Today we’d like to introduce you to Tania Rivera.
Tania, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I started my fitness journey probably over 20 years ago when a broken heart led me to be a runner. Fast forward my mid 30’s and my Mom’s breast cancer came back with a vengeance. At the time, I was a Client Services Manager at a local candy broker. Fitness and working out kept me sane while she battled cancer and post her death. It was the only activity that helped me deal with my feelings of losing my best friend. Her passing made me evaluate my life to really take a deep look. Was I fulfilling my purpose? Was I helping the community I lived in? That little voice inside of me answered No. I knew all along I wanted to be working in fitness to touch people in a way that would help them be better people but had been afraid. The voice had probably been there my whole life. I just ignored it. I was afraid of failure and of rejection.
With her passing, there was nothing in my mind I could lose. In addition, her death made me evaluate my mortality. How would my life be if I didn’t do what I was destined to do? I had to believe I could… so I saved money and then took a jump. My first job was a boutique fitness company and fueled my love for helping people find that same inner voice that I had ignored for so long. I LOVED helping them through birth’s of children, the passing of parents, transitions in life, all through movement and community. We were a team.
Once COVID hit and gyms were closed, I moved to an online space to keep that same energy going. This major shift in life led to the birth of the Transform with Tania. I train people online and in-person but the training is not just the aesthetic. It’s the mental shift you feel from watching yourself grow. When you come and join the tribe, you are coming to transform and release that superhero, that best version of yourself, that you knew was there but was to afraid to show the world or whatever emotion that stopped you from being your best self. We get there together… Transforming from inside out… the whole time crushing goals, watching that booty get tighter and smile get bigger.
Has it been a smooth road?
No. It has not. I had a lot of roadblocks or things that may have stopped me. People that thought I was too old to make a career change, managers who didn’t want to give me an opportunity. The fear of rejection was real and happened but I didn’t let it stop me. I know my purpose and will let nothing stop me.
COVID in itself required me to think outside the box with fitness. While it was and is a trying time for the fitness world, it taught me to be a better coach. No, I can’t touch you to help with your form but now I have learned to articulate my words so you can hear what I say and feel it in your body. It was another tool I added to my toolbox.
We’d love to hear more about your work.
Transform with Tania delivers personalized fitness as well as nutrition to help you to get your goals, whether it be to lose weight, add muscle mass or performance-related. Online Training as well as in-person options are available. I am most proud of the feeling that the company and its services give people. The feeling of yeah, I just did that, that was me, swaggy and sassy and how they revel in their uniqueness when they finish a session.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
It really all depends on what life looks like post COVID. I do see the trends of moving to online training or online classes really growing. However, people really like working out with people. It creates a sense of community that can fuel some top tier performance and consistent habits.
Fitness is a constantly evolving and changing world. It would be great if we kept that outdoor movement going much like during some lockdowns because working out outside is really good for you. The fresh air, the sun, the stimulation of the outdoor environment activates some real benefits for not just your body but your mind. I would say the online space will grow but there will always be a need for in-person or coaching to get people to where they would like to be physically and mentally.
Contact Info:
- Address: 1800 SW 10th CT, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312
- Email: tania.rivera.fitfll@gmail.com
- Instagram: transform_wtania
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TransformwTania
Image Credit:
The professional photos have two photographers David Hinds Photography and Maxson Media
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