Major: B.S. in Community Health Education and Exercise Science (OSU graduate), Minor: Physical Education
Languages Spoken: English
Jonathan Mccanless (He/Him) - accepting new clients
You are your best when you try your best.
When considering fitness and wellbeing, what are your top 3 values and/or priorities?:
Enjoyment: I value the enjoyment of exercise. I especially find enjoyment in lifting weights. Doing exercises in ways that aren't fun can feel discouraging and isn't something anyone would want to spend time doing. I want to prioritize my clients’ enjoyment with exercise above anything else so that they feel happy in the gym and outside of the gym. There is evidence that shows enjoyment in the gym can stem to enjoyment outside of the gym too. Determination: I highly value determination. Even though I love exercise, I understand that sometimes there are days where we just don't want to go, but through determination we can push ourselves to go anyway and find that we feel better for it. It is important to stay determined and consistently exercise to achieve goals in exercise and goals in other aspects of life too. Getting school projects and work projects done feels easier when on a consistent workout schedule because of the mental benefits that come from exercise as well as the boost in confidence. Overall Health: I value the physical and mental health benefits of regular exercise. Movement is key to a healthy body and as a result a healthier mind. There are studies that show mental health benefits from physical exercise by lowering anxiety and boosting cognitive function.
How do you personally pursue an active and balanced lifestyle?
I often look forward to the gym, especially weight lifting as it is my favorite form of exercise. I feel better after a good workout and feel like I am better able to take on the other challenges of life. Sometimes if I'm having a rough day or feeling overwhelmed with school there is a temptation to just skip out on the gym, but I push through and go anyway because I know that after the workout I'll feel better, happier, and ready to take on all of my challenges. I try to eat mostly whole foods, drink plenty of water, and sleep at least seven hours a night. I also make sure to leave some time to hangout with friends and relax with tv.
What strategies do you use to create a fun environment for your clients?
I will give every win, small or large, recognition. Small wins being things like completing the rep and set goal for an exercise and a large win being new records in progress. I want to make my clients feel welcomed and proud of the work they're doing, give them reason to come to the gym again, and a sense of progress. To make things fun for my clients I will incorporate a fun challenge in their sessions that works towards their goals.
Personality Traits: Supportive, determined, optimistic
Training Specialties: General health/fitness, strength/weight training, functional training
Certifications: ACE certified Personal Trainer
Major: Public Health Studies: Pre-Clinical Health
Languages Spoken: English, Spanish.
Owen Robles (He/Him) - accepting new clients
“Strength is never a weakness, and weakness is never a strength.” – Mark Bell
When considering fitness and wellbeing, what are your top 3 values and/or priorities?
My top three priorities when it comes to fitness and wellbeing are safety, consistency, and functionality. I teach proper technique and progressive loading so clients get stronger without getting hurt. I focus on steady habits that are easy to keep up, because small wins repeated over time become lasting change. I design programs that matter in real life, so training helps clients lift, move, and feel confident whether they’re going for a new PR or simply getting through a busy week.
How do you personally pursue an active and balanced lifestyle?
I pursue an active, balanced lifestyle by training with a mix of heavy powerlifting sessions and functional movement work. I prioritize mobility and recovery so I can keep training hard over the long run, and I bring lessons from four years of coaching and competing into my own routine. Competing has taught me how to prepare smartly, manage stress, and celebrate progress which are lessons I pass on to every client.
What strategies do you use to create a fun environment for your clients?
To create a fun environment for clients I focus on real communication and personalization. I learn what each person cares about, then build workouts that are challenging but enjoyable, adding variety so sessions never feel stale. I celebrate progress at every step, bring a friendly, serious energy to sessions, and keep things conversational so clients feel supported, heard, and motivated.
Personality Traits: Driven, encouraging, attentive, practical, curious.
Training Specialties: Powerlifting, strength training, functional fitness.
Certifications: ACE-Certified Personal Trainer
Major: Pre-Clinical Health– Physical Therapy
Languages Spoken: English, Malay, Chinese, Filipino.
