Anaheim CrossFit West
Al grew up participating in traditional American sports and has always had a passion for health and fitness all his life. At LMU, Al began playing rugby where he lettered on the varsity team three years. After graduating with his business degree, Al played on the USA Men’s National Rugby Team and four-time National Champion, Belmont Shore Rugby Football Club. Through rugby, Al was fortunate to travel and live in Australia, Europe, and New Zealand. After retiring from rugby in 2000, he decided to attend Pepperdine University for his MBA. Al trained at a “globo-gym” for many years until a friend recommended CrossFit in 2006. Al and his wife, Stephanie, were immediately hooked after their first workout and have not looked back. Al has been extremely impressed with the dedication,... Read the profile >>
Renaissance Club Sport & RIPPED
ALUMNI AMBASSADOR... It was in January of 2008 when Alex Isaly, along with business partner Terry Shorter, created the R.I.P.P.E.D. concept, “What we wanted to do was come up with something unique and different in the group exercise arena,” said Isaly. “With R.I.P.P.E.D. we’ve developed a sports-based, fun, high energy exercise format that caters to all types of athletes from beginner to elite by encompassing several components of fitness….Resistance, Intervals, Power, Plyometrics, Endurance and Diet/Nutrition”. Since the inception of R.I.P.P.E.D., Alex and Terry have added a third member to the team, Fernanda Rocha, Fitness Expert/Instructor, of Laguna Beach. As a Fitness Expert/Instructor, Alex’s passion is not just about instructing people to exercise properly, but to... Read the profile >>
ALUMNI AMBASSADOR... Amy Cady, owner of ABC Pilates in Laguna Niguel, CA is passionate about helping people seek healthier lives. She also believes in developing a community of innovative and caring instructors. These two aspects of her philosophy are what makes ABC Pilates a very unique studio. Amy has an extensive list of certifications and experience, which she enthusiastically shares with her staff and clients. She embraces and brings to the studio a fun and creative environment in which care is taken to provide a healthy outlook on fitness and wellness and supports clients in their discovery that a fit, strong healthy body is achievable. As a mother of two children, Amy is committed to empowering women to be confident mothers and have a healthy and happy experience through... Read the profile >>
It was love at first Savasana… My initial experience in this meditative resting pose at age 11 set into motion my personal journey to discover the peace that exists in a state beyond dream, sleep, and waking. An Orange County native and yoga practitioner for over a decade and a half, I have been fortunate to study with many yoga masters. I was part of the second graduating 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training course ever offered in Orange County at Yoga Place (now Yoga Works) under renowned Iyengar yogini Karin O’Bannon. In 2004, I graduated Summa Cum Laude from Chapman University where I founded the school's first Yoga Club in addition to my studies in religion, philosophy, psychology, and sociology. I have since completed 35 units of post-baccalaureate study in anatomy, physiology,... Read the profile >>
CorePower
Candice started practicing Yoga in South Africa where she was borne. She teaches a Vinyassa based flow class that focuses on acknowledging and accepting your own Inner Strength and Beauty. She creates a safe, challenging and fun environment to grow your practice. She believes Yoga allows us to integrate our "seen" Physical, with our "Unseen" mental, emotional and spiritual bodies. Candice is Yoga Alliance accredited completing her teacher training through Yoga Works and continues to study and practice with some of the top Yoga instructors. Candice is also the South African Ambassador for Charity Group S.O.A (Soul of Africa) a non profit organization that removes landmines in Africa and throughout the world. Read the profile >>
Chelsea was born and raised in Orange County, California. She grew up with a strong interest in fitness, which drew her to many activities, such as soccer and cheerleading. Throughout her soccer career she made the all-star teams, and as a cheerleader she made captain. She left the OC for a short time to attend University of Arizona. While she was there she continued to display her strong interest for fitness, taking special fitness classes through UofA. There she graduated with a degree in Education. She knew she always wanted to be a teacher, but still had a strong interest in fitness. After attending a Pure Barre class she became addicted and began learning the technique. Now that she is opening a Pure Barre she will be able to combine her passion for teaching and her passion for... Read the profile >>
CorePower
Dava's journey towards "Union" kicked off as a boy with his love for Martial Arts. At the age of 7 he began training under Grand Master Hee Il Cho and earned his black belt in Tae Kwon Do at the age of 9. As a teenager, Dava sat his first 10-day donation based Vipassana Meditation course under the guidance of S.N. Goenka, opening his life to the cultivation of awareness and the balanced mind that he stresses frequently in class. Dava graduated from Soka University of America in 2008 where he studied in depth both Eastern and Western Philosophical perspectives, earning his Bachelor of Liberal Arts there. After practicing Bikram Yoga off and on for 4 years, Dava wandered into Corepower Yoga Aliso Viejo for his 1 week trial; falling for the warm and supportive nature of the community. Dava... Read the profile >>
24 Hour Fitness and nThewsdFitness
ALUMNI AMBASSADOR... Doris Dodge-Thews has been a professional in the fitness industry for over 25 years. She was a College athlete and then became a national fitness expert / educator and now owns her own personal training business, nThewsdFitness. In 2008, Doris was proud of being named a Lululemon Ambassador in Irvine. Doris created and leads the Irvine Lululemon Run club as well as leads fitness events and classes for Lululemon. She wore Lululemon in all her marathons in 2008 including the Boston marathon. Doris was a featured speaker at the San Francisco Women’s Nike Marathon. She has been featured or interviewed by various publications as a fitness expert including the LA Times, Fitness Magazine and several fitness blogs. Doris is a Master Group Exercise Instructor for the... Read the profile >>
YogaWorks Mission Viejo
