Chelsea Gilliam
Hello! I am originally from West Plains, MO. I went out of that state for college and graduate school, but the Ozarks are home to me. So in June of 2009, I moved to Mountain Grove, MO where my husband found work. I currently work as a Mental Health Therapist for Ozarks Medical Center, Behavioral Healthcare there and I am taking classes for my doctorate in psychology at Forest Institute of Professional Psychology in Springfield, MO. My family has been so supportive of my new Zumba endeavor and I can’t thank them enough.
So…why Zumba? I starting to feel the effects of getting older and we were also feeling the effect of having tried numerous workout plans…boredom! A friend asked me to attend a class and my first question was, “Zumba? What is Zumba?” I read a newspaper clipping, shook with fear and then decided to take the plunge. We went to our first class in Springfield and I was hooked! There was no pressure, no boredom, and most of all I laughed and sang the entire hour. The real motivation came the next morning when I was too sore to walk. "Wow! That was quite the workout and I didn't even notice it at the time!"
After several classes I could tell a difference in my body, stamina and the oh-so-dreaded morning weighing. There were no classes available in Mountain Grove or West Plains, so I began looking for certification classes. I wanted to continue my workouts, but most of all; I wanted to share our newly found, life-changing, fitness program with the smaller communities. It took me some time to get everything worked out so I could begin teaching classes, but I am finally doing it and I can’t tell you how incredible it is to see our hard work pay off. Every class that I hear success stories and see the students smile and laugh while burning calories, I am more motivated. I consider my students a special family and I thank you for support and for giving us a chance to share this fun new experience. Ditch the Workout, Join the Party!
