Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Sandy Iro. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Sandy, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Do you think your parents have had a meaningful impact on you and your journey?
My parents are immigrants from Nigeria (West Africa), and at an early age they ingrained the significance of hard work while doing my best. My mom worked early hours as a home-health nurse. She would wake me up as early as 4am to join her as we cared for her patients in their homes. I witnessed so many acts of service in that time: patience, humility and compassion. She taught me what it means to be kind and gentle to others; even when the same was not returned. Dad was a firm believer that quitting is not an option! He pursued his education by obtaining his undergraduate and Master’s degree in less than five years graduating Summa Cum Ladue. Both of them pursued careers that involved high-level customer service and that’s where my love of helping others comes from.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I am a certified personal trainer and fitness enthusiast known for my fun and innovative ways to get women to feel empowered from within through movement. My passion to change women’s lives in the simplest and most realistic way is personal. While struggling with depression, fluctuating weight, and fibroids for over a decade, I knew the importance of putting her mental and physical health first. This goes beyond helping women look their best – it’s our connection through mindset, motivation and performance are why Sheroes pick me to be apart of their fitness and health journey.
As the owner of Fitness Shero, Sandy developed her own method of training which she shares daily with her clients whether that includes: 1-on-1 and/or group virtual training. She lives and teaches by the motto that health is a feeling from within not a look. My background consists of multiple forms of training including body fat loss, building lean muscles, low-impact exercises, and performance optimization while also integrating fun games and a sense of humor during my sessions.
Recently, I had a client who wanted to hit a weight lose goal of 20 pounds. We hit that goal in 90 days and she was so happy! We really leaned in the process and focused on her actions rather than results: walking more often, monitoring our eating habits and sleeping 7+ hours/day. This moment and many others I can say make me proud to be in this profession.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
May 2022, my husband and I were involved in a car accident. For me, it was my first car accident and I was absolutely rattled by it. I remember thinking, “Is this it for me as a Fitness Coach?” My body felt like a ton of bricks landed on it, I was bruised up and had cuts from the glass. My first bootcamp was projected to start a week prior, and was told by the chiropractor that it needed to be cancelled. It was one of the most devasting news to say the least. Here I was in the ER in pain and still wanting to fulfill my promise of having it. However, I did not prepare myself for the next six weeks of physical therapy. Therapy meant I couldn’t do the things I use to do. The occupational therapist reminded me to not focus on the things I cannot do, but rather the things I could do. That mindset shift changed EVERYTHING. I started looking at life as one big thing of what I CAN do and not what I canNOT do, and that mantra stuck with me until this day. The resilience it took to show up week after week, allowed me to put not only my body to the test, but also my mindset. Today, I preach that same ability to my clients and it never fails.
If you could go back, would you choose the same profession, specialty, etc.?
If I could go back, I would still choose the same profession. Working out means working out your emotions, working out your blockages, working out your limitations and working on you! It is truly my passion to see others go beyond their comfort zones and seeing them progress as they get stronger, leaner and happier.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.fitnessshero.com
- Instagram: fitness.shero
- Facebook: Fitness Shero LLC
- Linkedin: Fitness Shero LLC
Image Credits
Jazzella McKeel