We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Marlena Freeman. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Marlena below.

Hi Marlena, thanks for joining us today. We love heartwarming stories – do you have a heartwarming story from your career to share?

The start of 2022 ,a pre-existing client of mines by the name Miss Martha divulge to me her medical complication that arise. Her and I had already been working together approximately 6 months prior, when Miss Martha came to me she had zero cartilage in her knees. Walking was a very difficult task for her because of her bone on bone knees. What we didn’t know at the time in 2020, is that we was preparing for a very deadly ,tumultuous battle with breast cancer.
While over coming the knee issues and the mental and physical stress of the pain, Miss Martha was able to lose close to 200 pounds. We didn’t know at the time we were getting her body ready for the real fight! With my direction and life coaching ,Miss Martha never gave up, she would still show up to the gym even after her chemo treatments ! I would get such anxiety because I knew how weak her body was but her mind and spirit and will to fight wouldn’t let her stop coming !! I hear today to tell you as of May1,2023 ,Miss Martha not only is thriving she beat the cancer while still taking care of her mother that has cancer and her three boys! Fitness saved her life , she is living proof that your will to live and follow god can over come anything!

Marlena, 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 have been an independent trainer for approximately 3 years, the start of the lock down. I come from a 10 year law enforcement background, where I was a Sergeant in the California Department of Corrections ,level 5 gang members. I was one of the few females on the SWAT team and my self alongside several other Officers ran the fitness academy for the new cadets coming in. While the money was great for a single woman with no kids fresh from the east coast, my mental health was suffering. Fitness saved my life ! Through a lot of trial and error ,becoming a professional bodybuilder and my law enforcement background it taught me discipline. I saw the that people didn’t take their health seriously until they have to fight for it ,including my self. In 2019 , I flatlined on an operation table, due to internal bleeding in womb. I lost 2 liters of blood and the doctor said I had a 20 percent chance of survival. Because of fitness I lived ! I believe in building people from the inside out now, there are a lot of pretty empty shells walking around that are afraid to say they are not ok. I am now a life coach and personal trainer , I have an exclusive type of clientele, people that are looking to elevate mentally, physically and spiritually. I have several success stories of people over coming adversity, while adversity builds character, I simply provide them with the right tools and a mirror to help unblock anything that is holding them back including their sleeves. I teach self love and respect, this is why my clients have such longevity with me.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

One of the lessons I had to repeatedly unlearn is the bad habits that was formed from the various trainers that I had over the years. I have had 5 different trainers and all of them had very bad habits with their clients and businesses. I currently have an injury from a trainer posing as a bodybuilding coach ,while others where very abusive and inappropriate. Unfortunately clients deal with a lot of narcissistic trainers that abuse their titles. There is a lot of trainers out there that prey on people. Choosing your trainer or coach should be handled like you would chose your doctor or dentist or therapist.

If you could go back in time, do you think you would have chosen a different profession or specialty?

Yes ! and yes again! The person I have evolved into could never go back to being in law enforcement. I am able to actually change lives and put them on a better path to finding out who they are and what they desire in life. I help other begin to love their selves flaws and all.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @Ifbbpro_anotherdamnleo
• Other: TikTok @Mickitheleo

Image Credits
Johnny ig @innate_flash_photo