Today we’d like to introduce you to Cassie Therrien.
Cassie, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My freshman year of college was pretty awful in terms of my health, I was in and out of doctor’s offices & the ER once a month for about 6 months straight, I was told I had elevated cholesterol levels at the age of 17 and was at risk of diabetes. Though you wouldn’t have known from looking at me because I wasn’t overweight, I was incredibly unhealthy. I was also the epitome of a “party girl” I was out drinking excessively 3-4 nights a week almost every week.
Sitting in the ER one day trying to distract my mind from out miserably cold I was while they, once again, pumped fluids into me through and IV I finally woke up. I hated feeling awful, hated missing class because I couldn’t get the energy to get out of bed and I didn’t want to think about what would happen if I kept going like that. I started taking baby steps in the right direction, first by decreasing alcohol consumption, then eliminating sodas, then fast food and eventually I felt motivated and committed enough to join a gym for the first time. I’m not exaggerating when I say after the very first workout (courtesy of bodybuilding.com at the time) I was addicted. I’ve always loved feeling strong and badass and no amount of partying and out-drinking strangers could compare to how lifting made me feel. I all of my free time throughout college studying (obsessing) over learning everything I could about fitness, articles, textbooks, anything I could get my hands on became my bedside reading.
Toward the end of college, I realized that fitness was my passion but it was far too late to shift gears so I accepted that it would have to remain a hobby.
After I graduated, I married a sailor and moved with him to California. A year after we were married was when I discovered that the military provided assistance to get my certification and I immediately signed up through ACE to obtain my Personal Training & Fitness Nutrition certifications. His next duty station was at Fort Gordon in Augusta, GA and were relocated in February of 2014. I was still in the process of studying for my exams at that point. In May of 2014 I suffered from a back injury, during a kayaking trip for Memorial Day we went cliff diving, when I jumped the impact of the water split one of my vertebrae in half and severely compressed another. I spent two weeks in a wheel chair and 9 in a half body back brace, then entire time in fear of paralysis in my bones shifted. I was briefly concerned that personal training was no longer an option for me but I didn’t stop studying, using what I was learning to nourish my body and performing light rehabilitative exercises to prevent muscle atrophy to promote successful recovery successful recovery.
The brace came off August of that year, I got my first job managing a gym in Augusta in October. I wasn’t able to begin actively regaining strength until November. I spent several months just trying to rebuild lost muscle mass and regain my strength. Having recovered from an incident that could have destroyed my chances of following my dreams I chose, with the unwavering support of my coworkers, to pursue another dream that I’d kept to myself. I signed up for my first bodybuilding competition in February. Finally, in March on 2015 I took my exams and received my certifications to begin training! That same month I switched to a 100% vegan diet (another long held aspiration of mine) My first bodybuilding competition took place in June of 2015 and I placed 1st in my division! As per the request of a local judge I was asked to compete in another much larger competition in October of that same year, in this competition I placed 5th overall. During this time, I was working full time as a personal trainer at all 4 Anytime Fitness location in the area and managing one of them part time.
They were eventually able to fill my spot as manager allowing me to train full time and soon thereafter take on the role of head trainer across all 4 locations. I took this time in my career to focus of success and work and my own strength. Though I loved the experience of competitive bodybuilding I chose to take a very long break from the stage to give my mind and body a break. I then shifted my attention to powerlifting & competed for the first time in a regional meet in March of 2016 and placed 3rd in my region. That same month I finally felt strong enough to get out of what had been an incredibly unhappy and emotionally abusive marriage. Having left my ex-husband, I realized I was no longer limited by his shadow and could pursue my career to its fullest, I began searching for job opportunities in Miami in June and moved to Miami in September of 2016. I am now aiming to carve out my place in the fitness industry, living in paradise! Health and fitness has on countless occasions saved my life both physically and through the empowerment and gained self-confidence to get away from toxic situations, environments and people. THAT is my motivating factor and why I love what I do. I hope to help my clients see that regardless of their past, their goals or their challenge that NOTHING in impossible and that we are all uniquely strong and limitless!
There is nothing more rewarding than seeing someone gain inner and physical strength and feel proud of themselves and their accomplishments.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the FitHappens story. Tell us more about the business.
I specialize in Personal Training that leans more toward Health Coaching. I don’t believe in throwing together workouts haphazardly or one-size-fits-all programs. EVERY person is unique and in turn every program is unique. I work with my client to build a healthy lifestyle that they can sustain not just rapid weight loss of muscle gain that HOPEFULLY sticks around. I provide guidance on every aspect of their lives from workouts, to nutrition to managing their stress. Everyone can be healthy and fit and reach their goals but everyone’s path has to look different.
In order to provide a service that works for everyone I focus on flexibility, I offer tradition one-on-one or small group training as well as online personal training.
My business is still incredibly new so what I’m most proud of is honestly my philosophy.
The industry in inundated with cookie cutter programs, black and white “do this not that” guides and way too much of the “it worked for me so it will work for you” philosophy. And that simply doesn’t work and isn’t mentally healthy, I want to show people how to truly learn about themselves, learn to listen to their bodies and learn what works for them.
Though I would say in a basic sense my specialties are muscle and strength gains what I weave into everyone’s program is lifestyle change and learning to fall in love with their own unique flavor of fitness.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
I plan to create a fitness company that makes health and fitness easily accessible to the average person. A business that makes it just as easy and exciting to spend your time being active and caring for yourself as it currently is to sit in a movie theatre and binge on processed foods. It all starts with where I am now, with motivating one client at a time and expanding to reach as much of the population as physically possible.
Contact Info:
- Website: fithappenspt.com
- Phone: 7062967281
- Email: cassie@fithappenspt.net
- Instagram: cassie_fithappens
- Facebook: facebook.com/fithappenspt
Image Credit:
Dave Simpson with Sublime Photography
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