We were lucky to catch up with Rosie Soco recently and have shared our conversation below.

Rosie, looking forward to hearing all of your stories 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.

One of the most defining moments in my career came 10 years ago when I first turned to fitness as a way to cope with the loss of both my parents. The gym became my therapy, a place where I could channel my pain into strength. Fast forward to the pandemic, I gained weight and lost my fitness routine, but in the process of getting back into shape, I rediscovered my passion for fitness. This time, I not only transformed physically but mentally, reigniting my dream of competing on stage as a fitness competitor. It was during this personal journey that I knew I wanted to make a career out of personal training. My goal became helping others find the confidence and empowerment that fitness gave me. I’ve been through the struggle, and I’m here to guide others to their own breakthroughs

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My passion for fitness and competing started 10 years ago, but this year, for my 34th birthday, I wanted to push myself even further. As a mom, I know the importance of balancing life and personal goals, so I gifted myself a NASM certification. This allows me to share my love for fitness with others by providing custom plans tailored to each individual’s goals, all while ensuring they achieve them safely and effectively. Fitness transformed my life, and now I’m passionate about helping others, especially fellow moms, unlock their own potential.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

In 2014, I attempted to compete but ended up having a mental breakdown, which made me throw away my dream and turn my back on the fitness industry. It really weighed on me because I wasn’t raised to be a quitter and knowing that I never fulfilled that dream always bothered me. Last year, on the day of the Olympia, one of the biggest bodybuilding shows, I made the decision to chase that dream again. I made it to the stage on May 5th, 2024, and took last place. Now, you’d think that would discourage me, but it only fueled my fire. It taught me that I’m capable of showing up and doing hard things, things most people can’t imagine. I know if I keep working hard, I will absolutely beat the version of myself that showed up on that stage the first time.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

One of the biggest things I had to unlearn was how I spoke to myself. I realized that I couldn’t keep beating myself up when I didn’t show up as my best. Words are more powerful than we realize. There were so many times I’d tell myself, ‘There’s no way you can lift that much weight,’ and sure enough, I wouldn’t. I was limiting myself for no reason. But the moment I stopped speaking those limitations into my life, I discovered that I was capable of so much more. It changed everything—how I approached this sport, my career, and even how I treated myself

Contact Info:

• Instagram: rosiesoco

Image Credits

Dan Ray Photo
Matt Diamond