Eco Fitness - Our People

Dianne Anderson

Body Sculpt, Body Challenge
Originally from Boston, MA, Dianne is currently the Group Fitness Coordinator and clothing buyer for ECO. She has 10 years of formal ballet training. Her background for instructional training is from “The Firm” studios where she taught for 11 years and worked as a buyer for their national catalog . Dianne is also trained to teach cardio sculpt, step, interval training, seniors, and isolated stretching. Ask her about her biggest accomplishment to date . . . raising 2 teenage sons!

Jodi Bateman

Jodi has been teaching Spinning since 2004 and has been with ECO since early 2006. A former middle and high school teacher, she enjoys instructing in the fitness arena and encourages students of all levels to try Spinning. She recently completed the Madd Dogg Athletics Pilates certification and hopes to teach a Spin-Lates class in the near future. She took up road cycling a year ago and since then has proudly completed two half-century rides in the mountains. Off the bike, she enjoys her two adopted dogs, her friends and family and she works with the School-to-Careers Department of Charleston County School District.

Ian Blake

NSCA-Certified Personal Trainer
With his diverse background in professional rugby and endurance sports, Ian offers balanced, high energy exercise programs for all levels of fitness. An NSCA Certified Personal Trainer, Ian focuses on developing custom workouts for each client to maximize their fitness potential. He will help you get fit, motivated, and confident.
email: blakefit@gmail.com

Dan Boland

Circuit Conditioning
Dan has worked for ECO Fitness as a personal trainer since 2004 and teaches Circuit Conditioning every Saturday at 10:15am. Whether you are looking to tone up and slim down or sculpt and build your muscles, he can help you get on track with a variety of functional and dynamic exercises. He focuses on improving your core strength while mixing bursts of cardio with strength-building exercises in order to burn the most amounts of calories and fat. Dan loves to physically challenge his clients and uses motivation to create a fun hour of training. He also helps guide you with nutritional information that works for you.

He and his wife Elli, who is also and personal trainer here at ECO, own CoreForm Training Systems. They met in Germany while Dan played professional football in the German Football League. He grew up in Buffalo, NY and went to school at Holy Cross in Worcester, MA. They moved to Charleston in 2003 where Dan has enjoyed coaching football at James Island for the past 3 years. He recently earned his Master’s Degree in Special Education from the Graduate School at the College of Charleston.

With Dan, ECO Fitness, and CoreForm behind you, you will have the resources available to start working towards a healthier you.

Elli Boland

Beach Ball Blast, Cardio Pilates, All Levels Yoga, PIYO
Elli has been working in the health and wellness industry for 12 years. Before moving to America 5 years ago, the German native completed her graduate degree in physiotherapy, a combo of physical therapy, chiropractic, and massage. Elli has been certified in spinning, step, aqua fitness, kick-boxing, aerobics, Pilates, and yoga. She is also a personal trainer, certified by both AFAA and APEX.

The environmentally conscious Elli recently completed a BS in Exercise Science at the College of Charleston. She now owns her own business, developing a line of yoga street wear and more.

Elli uses Ayurveda, a holistic system of medicine, to guide her clients to find a lifestyle that works for them. With her open-minded, flexible, non-judgmental approach, she is able to draw on many disciplines to help you feel great and live your best life. In addition, with her large background in nutrition, she is able to help you tweak your diet so it works for you for the rest of your life.

Please join one of her classes or get motivated one-on-one by Elli!

Kimberly Brown-Massey

Cardio Sculpt, Body Sculpt
A former instructor for “The Firm” here in Charleston, Kimberly has been teaching classes for 15 years. She has taught cardio-weight, stability ball, and UrbanRebounding classes. She is trained in Pilates Mat and enjoys one-on-one sessions as a Private Pilates Instructor. She is the proud mother of Dalton, her 8 year old son, and looks forward to seeing you in class.

Jan Buckaloo

Star level 3 Spinning instructor, Jan has been working in the fitness industry for over twenty years. She has been teaching Spinning classes in the Low country since 2002. Jan holds group exercise certifications through AFAA, ACE, NEDITA, Reebok Cycling, LeMond Cycling and Spinning. Jan focuses exclusively on teaching Spinning classes at ECO in Mt. Pleasant.

Allyson Carter

Allyson's love of Spinning has taken her cycling the roads of the Low Country where she completed her second Century ride this past spring. Spinning has changed Allyson's life in so many positive ways, she hopes to convey her passion through her teaching and share with others the mind, body and soul connection with the bike.

Amy Condon

Amy embraced the lowcountry lifestyle while attending the College of Charleston and for 15 years has called Charleston her home. Over the years, the physical and mental benefits of excerise motivated her to become an AFAA certified group fitness instructor and a Johnny G. Spinning certified instructor. She hopes to encourage her students to embrace the mind/body connection associated with the Spinning program. When Amy is not in the gym, she volunteers for the Junior League of Charleston and enjoys boating with her husband of eight years, Chris, and their daughter, Elise.