ALUMNI AMBASSADOR... Erin is a certified yoga teacher who leads Anusara-Inspired classes. Erin draws much of her philosophy and motivation from the elements of nature she experiences while running and surfing – she believes nature offers the greatest gift to our spirit. Her teaching style invites playfulness and laughter while guiding her students to connect to their innate goodness and strength. Read the profile >>
Laguna Yoga Shala
ALUMNI AMBASSADOR... Itay Dollinger has been teaching yoga for the last ten years and is currently teaching and managing the Laguna Yoga Shala in Laguna Niguel, California. Itay's teachers include Erich Schiffmann and Tim Miller and he has studied the Ashtanga system with Sri Pattabhi Jois (Guruji) in Mysore, India. “My goal as a teacher is to inspire a passion for practice. The practice itself, done accurately and consistently is the teacher.” Read the profile >>
Bikram Yoga Irvine
ALUMNI AMBASSADOR... Jeffrey Wang | Owner/Director Bikram Yoga Irvine Raised in Orange County California, I started my yoga experience with Bikram Yoga in 2000. My desire has always been to offer something that moves people in a positive direction. In December of 2008, we opened Bikram Yoga Irvine and every day, the journey continues. Read the profile >>
YogaWorks Mission Viejo and UniversalYogis
ALUMNI AMBASSADOR... Jessica began teaching yoga to teens for her Mothers fitness business at the age of sixteen in Minnesota. After taking several years off and settling in San Clemente California in 1990 where she now lives with her husband and two daughters she rediscovered her early passion for yoga. As a new mom in a new community in 1990 Jessica began teaching Mommy & Me yoga under her companies name UniversalYogis. UniversalYogis blossomed into a mat and prop company and developed yoga for babies, kids, teens, and all adult levels. These classes are offered though San Clemente Parks & Recreation at the beautiful historic Ole Hanson Beach Club. For class info. call 949-361-8264. Jessica Seabern offers a vigorous yet calming class pairing the physical and the spiritual... Read the profile >>
Jill Danielle Goodwin - Jill has been in the fitness industry for over 25 years. She is a lead instructor on FIT TV's Body Waves and has appeared in numerous fitness videos and infommercials. Her video "The Solution" was rated as one of the top 7 video picks by Seventeen Magazine. Jill has written for many publications such as Teen, Jump and Seventeen. She has a strong dance background as a national competitor and brings that expertise to her teaching at The Renaissance Club Sport and The Sports Club where she has been named instructor of the year twice. She holds a BA from the University of California, Irvine and has certificaitons from ACE and AFAA. She is proud to be a part of the LULULEMON family as an ambassador for 2011! Read the profile >>
ALUMNI AMBASSADOR... Micki’s passion for fitness began at the age of 5 when she began dancing and continued through college where she completed her Bachelor’s degree in Communications with an emphasis in Public Relations. Soon after graduation, Micki launched into the corporate world and was successful in sales. All of that success in the corporate world took Micki’s focus off of her own health. She had 2 children and let her health slip even more. Weighing in at 194 pounds, Micki needed to make a change. She remembered how it felt when she was fit in her 20’s and longed for that feeling again. Nothing could stop her. It was December, 2006. She had 1 & 3 year-old daughters and she was now in her mid-30’s. Micki was determined and ready. With old dance injuries... Read the profile >>
Corepower Yoga and AsanaFit
ALUMNI AMBASSADOR... My name is Shelley McVicar, I am married and have three wonderful children. I began my yoga journey five years ago and now my entire family practices... I teach hot yoga, power yoga, and a unique blend of heated yoga with weights and body sculpting. I teach at Asanafit in San Clemente, and Corepower Yoga in Aliso Viejo. My goals are guided by my passion and love of yoga, and I think yoga is a beautiful tool to use to help adults and children develop a healthier mind and body. The more we practice yoga, on and off our mats, we can become more tolerant, patient, and loving towards ourselves and others. Read the profile >>
Anaheim CrossFit West
After a competetive gymnastics and diving career in her younger days, followed by a very long absence from sports, Stephanie joined the CrossFit community in 2006. She began doing CrossFit in Huntington Beach and soon realized how the functional movements of the workout applied to everyday life. It was clear to see that CrossFit was the tool that was helping Stephanie regain her athleticizm. Starting out so weak that she could not even do one push up or sit up, Stephanie left that woman behind to become strong, confident and a fierce competitor. Stephanie is a Registered Nurse, holds a Level One and Olympic lifting certificate, and is Anaheim CrossFit’s Nutritional Advisor. Nutrition and recipe writing is a passion of hers as well as her four children and family. The effects of... Read the profile >>
ALUMNI AMBASSADOR... Before entering the fitness world, Terry Shorter took center stage in the entertainment industry. Shorter was a successful singer-songwriter/music producer and dancer, which is why it came as no surprise when this endless list of talents translated into an even more inspiring and influential master fitness instructor. His passion to be a fitness instructor happened 10 years ago, when his beautiful wife, Tina, encouraged him to take some group exercise classes with her. Soon after that, he was hooked, quickly got certified, and became a master presenter for Turbo Kick. Terry and Tina, both became cast members for Turbo Jam in 2005. In July of 2008, Terry desired something new; he knew with his talents in music and a drive for fitness, he had a good... Read the profile >>
I currently train clients, at their homes, parks or at local beaches in personal and group fitness settings. My passion for fitness has grown over the years due to several set backs and lack of confidence from doctors and people around me. I believe strongly that I can help people acheive their goals toward fitness and health in a fun, unique and exciting way. I pride myself on making all of my sessions and group classes different and fun. (never teach the same class twice) I am constantly researching new equipment, fitness trends and taking continuing education classes on everything from injury prevention to the next up and coming fad. I have a strong background in running and I have helped hundreds of people cross the finish line in their first race. I work with everyone I train... Read the profile >>
