Today we’d like to introduce you to Nichole Thames.
Hi Nichole, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My fitness journey begin when I was about 8 years old being an active athlete in track & field, volleyball, basketball, and competitive cheerleading. In 2009, I won the UIL State Track & Field title with my team in high school. During this achievement, I was recovering from a major knee injury where I partially tore my ACL, MCL, and meniscus and completely tore my PCL that I no longer have today.
As you can see, I was an all-around athlete. Once I graduated from high school, I attended the University of Texas at Arlington and had the opportunity to be a track & field athlete and a collegiate cheerleader. After obtaining my Bachelor’s degree, I obtained my Master’s degree in Higher Education with an emphasis in Leadership for Student Success from Walden University.
As time grew on, I noticed how many people inquired about my workout routines and if they can partner with me at the gym. The lifelong joke that I’ve received is that I have “spartan abs.” With this in mind, I decided to pursue a certification in personal training and created Nikki T Fitness.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It was not an easy journey! During the day, I am a higher educator and I devote the majority of my time to working with college students, faculty, and staff. Similar to my graduate program, I had to implement additional time outside of work hours to enhance my knowledge base in personal training.
With the recent pandemic, I found myself looking for other avenues to help me stay grounded physically and mentally. This pushed me to finish my certification in personal training. One of the major takeaways from the lessons that I’ve learned during this process is that once you start, you HAVE to get it!
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
As mentioned, by day, I’m a Higher Educator. However, by night I am a certified personal trainer, online (virtual) coach, nutritionist specialist, injury prevention specialist, and corrective exercise specialist in the Arlington/Fort Worth surrounding areas.
In the physical fitness world, there seems to be more of a promotion of male personal trainers.
However, there’s an emergence of women personal trainers who are out there willing to put in the work and help others reach their personal fitness goals. A lot of times, trainers could be deemed as bullies, money-driven, or social media-focused for the limelight. That’s not me. I motivate, encourage, and even train alongside trainees so that they can hit their goals and continue to grow within fitness. It’s not about how many trainees I gain or how much spotlight I’m given.
With the number of years that I have under my belt being a former athlete and the education that I have received, I train a diverse background of individuals to enhance their fitness journey because I’m their accountability. That’s my job and my only focus. We reach and maintain goals with Nikki T Fitness!
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
Whew! Everyone knows me as a socialite. From elementary and beyond, I was called a social butterfly because I’m a conversation starter. I never had a problem speaking to others and being myself. Having a social butterfly personality, I’m bubbly too! If you see me, I’m always dancing or have a huge smile on my face. I’m always upbeat when you’re around me.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.Nikkitfitness.com
- Instagram: https://www.
instagram.com/nikkitfitness
Image Credits
http://www.ceronelaceyphotography.com/, @ceronelaceyphotography, and @Klynnettemua