David Cross

David is a personal trainer here at Eco Fitness. David has worked as a golf professional for five years but is now focusing on the fitness industry. He is currently AFPA certified in personal training and yoga. He specializes in core, toning and sculpting the body, endurance and weight loss training. Davis hopes to help clients recognize the mind-body connection and use it to affect a personal transformation.

Currently on the TrySports cycling and triathlon team, David competes in numerous triathlons from sprint distance to half-iron man on a regular basis with aspirations of eventually turning pro.

Janice Darby

Janice has been an exercise enthusiast for years. Played volleyball and basketball in high school, and continued to play beach volleyball after moving to South Carolina in 1988. Discovered Spinning seven years ago and has been addicted ever since. She has been a certified instructor with the Spinning program for four years, and has been with Eco Fitness for a year and a half. During the day Janice is a nationally certified court reporter and owns her own company providing stenography services, specializing in construction and maritime litigation.

In addition to Spinning and working out in general, Janice likes to spend her time traveling, hiking, playing golf, drinking fantastic wines, and most importantly hanging out with her husband, family and friends.

Nate Edwards

MS, CSCS, USAW
Nate is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, CSCS, with the National Strength and Conditioning Association which is considered one of the "Gold Standard" certifications in the fitness industry. He is also a Certified Club Coach for the United States Weightlifting Federation. Which certifies him to teach the Olympics lifts (Clean and Jerk, Snatch) which are used for power development and overall strength.

His area of expertise is in functional development as well as nutrition and weight loss. He received a BS in Cardiac Rehab and Exercise Science form Central Michigan University in 2005. Nate competed in NCAA Division I collegiate wrestling while attending CMU in the 165 weight class, ans was a two-time strength athlete of the year while at CMU.

Most recently, while serving as Graduate Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach, he completed his Masters Degree at the Citadel Military College in Exercise Science in 2007. Other experience include work at Auburn University as an Intern Strength and Conditioning Coach working specifically with the 2005 co-national champion football team.

Nate competes in regional and national competitions in Jiu-jitsu and mixed martial arts. He is the reigning Georgia Light and Heavyweight Gi and no-gi champion. Nate is originally from Port Huron, Michigan and arrived in Charleston in 2005.

Anne Finch

Anne Finch, MS, CWC

Anne is a Mount Pleasant native and a local triathlete, personal trainer, and endurance coach. She has her Master’s Degree in Physiology from MUSC. She is a certified triathlon coach through USA Triathlon, and holds several certifications for personal training and group exercise. In addition to her certifications she is a Certified Wellness Coach through The Wellness Forum in Columbus, Ohio and serves as a health and wellness advisor.

Her areas of expertise are in training endurance athletes (although she enjoys training all levels) and nutrition. Anne specializes in consulting individuals who are interested in an alternative, holistic approach to fueling the body for health, wellness, and performance.

Anne is a sponsored Try Sports Elite Triathlon Team member and races sprint through half-iron man distances. She also coaches many local triathletes and runners.

Timmy Finch

Timmy started Spinning in early January 2004 and taught his first class less than a month later--hooked from the start. Coming from a cycling background as a competitive racer on the road and track as well as a bicycle messenger in Washington DC and Seattle, Timmy enjoys bringing the feel of the road to indoors and his classes challenging. An entertainer with over a dozen years on the stage with The Have Nots! keeps the high-intensity rides fun ( a large ipod selection helps). His latest endeavors outside of Spinning is studying law at the Charleston School of Law (Class of 2009), keeping up with bicycle commuting and training on the road and spending time with his wonderful wife and crazy son.

Megan Fischer

Hip Hop, Kickboxing
Originally from Michigan, Megan is now a James Island resident. She has had over 15 years in formal dance training, and 3 in Martial Arts. She loves teaching because it gives students of all levels the opportunity to creatively express themselves while getting a killer workout! An avid traveler fluent in Spanish, Megan's other passions include salsa dancing, yoga, and tennis.

Anne Fitch

Heather Foley

Heather Foley, a native of Boston, moved to Charleston in August of 2006 to pursue her career as a landscape architect. Between Boston, New York and now Charleston, Heather has been involved with Spinning for almost a decade. Although new to instructing, the energy Heather brings to the studio is fresh and reflects her desire to bring the fitness level of her students to the next level. In addition to Spinning, Heather enjoys running in local road races and yoga classes.

Heather holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Vermont and a Masters in Landscape Architecture from Rhode Island School of Design. Heather currently works for DesignWorks. She is a Johnny G Certified Spinning instructor.

