HEALTHY. Nimble. Confident. Kinetic. Enthusiastic. Resilient. Energetic. Kind. These are just some of the words that describe the founder and owner of Forward Motion Fitness, a personal training business that offers physical strategies and programs to clients in the East End of Pittsburgh. Founded in 2006, Shannon O’Malley, a member of the National Council for Certified Personal Trainers (NCCPT), is a onewoman powerhouse who gives her clients whatever they need to meet their health and fitness goals.
The epitome of fit, O’Malley has the bounce and energy, not to mention the physique, that for most of us evening, weekend, or early morning risers who hit the trails, treadmills, bikes, elliptical machines, and gyms remains as elusive as losing those last 10 pounds.
An athlete since she was a toddler, with more than 20 years of diversified athletic training and competition, O’Malley’s list of sports includes: gymnastics, jazz and tap dance, pilates, and yoga. An experienced water skier during the summer and downhill alpine skier in the winter, she also serves on the National Valley Ski Patrol at Hidden Valley Four Season’s Resort in Somerset, Pa.
Although O’Malley’s client base consists mainly of women—she says that men have a different psychology and often prefer to work with male trainers—there is a lot of variety in work out programs as clients want or need the customized fitness programs.
“No client is the same. Everyone has different levels of health and fitness they want to achieve,” says O’Malley, who is also certified in CPR and as an emergency medical technician. “Some of my clients are new mothers who just want to get back to where they were before they got pregnant. Some clients want to compete in races. Some clients just need a jumpstart into their own program. Other clients are overweight, or are clinically obese. And some clients are cancer survivors.”
While client outcomes may vary, a common thread unites all: the desire to change, to make their lives better, healthier.
So O’Malley meets them where they are. She goes to homes, offices, parks—anywhere that is within the comfort level of her clients. And it’s not just in those physical places where she meets them. O’Malley meets them emotionally and psychologically to help them overcome the obstacles that stand in the way. For most women that obstacle is fear.
“So many women are embarrassed by their bodies—the weight they’ve gained, how they’ve let themselves go for whatever reason. Many have lost their self-confidence and they’re too embarrassed to go to the gym; too intimidated by the exercise machines. They don’t know how to work out. They don’t know what to do and they’re too afraid to ask the staff for help.”
O’Malley says it’s hard for women to talk about their bodies even if they’re overweight or out of shape because of circumstances beyond their control, like medication for an illness.
“First, I find out what their fears and limitations are—what they feel they can’t do. And after I’ve established a level of trust, I let them know that I can be whatever they need me to be to give them the motivation they need,” O’Malley says. “If they want me to be a nurse, I’ll be a nurse; a mom, I’ll be a mom; a best friend, I’ll be a best friend. I’ll even be a drill sergeant—some people need that.”
For O’Malley, having the ability to coach her clients in whatever style works to encourage them to achieve goals that seem out of reach came from her years in athletics, especially gymnastics. She learned a lot from her coaches and about what it takes to succeed.
Her parents introduced her to the sport when she was 3-years-old to burn off some energy. An exuberant child with boundless energy, O’Malley took to gymnastics and then spent the next 17 years competing in the sport that led to an athletic scholarship at the University of Pittsburgh.
It was a challenging sport. O’Malley recalls that there was no room for error—the pressure to execute routines perfectly was enormous.
“It’s a sport that when you do it well it looks effortless, but when you mess up it’s a catastrophe,” says O’Malley. “Coaches would holler at you like drill sergeants and push you almost to the point of exhaustion. When you failed in any way, especially failed to place at a meet, it was a blow to your ego and confidence. But to stay competitive, you had to get back up and try again.”
And she got back up and tried for two years at the collegiate level, and then decided it was time to retire. O’Malley says the years she spent in gymnastics taught her a lot about conquering fear and mastering challenges. It also taught her that you need to reach out for help—to teammates, to coaches, to friends, to parents.
“I learned that if you want to get better at something, you need motivation to keep going. And you also need someone to guide and assist you to attain your personal goals. You need to have a support system.”
Unsure about her future, O’Malley’s mother who was a student at Carlow, Catherine Granger (’06) suggested she check into Carlow. O’Malley decided to transfer in order to major in business finance, with a concentration in international business. Still, even as a business major, O’Malley says starting her own business was the last thing on her mind; she was just doing her part to make a contribution to her family’s 16-year-old business, Print and Copy Center in Oakmont, Pa.
“As a retired gymnast, I wasn’t sure what to do next, and I needed a fresh start,” says O’Malley. “It was the perfect choice for me. At Carlow, I got the handholding I needed and I got tough love I needed to succeed academically.”
O'Malley says that starting her own business was the most fulfilling experience she's ever had. She revels in the people she's met and is eager to learn and grow from the people she has yet to meet.
Eager to pursue her education further, O’Malley enrolled in the MMT program while teaching yoga and pilates on the side. In one of her classes she had to come up with a mock business plan. It was this academic exercise that laid the groundwork for what is now Forward Motion Fitness. With the encouragement of her professors, and after several revisions, O’Malley created a bankable business plan.
“I didn’t go to college to start my own business; it just seemed to come together. I didn’t have a master plan or anything—I just took one action after another. What I did have was the support and encouragement of my parents, friends, and professors at Carlow.”
O’Malley, who currently holds an MMT degree, is set to graduate from Carlow in 2008 with a master’s degree in business administration. In addition to running Forward Motion Fitness, O’Malley works full-time as a business development consultant for FirstLink, an organization dedicated to connecting the Department of Defense with private sector companies and entrepreneurs to commercialize technologies for our nation’s first responders.
O’Malley says that starting her own business was the most fulfilling experience she’s ever had. She revels in the people she’s met and is eager to learn and grow from the people she has yet to meet.
“I’ve learned so much about giving people what they need to assist them in obtaining their goals. Time can be a real obstacle for people—figuring out the best time to work out, because for most people finding the time to exercise is a real challenge. So in working with new mothers, I’ve learned that nap time is an ideal time to schedule exercise.
“I’ve also learned a lot about appreciating life, especially from women who have survived cancer—these women have a new respect for life and work harder than most people. They’ve been a real inspiration to me.
“And on top of everything, I get in several workouts a day,” says the consummate athlete, “And now winter’s on its way, so I’ll be getting out my cross-country skis—that’s just another activity I can add to a client’s program (if they want it). Treadmills can get so boring.”
Carlow University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, 3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104. (267-284-5000)
The Middle States Commission on Higher Education is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the
US. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.
