We’re teaming up with Blue Shield of California to celebrate local Bay Area moms who have inspired us to seek healthy, balanced lives. This week, meet Erin Kreitz Shirey, Personal Trainer, Coach and Founder of Power Fitness PDX.
Ever since her high school days, Erin made a commitment to improving the health, wellness and self-esteem of women through athletics. Now she teaches new moms how to regain their emotional and physical strength, proving how an active mom is significant, powerful and inspirational.
Red Tricycle: You’re part of a group of moms that are on a serious mission. What’s yours?
Erin Kreitz Shirey: It’s to help people live their most vibrant, active and healthy life possible. To help educate people that regardless of where they start with their health and fitness goals, they can not only achieve new goals, but surpass them.
RT: How do your kids interact with what you do as a trainer and coach?
EKS: My kids don’t know anything but being active from the get-go. And now, as I teach early morning boot camps and shoot fitness apps and videos, they help as participants. But more so, they help create many workouts. I incorporate what they’ve learned in their school gym classes to make it more challenging for adults!
RT: I’m sure your kids have said some pretty funny things during workouts then.
EKS: Last week, my daughter Emerson said to me, “Mommy, I am going to take over teaching your boot camps when I am older. You will be SO OLD that I’ll have to make sure I am the fast and strong one!” I love that she is already thinking about teaching with me and about fitness being part of her everyday life!
RT: Funny! But there have been some harder moments with your girls too, right?
EKS: Both my daughters were hospitalized with life threatening conditions—my youngest when she was only 7 weeks old, my eldest when she was 6 and a half. It was during this time that we saw a need for quality childcare for siblings of hospitalized kids. So my parents founded the Believe in ME Foundation to raise funds to create the first-ever sibling room—a room for siblings of hospitalized kids so that they may have as much interaction with their brother or sister as possible during their hospital stay.
RT: You must have learned so much from those experiences.
EKS: Absolutely. Parents need to take care of themselves while taking care of others. You need that inner strength for when the unfortunate and unexpected events arise to be in top form.
Be Like Erin! Blue Shield of California’s Wellness Challenge:
Sometimes the hardest road to fitness is simply just changing your mindset. Says Erin, “Get away from the idea that your strongest times have passed, and believe that your strongest self is just getting started.” Changing your thinking and getting active sets a good example, not only for your kids but for all you encounter. Every workout you do inspires someone else!
Blue Shield of California is an independent member of the Blue Shield Association.
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