Ned Forney

Ned became a certified Spinning instructor in 2005 and enjoys teaching classes at ECO downtown and in Mt. Pleasant. He is an avid cyclist and frequently participates in century rides around the Southeast. Over the last four years he has also competed in numerous triathlons – from the sprint distance to half-ironman. Ned is the education director at Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum and was previously a high school teacher, cross-country coach, and school principal.

Todd Fox

As Director of Personal Training for Eco Fitness and Blue Turtle Yoga, Todd brings forth a culmination of exercise science and fitness experience. A Murray State alumni, Todd graduated with a degree in Exercise Science and a minor in Nutrition. Todd’s interests exceeded solely the academic approach by maintaining a 4-year letterman for Murray State’s NCAA Division I Baseball team.

He continued his career by obtaining certification in CSCS, Biomechanics, Nutrition, and becoming a Cooper Institute Master Fitness Specialist. Originally from Indiana, Todd has work experience ranging from an Exercise Specialist in a Sports Medicine Clinic to Fitness Director. Regionally he has been a Studio Director and Personal Trainer.

Heather Galloway

Heather Galloway, a native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, has resided in
the Lowcountry since 1995. With both an undergraduate and Masters degree in Education from Vanderbilt University, she has taught elementary and middle school education in Nashville, Atlanta, and Mount Pleasant.

After she and her husband started to raise their first son, Galloway retired from the school system and began to dedicate her time to raising her boys and keeping fit. While fitness has always been a passion for her, Galloway decided three years ago that she wanted to get more involved in fitness by obtaining
her Spinning Certification. Over the past three years, she has taught many hours of Spinning and has introduced many people to the great benefits and joys of it.

Stacy Gervon

Certified Pilates Instructor

A previous owner and proprietor of a Pilates-based studio and wellness center in Baltimore, MD, I have recently relocated to Charleston, SC. Practicing Pilates 10+ years and teaching 7+ years, I have discovered my philosophy of this type of movement. I believe that the fundamentals of Pilates provide a functional way to maintain a strong center/core and a healthy back as well as maintain proper posture, length and alignment. My intention is to teach you the functionality of Pilates and to provide you with the opportunity to develop and/or enhance your body awareness in class, so that you may incorporate it into your daily life. Create a Better Balanced Body...

Barbara Goodyear

My name is Barbara Goodyear. I have lived here in Mt. Pleasant all my life and am a graduate of Wando High School. I graduated from Trident Technical College with a Associates Degree in Business, and am currently attending TTC for Court Reporting. I am married and have 3 children. A son who is 27 years old, a daughter who is 17 years old and a stepson who is 23 years old. I have been a Spin instructor for 2 1/2 years. I have owned my house cleaning business for 15 years and that has alot to do with how I stay in shape. I am a certified Scuba diver and love to travel to foreign countries, the Bahamas and the Caribbean.

Sarah Greenwood

Sarah Greenwood is a certified white belt nia instructor, a certified yoga instructor and a reiki II practitioner. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Theater Performance and an Associates of Arts in Social Sciences. Her diverse interests in movement, healing, performance arts and humanity eventually drove her towards a powerful lifestyle transformation.
Sarah has studied with many teachers and has an extensive background in various kinesthetic, healing, performance and creative art forms. Sarah has experience in African, modern and other forms of expressive dance, as well as experience with and exposure to multiple martial art forms. She also has experience as a professional middle-eastern belly dancer. In her yoga journey, she has fallen in love with the style of luna yoga, which promotes management of fertility & menstrual cycles, as well as guiding sexual energy (beneficial for both men and women). She also loves teaching and practicing hot yoga. Sarah is certified to teach chakra work, pranayama, raja yoga and has studied many meditation techniques.
Sarah Divya is committed to how the body, mind, emotions, spirit and lifestyle work together and affect each other. After all of her various studies and experiences in movement, healing, performance and social arts, she desires to help others find their own unique path.

Pam Greer

Originally from Danville, Indiana, Pam has been living in Mt. Pleasant for 11 years. She has 3 kids and likes most sports, including golf and skydiving. She has 19 years of experience teaching aerobics and 8 years as a Licensed Massage Therapist. Pam is also AFAA and ACE certified, and has been Personal Training for 10 years. She enjoys teaching step, sculpting, hi/lo and senior classes. She strives to make her classes and training fun but challenging so it doesn’t seem like too much work!

Pam Greer

Cardio Sculpt, Step & Strength
Originally from Danville, Indiana, Pam has been living in Mt. Pleasant for 11 years. She has 3 kids and likes most sports, including golf and skydiving. She has 19 years of experience teaching aerobics and 8 years as a Licensed Massage Therapist. Pam is also AFAA and ACE certified, and has been Personal Training for 10 years. She enjoys teaching step, sculpting, hi/lo and senior classes. She strives to make her classes and training fun but challenging so it doesn’t seem like too much work!

