Today we’d like to introduce you to Sharon Gingrich.
Hi Sharon, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I wasn’t a super athletic kid. I played recreational soccer and for my school teams but I grew up as an Army brat so it was always just treated as a way for me to interact with other kids my age rather than as an actual sport.
I didn’t come back to it until after I graduated college and I decided to get my referee license so I could stay involved with the sport and make some pocket change on the weekends.
I started to work my way up the ladder and felt myself really struggling to keep up with the higher levels, not to mention I was constantly getting injured. I started strength training and was absolutely sold.
Over time, I felt improvements in my confidence, my body image — all on top of the obvious improvement in my athletic performance on the pitch. I realized that my passion wasn’t working where I was as a biochemist and I became certified as a personal trainer.
It was around this time that the pandemic started and I was laid off from my biochemistry job. I managed to find a gig at my local gym doing online classes and making youtube videos for members to use while gyms were closed down. I learned a lot and truly loved what I did and I was able to get my first clients through that process virtually but I knew that I wanted to start my own personal training business so I started Upbeat Athletics.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has definitely not been a smooth road. We were living in Philly at the time and shortly after I started my business, my spouse got a job offer and we moved to Baltimore. It’s tough to re-build a book when you move to a new community that doesn’t know you well.
I was very lucky to have a supportive spouse and I quickly found my place within the Baltimore community. I also was able to retain many of my Philly clients through the virtual training systems that I had started with initially.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Upbeat Athletics?
Upbeat Athletics was started in order to promote positivity within the fitness space via specialized personal training. It has grown to be so much more than that over the last two years as I’ve worked with so many people of varying backgrounds that always felt the gym and strength training was beyond them, either because they were intimidated by the gym or overwhelmed by how to get started.
First and foremost, we promote balance and having fun during our workouts. Working out isn’t something that should feel like a chore. We want people to enjoy the journey, not just the end result. Because when you enjoy that journey, the results become sustainable for the rest of your life.
This year, we launched a new online group coaching program called Build-Up: BASICS which focuses on strength training for beginners and comes with trainings, a workout program, as well as weekly calls with me to check-in and ask questions.
Because it’s online, it makes personal training much more accessible to so many people and even comes with guidance on how to work out from home if a gym is out of reach. It’s been such a joy to watch people go through an absolute transformation in how they feel towards working out and see them go from intimidated to thriving with strength training.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
I feel that I am very lucky! I have a spouse and parents who supported my career change even though it meant the loss of job security. I am fortunate to have amazing clients who trust me to guide them through their fitness journey which can be a very vulnerable process.
I am a part of a wonderful community of trainers and educators who have the same vision as I do with strength training. That’s not to say there isn’t a ton of hard work that happens daily. The hours are long and there never seems to be enough of them but I do feel grateful every morning that I can get up and do what I do.
Contact Info:
- Website: theupbeatathlete.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theupbeatathlete/
Image Credits
Khoi Dang Photography and Anthony Eng Photography
