We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Nichole Thames a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Nichole , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.
The world of physical fitness has been a part of my life since I was eight years old because of my involvement in competitive cheer, AAU volleyball, and track and field. As I got older, I realized the importance of having a healthier lifestyle. Since I always worked out on my own, I always had others pick my brain on my exercises. For instance, the joke that I have always received is that I have “spartan abs,” and people are always interested in knowing the additional exercises that they can implement to have a nice core. With this in mind, I decided to pursue a certification in personal training and nutrition.
Was it easy? Absolutely not! During the day, I am a higher educator, and much of my time is devoted to working one-on-one with my college students. Similar to my graduate program, I had to find ways to implement additional time to enhance my knowledge base in personal training. With the recent pandemic, I found myself looking for other avenues to help me stay grounded physically and mentally. This pushed me to become not only a certified personal trainer but also a certified nutritionist specialist.
One of the key takeaways about this lesson that I’ve learned during this process is that once you start, you HAVE to get it!
In the physical fitness world, there seems to be more of a promotion of male personal trainers, but there is an emergence of women personal trainers who are willing to put in the work and help others reach their personal fitness goals.
What I want the world to know about me is that being a petite woman does not hinder my ability to provide fitness expertise. With the number of years that I have been a physically fit former athlete, I have the capability to train individuals to enhance their fitness journey.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I am a proud native of good ol’ Waco, Texas, where my fitness journey began as a Track & Field athlete and winning the UIL State Track & Field title with my team in high school in Spring 2009. During this accomplishment, I was recovering from a massive knee injury where I partially tore my ACL, MCL, and meniscus and completely tore my PCL, which I no longer have in my right knee. Also, I played volleyball as a middle blocker and participated in competitive cheerleading as I was an all-around athlete.
Once I graduated from high school, I went up the road and attended the University of Texas at Arlington. During my time at UT Arlington, I had the fantastic opportunity to be not only a collegiate Track & Field athlete but also a collegiate cheerleader. After obtaining my Bachelor’s degree, I received my Master’s in Higher Education with an emphasis in Leadership for Student Success from Walden University.
Currently, I work in higher education by day and as an elite certified personal trainer and online coach by night in the DFW Metroplex. Having such a diverse background where I have various transferable skills has made me so excited to train! I am here to encourage, guide, and motivate my clients!
If you could go back in time, do you think you would have chosen a different profession or specialty?
Absolutely, as I do love working with others to reach their overall goals. Being an educator and personal trainer fits my personality as I have high energy and am a lifelong learner. I’m eager every day to put my stamp on the world so that I can continuously cater to help others reach their fullest potential.
My bittersweet moments as an educator are seeing my students graduate and providing me with accolades for helping them throughout their college journey. On the flip side, my top heart-warming moment as a personal trainer is being able to guide my trainees to transform into a healthier lifestyle and physically see their transformations.
I would not trade my profession as an educator or personal trainer for anything else. As quoted by the great Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are YOU doing for others?'” My ‘doing” is using my influence to make an impact and help others grow.
Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?
Being myself! Those who know me can tell anyone that I am a social butterfly! I’m energetic, fun, but will get the job done. Who wants to work with a personal trainer that has a bully mentality? No one!
A lot of times, people get intimated by personal trainers as they appear to be “drill sergeants.” Not all trainers are alike! I am a coach that is here to be my trainees’ accountability to ensure that they reach their fitness goals and are comfortable working with me as their trainer.
Another that is most helpful in my field is my God-fearing family. I have a robust support system that has pushed me to where I am today. Without them, I would not be able to do the things I do today. My family is an example of laying a foundation for a goal, working towards the goal, and successfully achieving the goal, all in the name of walking into our purpose.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.Nikkitfitness.com
- Instagram: NikkiTFitness
Image Credits
Photography – http://www.ceronelaceyphotography.com/ Instagram: ceronelaceyphotography Makeup Artist – https://klynnette.as.me/ Instagram – Klynnettemua