Breana’s move to the fitness world was a bit unconventional. She played basketball in High School and tried out for the inaugural lacrosse team on a whim her sophomore year. Her junior year she decided to commit to lacrosse and was offered a scholarship to play for Ursuline College located in Pepperpike, Ohio. There she pursued a degree in Biology with a minor in chemistry. She was given the opportunity to present her research proposal in epigenetics at the Ohio State Research Symposium and published Vitamin E and Alzheimer’s Disease – Is It Time for Personalized Medicine? in a peer reviewed journal Antioxidants with her professor/mentor Lynn Ulatowski.
Aside from her educational accomplishments, Breana played at an NCAA Div. II college. Her team was named the Great Midwest Athletic Conference Lacrosse Champions in 2016. Breana was also nominated to play overseas during her collegiate career and represented the United States.
After finishing her degree Breana came back home to California and started her preparation for medical school. She was also able to return to her high school to help coach their lacrosse team. In between studying for 6-9 hours a day, coaching lacrosse, and shadowing she made sure to make time for the gym. Exercise seemed to be the only thing keeping her sane during intense study sessions.
Exactly one week before her Medical College Admission Test Breana totaled her mom’s 20+ year old Toyota. Thankfully no one was badly injured but the impact it made it made on Breana was lasting. She realized being in a room alone studying for hours daily wasn’t making her happy and if medical school was going to be just like that, she knew it wasn’t for her.
That’s when she found the health and fitness industry. She came to realize that exercise and nutrition is the best form of preventative health! It is also highly individualized! Because each person she works with is truly unique, so is her approach. She has been in the industry for more than 4 years. Her clients have been able to reduce chronic pain, improve overall strength, lower blood pressure levels, and improve their self-esteem among other things. She tries to figure out solutions that work best for them. The more she learns about her clients the more complex she finds the solutions can sometimes be. To address those complexities, she continues to learn and earn more certifications like the NASM CES and CSCS.
