Fit to Print Volume 25 Issue 1 March 2016 | Page 17

Perhaps you've seen her working at
the Front Desk. Maybe you've caught a
glimpse of her training youngsters in
the Queenax room, or supervising a

P

FitKids birthday party in the Café or Aerobic
Room. And you thought, “Why does she look
a bit familiar?” It's because she's Jillian Jacinth
and her mom is Eileen. While at Le Moyne
College, Jillian played Division II softball and
graduated this past year as a psychology major
and biology minor. She is an AAAI/ISMA
Certified Personal Trainer, an AFAA Group
Exercise Instructor, an ICG-certified Spin
instructor, and is Queenax Bridge certified.
That's a lot for someone just getting started,
but remember whose example she's observed
her whole life. We're so pleased to welcome
her to FI, and we asked her some of the same
questions her mom was kind enough to
answer. Cross-generation insight!

PS: Let me start off with the same
question I asked your mom - Were you an
athlete when younger?
JJ: Growing up I played almost every
sport imaginable, and I loved every
second of it. This not only allowed me to
become a well-rounded athlete with an
understanding of all of these sports, but
I was also able to absorb advice from
numerous coaches. I loved the fact I was
constantly going from one practice to
the next. Looking back on it, I am so
appreciative of the fact my mom not

Dynamic DNA Duo:
Cycling is in the Jacinth genome

&GEN Next
only supported me, but she also drove
me everywhere I had to be. From
watching my soccer games from the
car when it was brutally cold out to
traveling up and down the coast for
softball tournaments, my mom has
been the greatest influence
imaginable.
I grew up predominately a swimmer
and was very successful at a very
young age. That absolutely helped
mold me into the athlete I am today.
There came a point where softball
meant more to me than swimming,
and to keep up with both at such a
competitive level was nearly
impossible. I was fortunate enough to
be recruited to play softball at Le
Moyne College, and I wouldn't give up
my experience there for the world.
Being a student-athlete taught me so
many valuable lessons that I will
always be grateful for. Most
importantly, it helped mold my work
ethic and informs the way I now train
and teach classes.
PS: When did you first become
interested in fitness from a
professional perspective?
JJ: Doing something professionally
with fitness has always been something
in the back of my mind, but I can't say
there's a pinpoint to the exact start.
Seeing my mom's success with it
throughout my life has always made
me want to see what I could do with
it. I never imagined the opportunities
I've had thus far at FI. I've always had
a pretty strong work ethic, and I
absolutely love to bring that out in
others. The fact I that I can turn that
into something professional is
amazing. I thrive on people working
hard.
PS: Did you begin as a customer and
transition to a pro?
JJ: I'd say I began as a customer and
transitioned into the trainer and
instructor I am today. I've always loved
to work out. I basically grew up at
Fitness Incentive and observing my
mother (along with all of her friends
who happen to be instructors)
certainly made the transition easy. I've
had my own birthday parties here, my
Girl Scout troop visited, and I was on
the Babylon track team that took Spin
classes at Fitness Incentive. Many of
my peers can attest to the fact that
my mom always gave challenging
Spring 2016 FIT to Print

workouts, and it's part of the reason I
see Fitness Incentive as my opportunity
to take it to the next level.
PS: Discuss fitness from the perspective
of a trainer/instructor.
JJ: My perspective as a trainer and
instructor is, “I am there for you.” I
genuinely want people to succeed and
put forth their best efforts. I love that I
can provide that extra push and have
people work harder than they think they
can. Other instructors will absolutely
give you an amazing workout, but I think
a difference is that I can see the
potential. I want to push you to your
next level. I know my classes are
challenging. They're designed to be that
way. A great workout will occur when you
are working to your fullest potential. I
thrive on people telling me that they had
a great workout and that my class is
harder than my mom's!
PS: Talk about your relationship with
health and fitness.
JJ: Fitness is so important. It makes a
tremendous difference in every aspect of
your life. I could not imagine my life
without fitness awareness, but it is not
only about that. It is a lifestyle. I am
fortunate enough to be able to have
learned (and continue to learn) so much
from my mom, who is incredibly
knowledgeable. I grew up in a healthy
household, which at times is certainly
not the most exciting environment. But
that environment was a pathway that
allowed me to become immersed in the
fitness industry. I could not be more
appreciative of it. Being away at school
was definitely tricky, and I am guilty of
gaining the "Freshman 15" (plus some!),
but the experience made me appreciate
the value of a healthy lifestyle and the
work required to achieve it. Although
gaining weight is not something I am
proud of, I've gained so much knowledge
because of it. I experienced finding a
balanced equation: Diet plus exercise
equals a healthy lifestyle.
PS: Discuss your activities and progress
at Fitness Incentive.
JJ: With the help of my mom, we have
revamped the "Fitkids" program she
created years ago to capture the
attention of teenagers. FITeen not only

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