Hi, I'm Stephanie, owner, personal trainer, and instructor at The Ridge Gym. Growing up, I was active in softball and basketball, attended Sparkman High then Giles County High, But, I had not stayed in shape after heading off to college at MTSU. After graduate school at Purdue, I started a career in Biotech at Vanderbilt, then in Huntsville with Applied Genomics, a small cancer research lab. Still I was pretty sedentary until a co-worker asked me to try out the fitness center in our building. This was in the spring of 2009. How eye-opening is it to try and run for just 1 minute on a treadmill when you haven't ran in 20 years? Well, that was the turning point toward my new life of healthier living and striving to be more fit.  I started walking and using the cardio equipment at our facility, and ran my first 5K, the Cotton Row in Huntsville in the summer of 2009. After that I was hooked! I started being more active, lost about 70 lbs, and eat healthier. After countless 5K's, many 10K's and 1/2 marathons, sprint triathlons, a couple of Olympic Tri's, and an ultra marathon (31 miles!), I have decided fitness has to be a big part of my life. I have trained at the YMCA, D1 Huntsville, Crossfit Impulse, Harvey's Gym, and for the last few years at The Ridge Gym. I am AFAA certified in Group Exercise and Personal Training, RRCA Run Coach Certified, and continue to take courses, certifications, and classes to improve my skills. I think we never quit learning! These combined experiences, classes, and instruction have taught me many aspects and methods of fitness which I continue to use myself, with my classes, in personal training and with my members. When the chance to purchase The Ridge Gym came up in the summer of 2013, I jumped at the opportunity. It feels like family here, to me and our members. I would like to personally thank everyone for making this the best job I've ever had!