Linda-Marie Hamill

Linda-Marie learned to teach at the Firm in Charleston in 1997 and has been motivated by the fitness industry ever since. She received her Masters degree from Furman University in Health & Exercise Science and teaches health & fitness courses at the Citadel. Her family is the most important thing to her and they love staying active!

Frida Hill

Frida has been involved in sports since grade school and has always loved the thrill of the game. She expanded her game to the dance floor and graduated from Coker College with a Bachelor of Arts in Dance. She has taught all forms of dance including ballroom. Frida has taken her love of sports and dance and turned them into her passion for physical fitness and received her training in endurance and sports performance as well as overall healthy weight loss goals. She encourages and provides her clients with the knowledge to help them include fitness and make it a life style.

Sarah Johnson

I migrated to Charleston from Kansas City. It has taken some time for adjustment to the southern way, but I think I am finally settled in!!

I work full time for an aviation company and teach spinning part-time. Spinning was something I got suckered into taking while working the front desk & then was eventually conned into teaching & I haven’t regretted it one bit!!

I look forward to seeing you all at the gym.

Sidney Breazeale Jones

Sidney is an ACE certified group fitness instructor with over 20 years of instructor experience. Her interest in fitness came from her extensive background in dance since she was the age of three. She is a NPC Fitness and Figure competitor holding the 2003 Overall Excaliber Fitness Championship title along with six top 5 Figure positions from 2003-2006. When she is not in the gym, she is working as a Health System Manager for Amgen or spending time with her husband, Bentley, and their two dogs.

Alice Keeney

Alice, a native of Rhode Island, fell in love with Charleston in 2000 after being recruited to play soccer for the College of Charleston, where she was a four-year starter. Alice has loved athletics all of her life, and has been Spinning since 2003. Spinning proved to be a perfect transition from the rigor of college athletics. Keeney works as a photographer covering news events for the Associated Press, while pursuing freelance opportunities. One of her true loves,
and greatest experiences, has been working with and photographing Grassroot Soccer, an African based non-profit which provides African youth with the life skills to live HIV free. She has traveled to Africa three times, and looks forward to exploring other parts of the world.

Katrinka Kusek

Katrinka has been teaching Pilates for the past ten years. She was a classically trained ballet dancer and used Pilates as her main source of exercise while dancing. She received her Pilates Mat certification through Balanced Body and received her Reformer certification through Stott Pilates. Mrs. Kusek has taught in New York and Chicago. Katrinka has just recently relocated to Charleston from Omaha, NE where she ran her own Pilates Studio for the past five years.

Lee Lazarus

Lee Lazarus is a nationally certified trainer with over 12 years of training experience. A life long multi-sport athlete, Lee started weight training at age 15 as a way to complement his collegiate wrestling. An immediate love of the results brought upon by weight training led to a career in exercise. As a graduate of the College of Charleston with an degree in Adult Health and Wellness, Lee has been training full-time since 1996. He won the USC-Spartanburg weight lifting title in 1992 and has previously competed in drug-tested bodybuilding events. While Lee specializes in core and functional exercise, he has a vast knowledge of general training and sport specific training. If asked what one thing Lee is the strongest in relation to exercise, he would reply that it is his attention to detail. Clients refer to him as a "form fana tic" due to his constant desire to improve exercise technique in order to improve efficiency and prevent injury.

Krista Leopold

Also known as “Reagan’s Mom,” Krista has been the Director of Group Fitness for several clubs in the Charleston, SC area. She has been “into fitness” her whole life, beginning as a dancer in Oklahoma then in New York City. The latter is where she became a certified fitness instructor and personal trainer. Her attitude toward fitness is “the more fun, the more better” and she strives to teach classes that are just that. Her jokes might be terrible, but she’ll provide you with an athletic yet entertaining workout that leaves no muscle untouched. Her experience and education cover a huge variety of fitness areas, including Dance, Weight Lifting and Body Building, Functional Fitness, Pilates, Yoga, Sports Conditioning, and Post-Rehabilitation and Injury Prevention, and Spinning, just to name a few. Krista’s credentials include a Bachelor’s Degree from Tulane University, certifications from NASM, Mad Dogg Athletics, AFAA, FiTour, and APEX. She specializes in functional training and targeted heart rate training, and uses her skills to improve performance for novices and experienced athletes alike.In addition to her experience in fitness, Krista also works full-time at SPAWAR as a Web Developer.

Jermaine Terrell Lewis

20 years of experience! AFPA Certified Personal Trainer. Specializing in strength training, sports conditioning, weight management and women's sports nutrition for athletes. My passion is too make you look better than me! I would love to train you!

