Originally from Manhattan, New York, Kristen received her undergraduate degree from SUNY Albany, and her Master’s of Occupational Therapy from Nova Southeastern University, where she continued to fall in love with fitness and nutrition while mastering education in the virtual space.
Kristen was fortunate to experience living in Sydney, Australia, and Queenstown, New Zealand as an exchange student, plunging her into the most unique and memorable experiences that she’s (luckily) lived to tell the tale of, such as white water rafting Fox Mountain (a class IV rapid!), bungy jumping the highest jump in the world (about 450 ft.!), and snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef! But, of course, holding a baby Joey kangaroo was her favorite memory of all. Kristen has a huge amount of gratitude to the Aussies for introducing this adventurous, daring, and thrilling version of her she never knew existed!
In addition to being an adrenaline junky and catching an extreme case of the travel bug, Kristen is a homebody who loves to spend time with family, especially her twin sister. One of their favorite things to do is watch movies, cook homemade meals, and play tennis or pickleball. Growing up in an Italian household, Kristen’s mom taught her everything I needed to know about cooking – some of her fondest memories are of making stuffed shells and cheesy lasagna with homemade meat sauce and, even though it would take hours, it was always worth the wait! There’s really nothing more satisfying than walking through your front door and getting hit with a whiff of your mother’s homemade Italian cooking.
After several years of learning the tricks and trades of the kitchen, Kristen’s become “that friend” who is the chef of the group and she loves it so much! She feels there’s something very special about putting in the time and energy into making a delicious, healthy meal for your loved ones. Cooking has been a form of escape for Kristen and allows her to demonstrate my creative and artistic side, along with playing the piano. She finds both music and food to be extremely valuable tools in her life to be able to express her true, authentic self.
And that’s ultimately what Kristen believes is the secret to a happy and fulfilling life — discovering what motivates you to be the best version of YOU!
Kristen is so passionate about promoting a healthy lifestyle and building a network of positive and meaningful relationships. The biggest life lesson that she’s learned is to surround yourself with people who will make you grow and lift you higher. Like we say: the right support system makes all the difference. Kristen is here to support you in achieving a healthier, stronger, and more balanced version of yourself, while you hit your goals together!
