meet stevie (she/her)
the journey to Ⓐctive ResistⒶnce
stevie (she/her) is a certified personal trainer (National Council on Strength & Fitness) and certified group fitness instructor (American Council on Exercise) who has worked in the exercise industry since 2007. she earned her Bachelor's of Science in Physical Education from the Florida State Univeristy and a master's degree in Sports & Fitness from the University of Central Florida, with an emphasis in Leadership & Coaching
having worked in group & independent movement instruction for more than 15 years, stevie has trained in large, national chains and at community and locally-run gyms. in 2014, she expanded her offerings to include outdoor classes and private training at public parks across Los Angeles. stevie added online / virtual services in 2020, making her classes and sessions accessible to anyone anywhere with an internet connection. as of 2023, stevie is honored to be training in-gym again (always masked!) in South Pasadena
stevie identifies as an activitist and community advocate, a path which began when she stopped eating animals in 2009. she spent more than 10 years working in nonprofit, before returning to teaching and training full-time in 2023
a committed student of anti-oppression, stevie's framework for movement training is justice-centered and trauma-informed; she is a person with multiple invisible disabilities, and her education is and always will be ongoing. Please see the REFERRALS & REPARATIONS section for more information
“We’ve been complicit—not out of malice but because we have been groomed and raised in a system of racial injustice that has relied on our obliviousness and/or apathy to maintain its uninterrupted operation”
― Sonja Renee Taylor, The Body is Not an Apology
about us
mission & values
- our mission is to disrupt oppressive ideas of 'fitness' through accessible & trauma-informed movement training
- we are committed to being anti-ableist, anti-racist, fat-friendly and queer-centered
- we are informed by and grounded in the work and teachings of Black, Indigenous, queer and trans movement practicioners who created & continue to cultivate decolonial f*tness, including chronically ill and disabled folx. See the "referrals and reparations" section for more information
- we believe our bodies can be sites of active resistance against traumatic, exploitative, colonial systems
- we are anti-capitalist while living under capitalism. we prioritize collective care: all services are sliding scale. reparation rates available to Black & Indigenous clients
certifications & education
- B.S., Physical Education (Florida State University, 2007)
- Certified Group Fitness Instructor (American Council on Exercise (ACE), 2024)
- Certified Personal Trainer (National Council on Strength & Fitness (NCSF), 2024)
- Cultivating Anti-Racism as a Practice in Inclusive Fitness Community (Body Positive Fitness Alliance (BPFA), 2024)
- Decolonizing Fitness University (Decolonizing Fitness, 2024)
- Exercise as Anxiety Intervention (National Academy of Sports Medicine, 2024)
- Fitness for Healing: Trauma-Informed Approaches (ACE. 2024)
- Inclusive Fitness Training (ACE, 2024)
- M.A., Sports & Fitness, Leadership & Coaching (University of Central Florida, 2010)
- Trauma-Informed Coaching (BPFA, 2024)
- Trauma-Informed Organizing: Personal & Collective Justice, Connection and Safety (Lisa Gallegos, LCSW, 2022-2024)
IN PROGRESS:
- Trauma-Informed Weight Lifting (Center for Trauma and Embodiment)