Rose Binoya (She/Her) - accepting new clients
"Be fearless in the pursuit of what sets your soul on fire."
When considering fitness and wellbeing, what are your top 3 values and/or priorities?
For me, fitness and wellbeing are about inclusivity, confidence, and balance. I want every student to feel like Campus Rec is a space where they belong— no matter their size, background, or experience level. My goal is to help others discover what their body can do and to build confidence through movement, whether they’re brand new to the gym or looking to try something different. I also believe that wellbeing goes beyond workouts. It’s about supporting your mental health, finding stress relief, and creating habits that make you feel good long-term. Most of all, I hope students leave our sessions feeling empowered and proud of themselves.
How do you personally pursue an active and balanced lifestyle?
I like to keep my fitness routine fun and balanced by mixing up activities I enjoy. Boxing, resistance training, tennis, and yoga are my go-tos because they challenge me in different ways and keep me from getting bored. I also make sure to balance workouts with recovery- stretching, mindfulness, and rest are just as important to me as staying active. For me, it’s all about finding movement that feels good and supports my overall wellbeing, and I hope to help others discover what feels good for them too.
What strategies do you use to create a fun environment for your clients?
When I start working with someone new, I take time to learn what they enjoy- not just in terms of movement, but also their hobbies and what makes them feel good outside the gym. I use that as a foundation to create a program that feels supportive, engaging, and personal to them. My approach is always collaborative: I explain how each movement connects to their goals and lifestyle, and I welcome feedback so we can adjust together. When movement feels enjoyable, it’s easier to stick with, and that consistency is what helps us create life changing habits.
Personality Traits: Empathetic, optimistic, patient
Training Specialties: General health/fitness, functional training, mobility, behavior change, special populations.
Certifications: ACSM-Certified Personal Trainer, RYT-200, Trauma-Informed Coaching Certificate, PCC-AAS Exercise Science.
Major: Health & Fitness- Special Populations
Languages Spoken: English, Tagalog (conversational)
Shea van Butler (He/Him) - accepting new clients
"To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift."
When considering fitness and wellbeing, what are your top 3 values and/or priorities?
1. Consistency. This has been one of my strongest and longtime values. I believe that when trying to achieve anything that this is the strongest factor as it compounds. Achieving good consistency is a multifaceted concept that needs proper workouts, variety, smart recovery, movement maintenance/prehab, discipline and more.
2. Longevity. Also something that I feel very strongly about. Too much of our gripes that we tie to age or exercise in this society are actually tied to lifestyle or improper implementation. I personally plan to continue activity and sport at a competitive level well into old age. Adjusting activities and approaches to benefit someone for the long term and have them continue to move well and feel good are really the end goals at any age.
3. Health. When I first got into any sort of fitness it was because I greatly value holistic health/ wellbeing, and natural approaches. Unfortunately there are parts of the fitness industry that seem to stray from these core values and discredit the main benefits. I believe that overall health comes first and is the most important part of all things related. I believe in people healing and improving their bodies through proper diet and lifestyle.
How do you personally pursue an active and balanced lifestyle?
I pursue activity and balance through a variety of methods. For me personally being active is key to having a balanced lifestyle. It is a healthy outlet to keep me centered and purposeful movement is one of the best ways to keep my body feeling good. Specifically I like doing bodyweight type workouts, and my heart lies with endurance training. In the rest of my life I also am an outdoors enthusiast and love many different activities and sports. On top of that I try to be very aware of my diet & sleep.
What strategies do you use to create a fun environment for your clients?
First I build around someone's goals and experience to tailor the approach that they will enjoy the most. By focusing on enjoyment before something like performance I hope to create a good relationship with that person between themselves and activity. This base is really what will help someone stay consistent and motivate themselves healthily. Important aspects to this include unique approaches, variety, and options. My goal when teaching something is that the person learns not just how to do something but also why and how it works. Putting this together creates more engagement, confidence, and understanding, while improving form.