Luciana Marcial-Vincion

Spinning Director
Luciana has been involved in the fitness industry for over 20 years. She holds a Masters Degree in Exercise Physiology from the Univ. of Florida and completed her undergraduate studies at Duke University, where she founded and directed the school’s first precision dance team. Her certifications include AFAA Group Fitness, ACSM Health and Fitness Instructor, Promise Boxerobics, Med-X Rehabilitation Specialist, and Johnny G. Spinning. Although she is a group fitness instructor and personal trainer, Spinning has become her focus. As a Master Instructor for Team Spinning-USA, she travels the country lecturing in health clubs and for international fitness conventions such as ECA, DCAC, Crunch, and the World Spinning and Sports Conferences. She is also the Global Team Manager for the Spinning Master Instructors. With a background in theatre and dance, she has appeared in and worked on many local theatre productions with Footlight Players and Charleston Stage Company, where she spent 2 years as the Resident Choreographer. Luciana was also a co-star on the fitness television program “Cardio Jam” based out Gainesville, FL. She resides in Charleston with her husband Chris and her two children Zen and Kalea.

George Martin

My name is George Martin. During the day I paint houses for a living and in the evenings I teach Spinning. I've been teaching Spinning for 10 years now and actually was the person who brought Spinning to the Mt.Pleasant area. I really love this exercise and through it I have met many wonderful people. It has changed my life for the better. I also enjoy cycling and if you can't find me painting or Spinning I'm usually on my road bike.

Jennifer Mcevoy

Muscle Mix, Step & Sculpt Half & Half
I’ve been teaching since 1994, and have been AFAA certified since 1995. I have taught group fitness classes ever since, everywhere from the campus gym at my college (Clemson) to a small town gym in Camden, SC, to high volume gyms such as LifeQuest (1997-2006) and East Shore (2006 to present). I have taught a variety of classes, including Step, Weight/Resistance classes, Circuit, and Seniors. My passion is helping individuals become the best they can be physically…from teenagers to Seniors. I have had a love for exercise and fitness since I joined my first gym at age 16 (Roper Health and Fitness…going way back!). I absolutely LOVE teaching. I have seen many friends and colleagues fall in and out of love with the profession, but I have never lost my zeal and enthusiasm for it…okay, maybe when I was 9 months pregnant with my second daughter…hauling myself up onto that step while speaking into the microphone did become quite tedious!!!
I am 34 years old and I feel like I have just come into the best time, physically, of my life. I feel great, I love people and I am wild about fitness! I know that I am very blessed to have a body that can do all the things mine can do, and I believe my talent for teaching to be a gift from God. I want to use my gift to the very best of my ability.

James McKenrick Jr.

Group Fitness, Spinning
I moved to Charleston 3 years ago from Atlanta and I am still trying to adjust to the slower small town pace of the Low Country. I started teaching fitness classes 25 years ago at the Clemson YMCA while attending Clemson University. I completed the necessary training and began teaching fitness classes back in 1983 and I have been teaching some form of group fitness ever since. In addition to working full time at Heritage Trust Federal Credit Union as an Assistant Vice President, managing the Collection and Recovery Departments., I currently teach 13 hours of group fitness each week including Step, Cardio Sculpt, Spinning, PIYO, Body Sculpting and Yoga. Cross training is very important and although I teach a lot of classes each week, they are all very different types of classes, which allows me to train my body mentally and physically in different ways. All the classes I teach work together to keep me balanced and in good physical and mental health. My other hobbies include outdoor cycling, hiking, camping, theater, movies, and getting together with friends. I am energetic and enthusiastic; I always work hard and play harder! I enjoy life to the fullest and always take the necessary steps to take care of myself. I am passionate about fitness and currently maintain certifications to teach various forms of step aerobics, weight resistance training, spinning / cycling, and yoga. You can find me on the Eco Group Fitness and Spin schedules as well as the Blue Turtle yoga schedule teaching several different classes at various times during the week. Come check out one of my classes and I look forward to seeing you in class sometime in the near future.

Lois Newberry

Lois is returning to Eco as a fitness instructor after living in Beaufort, SC for three years. She was an instructor here when it first opened and moved to Beaufort to start a personal training studio/gym where she specialized in functional training and spinning.
Lois has been teaching group fitness for 11 years and is certified through the National Academy of Sports Medicine, AFAA, AFPA, and Johnny G. She has two boys, 9 and 11, that keep her busy with all of their sporting events, and she loves nothing more than watching people improve their lives through fitness.
At Eco, she teaches a variety of classes, but she loves the boot camp style class and the Body Challenge classes with a mixture of compund movements (upper and lower body at the same time) to keep the heart rate up and boredom down.
Lois considers exercise to be a very inexpensive way to get much needed therapy, and she hopes some of the treadmill, elliptical users will add some variety to their routines and come try one of her classes.

