April Client Spotlight

I feel like we have the best clients EVER here at my Sandpoint personal training studio.   I am so blessed everyday to learn from them and to be inspired by them.  Our monthly client spotlights allow us to shout out their hard work and dedication and hopefully to inspire others to get moving.

Susan Wickbolt made a commitment to herself in January to start her fitness journey.  I love her story so much because there was a certain timidity when she first started and now she has such a confidence and comfort when she comes to her sessions.

I have to giggle a little bit because I remember when she first started it was like dipping her big toe into an ice cold lake.  She wanted to do one private training session per week for one month.  It can be a little hard to hit goals this way so I wanted to make sure we geared the workouts in a way to best help her in the time frame we had together.

Soon, one month became 2 months and then she committed to a year! #DontTellHerButSheIsALifer 😉

I am so incredibly proud of her commitment to following through with her home workouts.  She has not missed a single home workout nor has she ever cancelled her one on one sessions.  Susan’s dedication makes me want to bend over backward for her because she is putting in the work to get the results she wants.  We just recently ramped up her level of home workouts so I can’t wait to see the impact!

Let’s hear Sue’s side of the story:

I am barely 3 months into my fitness program, but I have become much more stronger than I expected to be at this point. The program was definitely challenging for me at the start, and although I started feeling positive results immediately, it was at about 6 weeks that it took a drastic turn and I could really begin to see and feel my body changing. Along the way, my mental belief for what I thought I could do expanded as well. I am really appreciating the results I am seeing and feeling now and I feel so much better about myself that my whole disposition has changed to being more positive. I feel really proud of the progress I have made, but I must give credit to Missi for being instrumental in that progress! My tangible goal is to hike to the top of Mickinnink Trail and I feel I am ahead of schedule to being able to accomplish this goal. I have no fear or doubt that I will be able to do it!

Q: What is your favorite inspirational quote?

The  first one that came to mind was “You can eat an elephant one bite at a time”, but now that I should be watching my diet (ha!), maybe it should be “Shoot for the stars and hang on the moon!”

Q: What are your personal health and fitness goals?

When I first thought of addressing my personal health through fitness I honestly didn’t even think about goals until I tuned in to Missi’s Goals Webinar. Her goal setting process brought me through the deeper levels of asking “why?” and through that process, one specific goal I came up with was hiking to the top of Mickinnick Trail by July, but I am on track to do it sooner at the rate I am going.
I am also a member of her My Fit Pantry and my goal is to continue to incorporate the meal plans more fully into my eating habits.

Q: What ONE thing keeps you most focused and motivated to continue to work hard to reach your goals?

I have to say, the accountability of my weekly training appt. with Missi is the one thing that keeps me focused. I knew starting from ground zero (in my mind anyway), it was going to take some work to make the progress I wanted to. Knowing I have an appointment with her each week, helps me push through and I have gained much more strength to this point than I expected.

Q: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got started with us?

I was born and raised in Northern California, where I met my husband shortly after high school. We were married a couple of years later in 1988 and then moved up here to Idaho in 1994 to afford the property and home we desired to own. We have two daughters, Ally (21) and Valerie (18). I work at a local elementary school as a paraprofessional and support my husband in his construction business.
I first met Missi several years ago when she spoke about fitness at a MOPS event I was part of. I can’t remember what made me look up her fitness page on FB last summer, but I did and begin to follow her and shortly later I joined her Perimenopausal Group and then her My Fit Pantry Group. I was so impressed with the depth of information that Missi provided on all fronts; body, mind and spirit, that when my schedule finally allowed me to commit to an exercise program and I began looking for a Sandpoint personal training studio I had no doubt I wanted to go with her and it has been everything I hoped for and so much more!

Q: What did you think training was going to be like vs what it actually was or what you received? (Did you have concerns, Did you learn something about yourself/ your health, body or your experience… that you did not expect?

I thought training would be more like your typical gym experience, going through the equipment routines and getting coached to do them correctly. However, with Missi, the experience is so much more personal and interesting. To start, I have hardly done the same exercise twice since I began, so the variety really keeps it interesting and challenging. During the workouts, Missi discusses the “whys” behind the exercises so you better understand the benefits the exercises have for your body. She has helped me overcome mental obstacles too, by helping me with pivot  statements

like “I hated working on my core, UNTIL I learned that I could work through the discomfort and start seeing the results I had hoped for.”
I also thought I might feel embarrassed about my state

of weakness to start, but Missi has made me feel comfortable every step of the way. She has been a cheerleader for me on all of my improvements, no matter the degree, and has offered grace to me in the moments when I have felt I just couldn’t do anymore. She has a great balance between challenging you and knowing when not to push you any further. To boot, her transparent personality has just been a pleasure to work with. I feel like I not only got a fitness coach, but a friend with this package.

Q: How has Missi Balison Fitness made a difference in your life?

Missi has made a huge difference in my life on many fronts, but specifically she has helped me change my belief system about myself. I would have never imagined I would be able to exercise like I am now, and by this point of time, just 3 months in. Missi told me during one on my workouts that I was becoming an “athlete” and I believe I am. She has helped me accept the truth that although this does take a lot of work, I can gain the strength to do it!

Q: What kinds of milestones have you accomplished and what specific results have you achieved so far?

Some milestones I have accomplished is a 2 plus minute plank, standard push-ups (on my toes instead of my knees), and I can now do burpees and mountain climbers without feeling like I am going to die! I have seen my butt cheeks lift significantly (ha!) and I put on a tighter fitting blouse the other day and noticed I had no muffin top and much less back fat. My stamina has increased tremendously, along with my cardio, as well. Overall, I feel a thousand times better than I did when I started.

Q: What is your “word” of the year?

My “word” for the year is “intentional”.

Q. What made you decide to want to join Missi Balison Fitness?

I answered that above.

Q. What kinds of results have you achieved so far?

I touched on this above, too.

Q. What would you say to someone on the fence about making a change & committing to their goals?

I would say, “Don’t wait one more minute!” There is not one fear that Missi can’t help you work through, she is a safe place to fall for fitness and she will give 100+% to help you meet your goals. Do the work to set your goals and then work them through, it is worth it. I feel the ski is the limit to my fitness now, I would have never believed that 3 months ago.

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Are you ready (but maybe a little scared) to get started?  The Fit Beginnings Session might be the perfect solution for you.  This beginners only session is designed to get ladies more comfortable with the studio, to improve their movement so they can get more out of future workouts, to improve posture and strengthen the core and to help them be ready to move on to other small group training sessions.  LEARN MORE HERE