Sean’s Story

I am the owner and operator of Jackalope Fitness.

My career in health & wellness follows a route different from many. I was a chubby kid throughout middle school and truly believed that I had no athletic ability. I dreaded going to gym class each day, always being the last one picked, the last one to finish running laps, and the first one to be made fun of . After a growth spurt in high school, I became a tall, lanky teen who still believed he had no athletic ability. It wasn’t until my junior year of college that I began to change my thinking about myself, my body, and by ability to change my life.

In college I began to jog regularly. After college I became a member at a gym and started to lift weights for the first time in my life. I was amazed by the changes I saw after only a few months. It was incredibly empowering to know that I achieve something in an area in which I previously felt I had no control.

Because of this increase in self-confidence and my desire to help others to feel the same way I did, I decided to make a career change. In 1996 I became certified by the American College of Sports Medicine as a Health/Fitness Instructor®. Once I had obtained my certification I went to work at various health clubs in San Francisco, eventually becoming Director of Fitness at the Embarcadero YMCA, managing the health & fitness programs of the 53,000- square foot, 5,000-member facility.

The only drawback in creating and managing programs in that position was that my one-on-one contact with members became limited. So, in April of 2004 I decided to leave that position so that I could once again interact with clients one-on-one and teach group exercise classes. My true joy and inspiration comes from helping to facilitate change and watch people achieve newfound confidence and higher levels of physical and athletic ability.

I love working with people. Creating fun and effective programs is where I find my passion and joy. It allows me to be creative while also requiring that I constantly stay abreast of the latest research, programming, and trends in health, fitness, and wellness. And, each client brings a personal variation that requires me to adapt my skills and knowledge to a new angle. Seeing them fit into a dress they never thought they could or hearing about a compliment they received at a party, or hearing them say that they never thought they could do all that they have done are what makes my job worthwhile.

And, it helps to keep me active, too!