My Why : How I got here & what inspires me to stay.
Hi, I’m Grace — Pilates Instructor, Stretch Therapist, and Personal Trainer based in the South Bay.
This week, I would love to share something a little more personal with you : My Why.
I was asked a question this week:
“What inspired you to get into your line of work?”
It’s not a question I’ve been asked for quite some time. And perhaps a little self-indulgently, hearing it prompted me to consider a different, and, for me, far more interesting question. One I’d like to share with you in this week’s offering:
“What inspires me to stay in my line of work?”
The truth is that what first set me on this path, and what has kept me here, are very different things.
I came to health and fitness from a place of feeling a little lost. I was looking for something I enjoyed, something I could see myself doing, something that felt like me. An opportunity to train as a Pilates teacher presented itself, and in a perfect example of right place, right time, the rest is history.
But what keeps me here now is filled with far more intention, clarity, and hope.
If you’re curious, I’d love for you to stay a while and read on.
Connection
A natural place to begin when answering this question is with one of the foundational pillars of my work: Connection.
My work gives me the opportunity to connect with others in a way that feels meaningful and deeply human.
A connection that is mutually beneficial. I get to share my knowledge and passion, and in return, I am constantly learning from someone outside of myself.
From teaching group fitness classes to working more closely with one-to-one clients, I feel incredibly fortunate to work in a way that both creates and sustains authentic connection.
-
They say that if you want to meet people you truly connect with, you should look for those who share similar values and passions.
This is what the health and fitness space has given me.
Through my work, I’ve been introduced to a diverse pool of people, and, with time, trust, and consistency, some truly beautiful and lasting connections have been formed.
This alone has enriched my life in ways no amount of money ever could.
Teaching classes, in particular, has placed me in spaces where I’ve met people who would otherwise have been completely out of my reach—people of all ages, backgrounds, and life experiences. Clients have gone from faces in a room, to sharing a coffee, to becoming friends I genuinely cannot imagine my life without.
From fleeting exchanges to long-lasting relationships, what I’ve learned through these connections has shaped who I am today. And I truly believe that a life filled with connection is, at its core, what we are here for.
Purpose
Then there is purpose.
I’ve never seen myself as someone who simply “does a job.” Instead, I feel drawn to a way of living where the lines between work and life are less transactional, and more about how I want to show up in the world—what I can offer, and how I can impact others.
There’s a saying that when you do what you love, you never work a day in your life. I’m not sure I fully agree with that. This work can be challenging, demanding, and at times exhausting. But I do know how meaningful it feels to live in alignment with what I put out into the world, and that is something very sweet indeed.
When I first entered the world of fitness, I wasn’t connected to my body at all.
I didn’t know how to move it, how to make it feel stronger, healthier, or more at ease.
I didn’t know how to listen.
After years of learning and working alongside inspiring, knowledgeable professionals, my understanding of the body has deepened.
I’ve learned how to build a body that feels strong and stable, one that I hope will carry me well through the years to come.
And this is what I feel called to share with you.
What I know will always be just the tip of the iceberg.
There is always more to learn. But what I do know is that this knowledge has the power to support and empower others.
To help you enjoy movement. To help you live in a body that feels capable, resilient, and at home.
This is my purpose.
What keeps me here …
What inspires me to stay in this work is not perfection, aesthetics, or performance.
It is the quiet moments, the small wins.
The trust someone places in me when they step into a space of learning and vulnerability.
It is watching someone reconnect with their body—sometimes for the very first time.
It is seeing confidence grow where there was once hesitation.
It is being reminded, again and again, that movement is not about fixing ourselves, but about caring for what we already have.
This work keeps me grounded.
It keeps me curious.
And, it keeps me deeply connected - to others, and to myself.
That is more than enough reason to stay.
Health and Happiness,
Grace
If you are local to the South Bay and want to connect and feel supported with your movement - Let’s Connect.
