Meet our Superhero of the Month for October: Ashley Van Der Sluysveer!
This month, October 2021, we decided to change things up a bit and we chose one of our Team-Mo members as our superhero of the month.
Ashley Van Der Sluysveer started out here at Mo-Mentum as an intern from California State University, Long Beach (CSULB.) Ashley is an amazing, inspirational young woman and we are SO grateful to get to have her as part of Team Mo and as a Mo-Tribe member!
When Ashley started at Mo-Mentum, I thought she was kind of quiet and possibly shy. But it turns out that Ashley was observing and taking it all in. She was focused, learning, and growing into an incredible fitness professional right before our eyes. She is incredibly hard-worker, and is amazing at balancing her work, school, and self-care. She is an essential part of making Mo-Mentum the place that it is.
Ashely isn’t afraid to try anything. She’s always up for growth which usually requires stepping outside of our comfort zone. She takes in constructive criticism and comes back stronger. And Ashely never complains! She simply makes things work.
It takes a special person to become a world-class personal trainer, coach, fitness professional who helps people transform their lives to reach, maintain and surpass their goals. Ashley is definitely a World-Class human and professional and I am so grateful to have her as part of Team Mo as she continues to grow and help many more people transform their lives for the better.
Ashely is responsible, dependable, and amazingly grounded. She’s an incredible, driven, intelligent young woman who is a bright light in our world.
Thank you for always bringing your A-game to Mo-Mentum and being an A- player at Mo-Mentum Fitness and in our world!
A few words from our Superhero herself…
Specifics: age, job title, children, partner?
I am 20 years old. I am a full time student third-year student at California State University, Long Beach working towards earning my B.S. in Kinesiology, Fitness., an intern at Mo-Mentum Fitness, a figure skating coach at Lakewood ICE, and a recreation assistant at NWS Seal Beach Fit Stop. I have two adopted dogs, Duke and Bo, with my boyfriend, Dallas.
Describe what your life (and your health) was like before fitness.
I have been around sports my whole life. I grew up playing softball, cheer, gymnastics, riding horses, and mainly figure skating. I started competitively figure skating when I was 6 years old, and I kept competing until my freshman year in college. There was never really a “before fitness” period in my life, and I think growing up constantly trying new sports and being so devoted to skating really shaped how I view life. I make it a priority to focus on my health and stay active, and I always want to be able to move and do the things I want to do and not let my body stop me.
What kind of results have you seen since starting a regular fitness program?
In skating, the main focus during workouts is training legs. All the power needed for jumps and skating skills came from your legs and your arms were just there to look pretty, basically. I have noticed major changes in my upper body strength since starting a regular fitness program at Mo-Mentum Fitness. I have also started taking weightlifting classes where I’m learning how to perform Olympic lifts. It’s giving me a whole new perspective towards fitness, and I love it.
How did fitness come into your life (or back into your life)?
Fitness has always been a huge part of my life. There were definitely some periods where I only did it because I felt like I had to, but I’ve always had a passion for it. Some people call it crazy, but I actually like to workout. I love learning about the body and how it works and new things you can do with it. I love pushing myself during workouts and that accomplished feeling when I’m done. Growing up in such a competitive sport taught me how to prioritize my time and put fitness first. I spent my entire day at the rink practically. I would skate at 5 am before school, go to school all day, go back to the rink to skate another hour, workout for 2 hours off ice, and then coach skating classes in the evenings. My whole day would revolve around being active and taking care of my body, and that is something I hope to always carry with me.
What kind of changes have you seen there? What do these changes mean for you lifestyle, longevity, etc.?
Since starting training at Mo-Mentum, I noticed that I have more energy throughout the day. Spending a little bit every day working out and focusing on myself allows me to work harder and put more energy into other things, like school and work and my family. I also noticed that I am way hungrier than I used to be, so it has been a challenge learning how to prepare healthy meals for me to eat while still living a busy lifestyle. I think it is so important to learn these habits, though, because they really are small changes in your day that make a huge change in your life for the better.
Why do you make fitness a priority in your life?
I make fitness a priority in my life because it makes me feel good. I just feel so much healthier and happier when I workout versus when I don’t. It also gives me confidence in my skin just knowing all of the cool things I am able to accomplish with my body because of my strength and constant movement.
These days, what makes truly happy and feel at peace?
I feel truly happy and at peace when I am hanging out with my family. I love spending quality time with my parents, with Dallas, and with my two dogs, Duke and Bo. I enjoy spending my free time going to the beach, hiking, and trying new restaurants!
How do you feel compared to 1 year ago?
One year ago, I felt a lot like I was just going through the motions. Due to the pandemic, I was working a job I didn’t really like just to pay the bills. I was going to school online, and it felt like I was just doing homework to get it over with, not to actually learn anything. It was still a positive time for me, though, where I learned a lot about responsibility and being an adult. But now, I feel so much happier. Even though life can still be stressful at times, I am so much more confident in who I am, and I am working towards building my dream career. I am surrounded by strong, fun, wonderful people everyday at Mo-Mentum who push me to become better and inspire me in so many ways, and I feel like I’m actually making a difference in peoples’ lives.
Team Mo and I choose our SUPERHERO OF THE MONTH based on several important factors that we believe reflect the values on which the Mo-Mentum Fitness world-class culture has been built upon.
Mo-Mentum’s Core Values Include:
· Mindset for growth, constant never-ending learning – if you’re not growing, you’re shrinking.
· Over-deliver on all we do.
· Tribe – we all need a supportive and inspiring tribe, people we can be ourselves around and who nudge us to be one percent better every day.
· Transparency – We believe in honesty with ourselves and with others of course.
· Vitality – We believe in living vibrantly and living all out with courage and passion.
Love,
Amanda and Team Mo
