Mission Statement  ·  Founder  ·  How We Differentiate Ourselves

Founder

Gabrielle Butchart, C.P.T., L.M.T., C.F.S., ha

I began my career in fitness more than 30 years ago. At the time I weighed 411 pounds and suffered from a variety of health related conditions. Encouraged by my doctor I joined a women's fitness club, the first of its kind in Honolulu, Natural Woman. Encourage by the warm and caring staff I began the journey of a thousand miles ….. one step at a time. Among the first steps taken where hits and misses regarding my weight loss. My doctor placed me on a 1,200 calorie diet that had me losing weight at a phenomenal rate ~ 5 to 7 pounds a week but rendered me without the energy to get out of bed. The caring staff at Natural Woman had me attempt fasting to cleanse my body of toxins ~ again I lost a great deal of weight but lacked the energy to walk from my front door to my car without feeling weak and exhausted. That's when I began looking into educating myself on weight loss and exercise.

Intuitively, I knew there had to be a better approach to getting healthy. My curiosity led me to Dallas Texas where I had the privilege of attending and studying with Dr. Ken Cooper of the renowned Institute of Aerobic Research of Dallas. This is where my true turn-around began. At the time, the name of the course that would change my life forever was Exercise Fitness Specialist. It was an extensive course. I had to learn about physiology, bio-mechanics, anatomy, kinesiology, to name a few. One of the requirements of successfully completing the course was to run a 9 minute mile for 3 miles! Weighing then 205 this was no easy task. Dr. Cooper granted me dispensation of this requirement if I could produce a similar VO2 result. That's when Dr. Cooper ask me to perform a step-up to a specific measurement of time to a metronome that would result in a close replication of oxygen utilization ~ thus the STEP as we know it today. Having successfully completed the Exercise Fitness Specialist course my journey has taken me to several far and near destinations regarding my education and training in the health and fitness field. My credentials and accomplishments include: Weight loss of 235 pounds and maintaining that loss for more than 20 years. Exercise Fitness Specialist ~ Cooper Institute of Aerobic Research, Dallas Texas. Resistance University ~ Resistance & Human Performance Specialist, Oklahoma City, Group Exercise Specialist ~ Cooper Institute, Dallas Texas, Post-Rehabilitation & Back Care Specialist - Academy of Fitness Professionals, (ACE) Certified Personal Trainer ~ America Council on Exercise, Stott Pilates Trained ~ Stott Pilates, Toronto Canada, Licensed Massage Therapist, State of Hawaii, Myofascial Clinician, Barns Method, Boston, MA. To name a few.

I continue with self-practice of physical conditioning along with movement awareness and enjoy staying up to date with the innovations of the health and fitness industry because I believe that there is always more to learn. I have been described by my peers and my clients as being intuitive , knowledgeable and experienced. I look forward to working together with you. Whether you desire to become more fit, pain free, or are on an exploration of self, the flexibility of my years of training and experience will enable us to collaborate on a program that's designed just right for you.