Sally Niemer

Sally grew up in New Jersey, but has been living in South Carolina for 20 years. Charleston has been home for the past 15 years. She has a masters in Health Service Administration and has been certified with ACE and AFAA as an instructor and trainer. She also has a PFITT certification through the Copper Clinic. Married with two young boys, family consumes most of her time. She loves outdoor activities, being with friends and helping others reach their fitness goals. She teaches step, cardio and sports conditioning classes. When teaching, she tries to challenge the class but focuses on variety and safety.

Olga Odeide

Olga is a Charleston native who first became involved in Group fitness while at Clemson University in the early 80's. An ACE certified instructor with over 20 years of teaching experience, she leads a variety of dynamic step, cardio and sculpt classes. After recovering from a back injury several years ago, Olga expanded into teaching Yoga and Pilates with an interest towards a more holistic approach to working out. Always on the go, Olga loves being outdoors, spending time with her husband and daughter, learning new things, and hanging out with friends

Christopher Pulliam

Sports Conditioning
Christopher graduated as a varsity letter winner from Depaul University. He has 10 years of experience as a visual and performing arts instructor. He is a 5 year Capoeira practitioner and 2 years with a specialty emphasis in Capoeira with children. He has spent 2 seasons as a mentor with Team in Training for new triathletes. Come check out his challenging new Sports Conditioning class.

Christopher Pulliam

Christopher Pulliam is one of the newest additions to the Eco Fitness family and has been teaching group fitness classes (Sports Conditioning, Circuit Training, Capoeira Fintess) both Downtown and in Mount Pleasant. He has completed several open water swimming races, charity bicycle races, and multi-sports events including the NYC Triathlon and Firmman 1/2 Ironman. He has also practiced the Afro-Brazilian martial art/dance called Capoeira (CAH-poe-AIR-ah)since 2001 and was recently promoted to the level of Monitor at the third annual Raizes do Brasil Batizado in Brooklyn, NY. Christopher also has an extensive background in arts and education management and teaches classes for young people in schools, museums, and other cultural organizations.

As a trainer, Christopher relies upon his experiences as an athlete and as a parent in order to help clients find healthy solutions to managing life while also making time for fitness. Although eager to help develop programs that help you look great/lose weight, Christopher is more interested in functional fitness that helps clients move and feel as good as they look!

James Pushia

Tae Bo
James is a certified Tae Bo® instructor and an aspiring motivator! He has been practicing Martial Arts for 27 years, Tae Bo® for 5, and self-defense for 20. James has taught classes at Billy Blanks World Training Center. James hopes to teach his students the ability to communicate with their bodies. His program combines the best variety of different exercise disciplines to provide an overall workout. James’ Tae Bo® class is a great combination of self-awareness and the control of martial arts, the focus and strength of boxing, and the grace and rhythm of dance.

Aimee' Ratner

Aimee’ is an experienced athlete actively interested in all sports, especially baseball, cycling, kayaking, and swimming. She is a certified SPIN instructor [since 2004] and water aerobics instructor with a related specialty in joint strengthening and stability. Aimee’ was born in Miami Beach and was cycling and swimming pretty much before she could walk. She has done 2 AIDS rides, with each covering 300 miles over 3 days. For her day job, Aimee’ is a Certified Structural/Postural Therapist [KMI], specializing in working with people to improve posture, decrease pain, and increase movement. With over two decades as a player and professional therapist in the field of sports, sports training needs, and sport related injuries, she is particularly passionate about form, working with other athletes, and most enjoys helping people recover from joint injuries; including neck, back, and post surgical concerns. Her professional practice is enriched by a broad range of personal experiences in exercise training, numerous surgeries, physical and strength training, and the successful loss of over 100 pounds. In her spare time, you’ll find Aimee at the beach with her dog, or deeply involved in the exploration of new interests that serve to give her a sense of personal fulfillment, broaden her professional skill, and expand the wealth of resources she can use to help her clients. In addition to the above, Aimee’ has used Spinning to help keep the weight off, put off knee replacement surgery, have an incredible sense of accomplishment and have some fun.

Anne Richardson

Anne is a personal trainer and group fitness instructor here at ECO Fitness and Blue Turtle Yoga. She currently teaches a ball blast class twice a week. This class focuses on leaning and toning your body with the help of physioballs. Anne is certified through the National Academy of Sports Medicine for personal training. She specializes in core training, corrective assessments, weight loss training, and overall sculpting of the body. Her present clients include new moms, pregnant moms, men and women of all ages, and people with lower body back issues. Anne is extremely passionate about her two wonderful sons , Nicholas (11) and Ethan (9). "I love what I do because it Matters."

