Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Eleni Piperaki. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Eleni, appreciate you joining us today. If you had a defining moment that you feel really changed the trajectory of your career, we’d love to hear the story and details.

A defining moment that changed the trajectory of my career happened around 18 years ago. I am originally from Greece, where I earned a degree in French Language and Literature. After finishing university, I left Greece and became a stay-at home mom who planned to become a teacher when my kids became a little older. At the time, I was very introverted and shy. My hobbies were hiking, swimming, and going to the gym. I was always athletic, and loved the feeling of being strong, healthy, and pushing myself through physical challenges.

I would go to the gym almost every day, even if just for a little bit while my kids were at school. I joined a couple classes at the local gym; a Jazzercise class and a Body pump class. One day, the Body Pump instructor came up to me, commended my strength and form, and told me that she was resigning from her position. She asked me if I would be interested in taking her place. At the time, I couldn’t imagine teaching a class, especially in English. I knew the routine, but was terrified at the thought of standing in front of a group of people. I had been learning English throughout the years, but wasn’t confident in my ability to project and speak clearly. But, this instructor believed in me. She offered to co-teach with me, slowly easing me into the position on a volunteer basis before she left. Still nervous, I agreed.

That small push was the start of change in my life. After successfully co-teaching, I began teaching classes on my own – still as a volunteer. I was nervous every class and often stumbled over my words, but I kept going. My passion for fitness allowed me to overcome, and I grew in confidence and in my ability to speak publicly. But eventually, I had to move again.

After settling into our new home, I looked for a new gym to get back into my hobby, I began training again, and was often asked by other gym-goers if I was a trainer. When I would tell them I wasn’t, they would tell me I should seriously look into it. At this point, my children were older and I had more free time. I wanted to work, but wasn’t sure if I still wanted to teach French. My family reminded me that I had received so much positive feedback from the people attending the classes, that I should look into teaching classes or personal training as a career.

With their support and hours of studying, I earned my first certificate in Personal Training through the ISSA within the first year after moving. The gym I had been working out at did not have any women trainers at that time, so the opportunity was perfectly aligned. I began working there as a Personal Trainer in 2012. Since then, I have earned 7 certifications and trained countless clients. My youngest client was 14 years old, and my oldest was 88 years old. They all have had a wide set of abilities and challenges, which we have worked through together to achieve their goal of a healthier, stronger body. And in time, I overcame many of my own challenges through coaching in English daily. I feel far more confident now in my ability to teach in English, and in my ability to overcome obstacles.

The instructor who believed in me changed the course of my life. Aside from a switch in my career path, she inspired a growth in my self-belief. I want to inspire other people in that same way.

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 background and context?

I am a Greek, 50-something year old, mother and Personal Trainer who provides personalized training sessions for clients of all ages and fitness levels.

I have always loved fitness. I was an athlete as a child and continued working out regularly as an adult. In my early 30’s, I snapped a ligament in my leg during an exercise. Though I was healing, I knew I wanted to continue to work out and to return strength to that leg. I began to go to the gym more often to find alternative workouts. After not only gaining my strength back but exceeding my previous capabilities, I began volunteering as a Body Pump instructor. That experience pushed me to become certified as a Personal Trainer and begin training others.

Because of my own injury, I understand the challenges and limitations of working with injuries. My goal is to get my clients to feel the strongest and healthiest they’ve ever felt through my “tough love” approach. I believe in my clients and their ability to go beyond their expectations, so I listen to their needs while still pushing them to go past their own mental limits.

I also know a lot about perceived limitations as a woman in her 50s in an industry full of younger trainers where over 60% are male. My strength and abilities have often been doubted. Thankfully, the gym is a place where you can almost immediately prove yourself. Through the doubt, I have received a lot of admiration from both younger and older gym members. I am thankful to be able to motivate people of all ages to be more disciplined and dedicated to their health.

I am most proud of how I’ve been able to push the limits of my own strength. I am able complete 7 reps on an 800 lb plate loaded machine leg press. I can hip thrust 405 lbs on a plate loaded bar. I am able to complete 10 strict consecutive pull ups, and 10 weighted pushups with a 45 lb plate. I have maintained my mobility and strength into my 50s completely naturally through discipline and proper nutrition. I feel healthier now in my 50s than I did in my 20s and 30s.

What I want every person to know is that no matter your age, you are able to push your limit and achieve your goals. It doesn’t matter what your starting point is – you can always achieve more than you think you can. I still get inspired by my 69 year old client with a hamstring injury, who went from hip thrusting 75 lbs at the start of our training sessions to now being able to hip thrust 345 lbs. She accomplished that through her dedication to pushing her limits.

I am the Personal Trainer for competitive people who want to push themselves. I am there to motivate, support, challenge, and help my clients achieve what they thought wasn’t possible for them. Being Greek, I am very straightforward with my approach. Though I don’t sugar coat things, I will always celebrate you and your successes. I am passionate about helping people improve their health and feel proud of their achievements.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

Prior to the pandemic, all of my training sessions were in person. I had a client who was older who decided that the gym was not an option for her anymore, but who wanted to continue to train with me. So, we began doing online sessions through FaceTime. We faced obstacles, since we both had to figure out the best way to see each other while maintaining challenging workouts. We also had to get creative with her furniture and items at home, since she had minimal exercise equipment. Through body weight exercises, bands, and free weights, we were able to continue her progress. Three years later, we still do all of our sessions over the phone!

If you could go back, would you choose the same profession, specialty, etc.?

Yes, I would choose Personal Training again. Fitness is my calling. If I had stayed on my initial path and spent my life teaching French, I think I wouldn’t feel fulfilled. Though I still love learning languages, having lots of time to work out is important to me. And feeling strong and healthy is something everyone deserves.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/piperakifitness/

Image Credits
KT Sheridan (DreamyRealism)