Personality Traits: Disciplined, empathetic, supportive, open minded
Training Specialties: Bodyweight, strength, mobility, endurance
Certifications: ACE certified Personal Trainer
Major: Applied Health and Fitness
Languages Spoken: English
Wilson Pelot (He/Him) - accepting new clients
“When you lose your money, you lose nothing. When you lose your health, you lose something. When you lose your character you lose everything.” -Harvey Keitel
When considering fitness and wellbeing, what are your top 3 values and/or priorities?
The number one thing I value is inclusivity. Gyms can be very intimidating especially for folks that are new, so I think that helping them feel welcome is really the best thing you can do to help.
Secondly, I value fundamentals when it comes to fitness. Oftentimes you’ll see a trendy “new” way of training pop up in the fitness space. All in all I prefer to use the training material that has been studied and that I know for a fact works.
Finally, I value integrity. Not only do I value it, I respect it, especially within the fitness industry where lying to make a quick buck is unfortunately all too common. Those that have integrity within the fitness space though, those are people that truly care about fitness and wellbeing.
How do you personally pursue an active and balanced lifestyle?
I personally have found that the best way to pursue a balanced lifestyle is by doing exercise that I find enjoyable. I am also very careful about not overdoing it when it comes to how much time I spend in the gym. It’s a good reminder that I don’t live at the gym, spend more time with the people I love instead of exercising.
What strategies do you use to create a fun environment for your clients?
One way I make it fun is by asking questions and seeing what their interests are. I love to learn and to meet new people so I feel like the conversations that come from that create a fun environment.
Another thing I do to create a fun environment is by being flexible and willing to experiment. To find out what types of exercises are fun to someone is extremely important to me as a trainer. Once we know what types of movements are most fun, we can implement them into the program and that will make it much more rewarding and satisfying to go to the gym.
Personality Traits: Charismatic, jovial, passionate, empathetic, encouraging, curious.
Training Specialties: General health and fitness, strength training, hypertrophy training.
Certifications: ACE certified Personal Trainer
Major: Exercise Science certificate from PCC
Languages Spoken: English
Zéa Abreu, Personal Training Student Coordinator (She/Her) - accepting new clients
"Your past is a tool, not a definition"
When considering fitness and wellbeing, what are your top 3 values and/or priorities?:
Fitness to me is finding movement that benefits all three major aspects of health: physical, mental and emotional. Having a training program that includes strength, functionality, endurance and cardiovascular training is how I achieve this. I define “fit” as the efficiency at which bodies can perform a variety of exercises and coordinatedly move through space with ease.
How do you personally pursue an active and balanced lifestyle?
I pursue an active and balanced lifestyle by implementing daily movement, being mindful of what I consume, valuing recovery, and practicing healthy-habits. I enjoy regular routine and structure, but also being spontaneous, stepping out of my comfort zone, and adventuring/exploring. I thrive off learning, new experiences and remaining open-minded. I regularly practice discipline and consider how things will make me feel before making decisions.
What strategies do you use to create a fun environment for your clients?
With clients, I enjoy collaborating to create healthy-habits that are sustainable and cater to personal lifestyles. I use “blueprints” for wellbeing, then adjust them based on client needs and/or restrictions. Repetition and routine are essential for growth, but I program in a way that allows for continuous evolution, challenge and creativity, so they never become bored in their pursuit of better health. I enjoy educating my clients and “asking the hard questions” to generate thought and self-reflection.
Personality Traits: Discerning, resilient, creative, curious, optimistic, insightful.
Training Specialties: Functional, endurance, strength training, health-coaching, nutrition-coaching, wellbeing programming.
Certifications: ACE certified Personal Trainer, ACE certified Health Coach, NASM certified Nutrition Coach, OSAA certified Sports Coach.
Major: Applied Health and Fitness–Health Coaching
Minor: Spanish Language
Languages Spoken: English, Spanish