Anne Richardson

Jim Shields

Jim grew up in Wyoming, but after 20 years in South Carolina he is almost used to Charleston’s heat & humidity! Jim graduated from Indiana University with a double major in Chemistry & Biology. He is a retired chemical industry consultant who is now a full time NASM certified Personal Trainer. He is former team captain & trainer of what was then Chicago’s only undefeated corporate 10K running team. Competitive running is no longer in the picture, but Jim can occasionally be spotted jogging around Headquarters Island with his dog Jake. He is a long time student & instructor of martial arts with a black belt in Aikido.

Jim is an avid road cyclist who started Spinning in 1999 after knee surgery. He quickly became addicted & has been teaching Spinning since 2004. His classes are highly varied, but you can be sure every one will be both challenging & fun!

Kara Slick

Diesel Condition
A graduate of College of Charleston and resident for the past for 17 years Kara has made a significant impact on our fitness industry. Specializing in sports performance Kara has been teaching group fitness for the past 3 years specializing in athletic training and sports conditioning classes. She exhibits a healthy lifestyle out of work by sharing her love of the outdoors with her six year old son.

Kara Slick

A graduate of College of Charleston and resident for the past for 17 years Kara has made a significant impact on our fitness industry. Specializing in sports performance Kara has been teaching group fitness for the past 3 years specializing in athletic training and sports conditioning classes. She exhibits a healthy lifestyle out of work by sharing her love of the outdoors with her six year old son.

Elayne Smith

My involvement in the Spinning program is an example to me that many things in life come full circle. I say this because I was emerged in the Fitness Industry for many years as both an aerobics instructor and personal trainer back in the (eek!) 1990s. However, I later took another road, pursuing a career in Funeral Service, working in that industry as a Funeral Director and Embalmer for many years. After experiencing the physical changes of pregnancy (youza!), I had a whole new appreciation for fitness. Several years ago, I was introduced to the Spinning phenomenon. I knew I had found my niche. I had to get involved. I became certified and started teaching in the fall of 2006 and am delighted to have ridden with so many amazing people.

I hope that each time you ride with me, you may not only improve your fitness in terms of cardio output and calorie burn, but may also improve your overall Wellbeing. I hope you find here-in a supportive, non-competitive outlet for whatever is holding you back from your full potential. May you see, even if it’s only for that 45 minutes, just how immensely incredible you are. May you escape from the chaos of your life and just focus on you for that time. You deserve it. After all, you’ve got nothing to lose.

Renee' Smoak

Pilates
Renee' received her mat certification from Physical Mind Institute (New York) and her apparatus certification from Bodyworks (Durham, NC). She enjoys adapting apparatus exercises to the mat to provide more variety. Renee' remains true to Joseph Pilates principles while providing a challenging, faster paced workout. All levels are accommodated with appropriate modifications and variations.

Diana Lynn Snyder

Diana is a STAR level 2 instructor who began Spinning almost 10 years ago. She has been teaching since 2004 and used to teach at our downtown location before taking a break to start a family a few years ago. Diana is an avid runner and fell in love with Spinning while cross training for her races. The confidence she has gained through Spinning has lead her to compete in a few local triathlons. Diana is also an ACE certified personal trainer. She is excited to be back on the bike and to share her love of Spinning with others members. She lives in Mount Pleasant with her husband, Andy, son, Noah, and two cats, Belle and Padfoot.

Catherine Stephenson

Originally from New Orleans, Louisiana, Catherine began her fitness career at the age of 15 by working at the front desk at Franco’s Athletic Club throughout high school and eventually becoming a manager. From there she went to college on a tennis scholarship in North Carolina. She decided to take a year off to go to Boulder, Colorado to spend time with her older sister who had just retired from professional cycling. While there, she worked at Rally Sport Athletic Club and continued to teach spinning. She also had the chance to take Dave Scott’s (retired world class triathelete) spinning classes on a regular basis that he taught for world class athletes that lived in the area. Eventually, she transferred to College of Charleston and graduated with a degree in Communication Studies. She then tried the traditional 9 to 5 job and realized that here fulfillment came from teaching and working in the fitness field. Catherine is certified through the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), AFAA aerobics, and Body Training Systems. She has been teaching Johnny G. Spinning for 12 years. She plans to continue spreading her passion for fitness to others by encouraging them to lead a healthy way of life, learn more about fitness how the body works. She would like to eventually like to focus on adolescents and help them to build self esteem at an early age. Catherine enjoys running ½ marathons, hiking, kayaking, playing tennis, drinking good coffee and relaxing on Sundays.

