Ann was born and raised in Fenton Michigan, the youngest of 11 children. During her senior year of high school, she started teaching group exercise classes which inspired her to pursue education in health and fitness. She attended Alma College where she achieved a bachelor’s Degree majoring in Exercise and Health Science. Upon graduation, she moved to Houston Texas to work in the employee fitness center at the Enron Corporation where she worked for 10 years. As Assistant Manager of that gym, she did fitness testing, exercise prescription, wellness promotion and educational programming. She was a very active member in the Enron Running Club and often placed in local 5k and 10k races. Her interest in running continues today having completed 2 full marathons and 37 half marathons.
Ann attended massage school at Healthmasters in Houston Texas and has been a licensed massage therapist since February 2002. She enjoys doing body work on fellow fitness enthusiasts, long distance runners and cyclists and focuses her work on injury prevention and pain management.
Ann also teaches group exercise classes at Bally Sport. Her favorite formats are step aerobics and strength training. 2014 marks her 28th year as a fitness instructor.
Her other interests include lifting weights, reading, shopping on eBay, traveling, volunteering at the Maxfund Animal shelter and caring for her 3 rescue cats Georgio, Armani (shown in photo) and Canoli.
Ann has been sight impaired since age 3 due to congenital macular degeneration. Her disability is often frustrating but is more often the source of her self motivation, drive and desire to succeed. One of her favorite inspirational quotes comes from Helen Keller:
“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.”