We recently connected with Sharlie Peterson and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Sharlie thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear the backstory of how you established your own practice.

I created my own company, Shockwave Aqua Fitness, after observing a constant need in my state and in the aquatic world for effective aquatic fitness. Most aqua classes were not even requiring the instructors to hold certifications and the instructors were just reading off of a list of exercises to teach their classes. I created Shockwave in 2019 with the goal of introducing aquatic fitness to every age, mobility and skill level. In those 5 years we have gone from 30 class members to now having over 1500 class members in our city who participate in indoor/outdoor classes. Shockwave also has 10 instructors in Kansas who bring our training model to their teaching facilities.

It has been a challenge to have aquatic fitness taken seriously. The stigma is that it’s only for older adults who are barely active, when that’s just not the case. Because of that, it’s harder to pick up momentum not only in local gym and pool facilities, but in the fitness industry itself which tends to focus on how amazing land classes are while laughing at our form of fitness. However, through creative marketing via social media and in-house, we have continued to gain traction despite often times being treated as a joke of the industry. In 2022, Shockwave won two awards in the city of Topeka for Best Personal Training and Best Gym Option. This year, we are nominated for Best Female-Owned Small Business in Topeka. We continue to strive to show people that water is an incredibly effective workout tool where you can burn up to 50% more calories during your workout than you can with a traditional land-based workout.

To anyone just starting out, my main advice is to simply not give up. It’s not going to be a road full of rainbows and butterflies – quite often you will face challenges and adversity. But I promise if you’re passionate and stick it out, it WILL be worth it! I am someone who has a stomach disease which causes me to gain weight uncontrollably. That has been a huge obstacle for me that I have learned to use as motivation to other instructors who may not have thought they were good enough to instructor because of their size or their personal struggles. You can do what you set your mind to, and you never know who might be majorly influenced by your story!

Sharlie , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I started attending aquatic classes back in 2017 because my mom taught them. I was in a dark depression because of my health issues and decided to try a class. Before taking an aqua class, I wasn’t able to do many workouts because my body would give out on me from my stomach disease or make me incredibly tired. As soon as I got in the water, I discovered I could run and do jumps without it making a huge impact on my body. I was able to workout again and slowly build up not only stamina, but confidence as well. The facility my mom taught at soon asked me to become an instructor because of my energy and enthusiasm. So in the same year I started taking classes, I also began teaching them.
I now teach 10 different class formats and am recognized nationally for many of them, including our signature class, Aqua Jam. I also just launched my first exercise product, Shock Sticks, which are water drumsticks. We sold out of them in the first week!
I strive daily to show people that aquatic fitness can truly help them achieve their workout goals along with boost their confidence and help them to become stronger and happier overall. Many people are so afraid to set foot inside a gym due to the fear of being judged. When people see me, they often tell me they felt welcomed because of not only my energy, but because I myself am not a size 2 teaching on deck in a bikini. I have a real body that I talk openly about in the hopes that others will be inspired to come out of their shell and learn to have fun with their workout!
I’m proud of my company because we have made a name for ourselves backed on energy and the classes we teach. I called my business Shockwave Aqua Fitness because most people are shocked by the tremendous workout they receive and were not expecting to have. This is what I strive for everyday – to shock people with just how powerful the water truly is. Just because something is labeled low impact does not mean it is low intensity.

Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?

You as a person play a crucial role in getting people to not only attend your classes, but stick around. Being a fitness instructor is almost like a performance – people come and want a workout, but they stay based on who is giving that workout. Your energy, your enthusiasm and your constant planning and creativeness play such a big role in having a successful fitness class and business.

How’d you meet your business partner?

My business partner is actually my mom! My mom has been teaching aquatic classes since 2013, and she is who I learned and still continue to learn from. She keeps me grounded with great feedback from classes and is known to our class members as the true head of Shockwave. When you have a 72 year-old woman on the pool deck kicking your butt in an Aqua Boot Camp class, it’s truly inspiring!

Contact Info:

• Website: http://Shockwaveaquafitness.squarespace.com
• Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/shockwavefit_with_sharlie
• Facebook: http://www.Facebook.com/shockwaveaquafitness
• Youtube: http://www.YouTube..com/shockwaveaqua
• Other: TikTok: @Shockwave Fitness