Holly Stier

Holly has been an athlete since childhood. She enjoys almost any activity but has been most passionate about and involved in soccer, skiing, golf and tennis. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from the College of Charleston and is certified through the American Council on Exercise. Holly focuses on helping others to more efficiently and enjoyably participate in their daily activites as well as educating her clients about the long-term benefits of maintaining a balanced, healthy lifestyle. Her educational background has given her a more broad understanding of the challenges faced by certain populations that may need specialized programs. This includes most anything from pre-natal needs to osteoporosis and beyond. She works with all age groups and consistently tries to keep her training sessions fun, diverse and with enough varation to keep her clients satisifed and committed to achieving whatever goal is is that they aspire to reach.

Melody Tuttle

Pilates
Melody Tuttle is one of our area’s most renowned Pilates instructors. Her teaching style welcomes students of all skill levels to participate in an exciting and challenging pilates experience.

Melody has been a lifelong dancer. She has over eighteen years of ballet and received her Bachelor of Arts in modern dance from Coker College in Hartsville, South Carolina. She taught dance for five years and her understanding of movement has been a tremendous asset while teaching pilates.
Melody has eight years experience teaching pilates. She received her certification in mat and reformer classes from Glenn Studio of Dallas Texas; which required 300 hours of practice, teaching and observation. Since then, she has been a favorite in area studios, including: Earthling, Lifequest, Eastshore Athletic Club, Daniel Island Medical Center and the Family Circle Cup Tennis Center. She also specializes in Pilates during pregnancy.

Eco Fitness is happy to now offer private Pilates training sessions.Contact Melody at 696-7085 to schedule your half hour,or hour session today!!

Melody Tuttle

Melody Tuttle is one of our area’s most renowned Pilates instructors. Her teaching style welcomes students of all skill levels to participate in an exciting and challenging pilates experience.

Melody has been a lifelong dancer. She has over eighteen years of ballet and received her Bachelor of Arts in modern dance from Coker College in Hartsville, South Carolina. She taught dance for five years and her understanding of movement has been a tremendous asset while teaching pilates.
Melody has eight years experience teaching pilates. She received her certification in mat and reformer classes from Glenn Studio of Dallas Texas; which required 300 hours of practice, teaching and observation. Since then, she has been a favorite in area studios, including: Earthling, Lifequest, Eastshore Athletic Club, Daniel Island Medical Center and the Family Circle Cup Tennis Center. She also specializes in Pilates during pregnancy.

Eco Fitness is happy to now offer private Pilates training sessions.Contact Melody at 696-7085 to schedule your half hour,or hour session today!!

Catherine Vaughn

Originally from Clemson, Catherine moved to Charleston eleven years ago after college and now calls Charleston home. After working at Blackbaud in the computer software business for ten years, Catherine gave up working to be stay at home with her baby, Anna. Spinning has been a passion of hers for years and she attributes much of her sanity and happiness to getting on that bike every week. She has been a Spinning instructor for over five years and lives in Mount Pleasant.

Shelly Warters

With a relocation to Charleston, SC from Houston, TX also came a fortunate opportunity to reinvent my career and follow my passions. My interests in health and fitness began some time ago as I began and still continue to experience the many benefits of an active lifestyle. After being an avid Spinning student since 2000, I decided it was time to share my love of the sport with others and became a certified instructor through the Mad Dogg Athletics Spinning program. I also aspire to become a personal trainer and help others become more aware of the importance of wellness and physical fitness. Outside of the gym, I am a sailing instructor at Charleston's Ocean Sailing Academy and I also perform locally as an acoustic vocalist/guitarist. Together, my husband Dave and I enjoy running, swimming, weight training, playing music and sailing on our sailboat every chance we get.

Julius Williams

Julius Williams has worked as a personal trainer at Eco Fitness since 2008. As a former Division 1 track and field athlete he brings motivation, knowledge, and a competitive edge. Julius is a graduate of Ball State University with a bachelor’s degree in science. As a physical education major, Julius is able to apply workouts for every type of fitness level and goal. His area of expertise is functional training, nutritional guidance, and weight loss. His passion for health and fitness transfers to his personal life where he has participated in several half marathons and 5k races. As a personal trainer he strives to help his clients improve the function of their lives, inform them of lifelong benefits, and guide them through physical activities to assist them in their quest for total fitness and wellness.

Rebecca Young

Rebecca is a STAR 3 level instructor. She has been involved with Spinning for over a decade and instructing since 2003. For her, IT is about the music, others IT is about the ramped up calorie burn – the lucky ones will find IT in the mind/body connection-- whatever IT is for you, come on in...you'll get IT. Rebecca holds a Bachelor's degree in Nursing with experience in Pediatric ICU and Newborn Nursery. Currently, she works with adults in a medical spa setting. She is an avid road cyclist and participates in local century/metric rides. She resides on Johns Island with her husband and one very sweet Jack Russell.