Our Aevitas Fitness family is full of the most amazing people! This Aevitas Athlete Spotlight segment is all about Dana Helion. If you don’t know Dana yet, this should give you a peek into who she is, and why we decided to spotlight her! If you do know her already, you know that she is a really upbeat person and fun to work out with. Even if you already know her, keep reading – you might learn something you didn’t know before!
Question: Hi Dana, tell us a little about yourself (where did you grow up? Where do you live now? Family? Career? etc).
Dana: Thank you for this opportunity! I grew up here in the Capital Region and recently moved to Colonie with my husband, Rich, and furbaby, Luna. I currently work in the mortgage industry as a Manager of Mortgage Experience.
Q: What was your experience level with athletics and exercise prior to joining Aevitas?
Dana: I’ve always been interested in athletics. I played softball until I was 17 and in my mid-20s, I played Roller Derby for about 4 years. But my journey really began in 2014 with a fitness weight loss challenge at a local gym. It began with boxing classes and personal training and quickly became a life-changing experience.
In discovering a fit and healthy lifestyle, I lost 97 lbs and gained so much more. Over the next 6 years, I was completing 5K races, Duathlons, a Warrior Dash, and a Spartan Race, I became a certified Spin Instructor teaching classes 2xs a week, and participated in several timed challenge events.
Q: How long have you been a member at Aevitas?
Dana: I joined the Aevitas family a little over 5 months ago.
Q: You’ve made some amazing improvements in your health and fitness since you’ve been a member. Could you share details of your progress with us?
Dana: In these last 5 months, I’ve discovered a renewed spark to take back what I lost within myself and my health the last few years after the pandemic shut down. I’m currently down 20 lbs, but the nonscale victories during this time are even more rewarding.
Thanks to the help of Aevitas Kitchen, I’m learning a lot of the What/Why/How about my relationship with food and healthier choices. I’ve gained strength and confidence in myself.
When I entered your doors, I couldn’t even perform a 10-second hang, jump rope, pull up; now I’m doing beat swings, knee tucks, box jumps, and assisted pull-ups, and the strength/cardio endurance progression just amazes me in a short period of time. I just completed my first-ever Aevitas Open!
To say I’m super excited about what the rest of this year and my continuing journey with Aevitas has in store for me is an understatement.
Q: What is your favorite thing about Aevitas?
Dana: Aside from the programming that keeps me on my toes, I’d have to say the Coaches and Community. The Coaches are knowledgeable and really break it down while encouraging you to give it your best effort. The Community is incredibly supportive. Whether you’ve been at this for years or 5 months, like me, you’re part of the family. Everyone cheers, motivates, inspires, and is invested in your success as much as their own. It’s incredible. I’ve never left feeling defeated in my performance, only uplifted and encouraged by the Coaches and Teammates.
Q: Favorite movement we do at the gym and why?
Dana: Oooooh this is a tough one. I love back squats, but I’m really starting to become fond of the clean & jerks. It’s such a powerful movement.
Q: Least favorite movement we do at the gym and why?
Dana: Burpees haha. They get me every single time! It’s a movement that I want to master like the pros but hate while doing them.
Q: What skill/ability are you hoping to improve on?
Dana: I’m determined to do even one strict pull-up by year-end and tackle double-unders.
Q: What are some of your interests and hobbies outside of the gym?
Dana: I love reading, camping, kayaking, biking, spending time with my family, planning game nights, and concerts.
Q: If your friends had to describe you in one word, what would it be?
Dana: I had to poll this one because I was curious as well haha. The consensus was… determined.
Dana, thanks so much for taking the time to share a bit about yourself with the rest of us. We are so happy to have you in our community!
