Today we’d like to introduce you to Jamisha Johnson.
Hi Jamisha, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers?
I grew up in a small town in Kansas called Dodge City with my parents and one brother. I was very active and involved in multiple sports/activities growing up including gymnastics/dance, softball, track, and volleyball. Volleyball was the sport that stuck and ended up taking me through college. I attended a junior college in my hometown before transferring to an NAIA school in central Kansas called Kansas Wesleyan University. From there I went on to Colby Community College where I went through the PTA program which I completed in 2015. I moved to Dallas shortly after to begin my career. I was eager to begin my adult life in a new city and excited to see where the opportunities in the healthcare field would take me. By 2016 I finally started to meet people and make new friends both in and outside of work. I started playing sand volleyball, and tried tons of new restaurants, and found a new local fitness studio I fell in love with, Class Studios. I started taking classes there a few times a week and really loved the people I was meeting and the sense of community it brought me. Being a former athlete, the gym was always a big part of my life, and it felt good to find a place to fill the health + fitness side of my life. I started working at the front desk there in 2019 and continued to build relationships with the clients and instructors there. I was often asked why I was not an instructor myself. In November 2019 Class Studios opened a second location and was going to begin offering an even bigger variety of formats. A Global Pandemic hit in March of 2020 just shortly after, quickly closing TONS of things, including gyms and fitness studios to close down. At this time, I was still working as a PTA but I was on a PRN (as needed) basis with several different companies. Pre pandemic I was able to stay super busy, but as a major part of infection control during the pandemic, the use of PRN employees was rapidly decreasing. PRN employees travel from facility to facility and that was a big no-no at the time. With the studio closing and my full-time job decreasing in hours, I finally had the time to study for my CPT (certified personal trainer) exam. Upon passing my exam in October of 2021, I began working with a friend/mentor training small group classes outdoors. Things were beginning to open back up slowly around this time but major restrictions were still involved. When the time allowed, I went back to working at the front desk at Class Studios and continued with my small group outdoors sessions and picking up hours as a PTA when they were available. I had an opportunity to go back to work full time as a PTA in February 2021 and I took it. Shortly after, the opportunity to join the instructor team at Class Studios came along, and I took that as well. Things finally seemed to be falling back into place after all the physical, mental, and emotional stress that came from the pandemic in so many different capacities. I am now one year into being a fitness professional and 6 years into my career as a Physical Therapist Assistant. I have continued to grow in both careers and have found such joy leading people in a studio through fitness. It reminds me what we are all capable of, it reminds me that we can be pushed to limits we didn’t know existed and most of all provide a space for healing in whatever way you need it!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
There were absolutely struggles along the way. Moving to a new city in my early 20s with just a few familiar faces was scary. Being furthest away from my family I had ever been was scary. Making new friends and building new relationships was scary. I thought several times in my first 2 years here that I was just going to go back to Kansas where things were “easier”, but I had such an amazing support system who reminded me not all things worth having/doing are easy. The biggest struggles in my time here in Dallas have happened most recently and include working in healthcare with a geriatric population during a global pandemic, adjusting to major changes in my family and personal life that will forever be a part of me, and mental/emotional battle of feeling like I should be doing something more or progressing at a different speed by this point in life.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I work as a Physical Therapist Assistant in a skilled nursing facility with the geriatric population. We see everything from post-op joint replacements, TBI/stroke, generalized weakness from illnesses such as pneumonia, diseases such as like CHF, COPD, Cancer, and many more. Most recently we have been dealing with Covid patients. The cases we see vary so much, and can also include cognitive deficits such as mental illnesses, dementia, and Alzheimer’s.
I teach group fitness classes at Class Studios. I teach 2 formats, one including HIIT/circuit training and one tread-based class. I get to be creative in this space as I program my own workouts, create my own playlists and get to bring a specific energy and swagger to what I do. I love getting to challenge themselves clients both physically and mentally while also providing the support and proper coaching.
What I am most proud of in my career with both jobs is the learned patience and respect for those who are different from me (age, mental health, physical health, etc.). I have learned to listen with compassion and care, I have learned that one small thing can go a long way and that my presence in someone’s life really can make a difference no matter if I see it or not. I have learned that what I do truly matters!
Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
I LOVE plants and I LOVE traveling. I have 27 plants in my apartment and genuinely love taking care of them. I got my travel bug from my late grandmother and my grandpa. They have inspired me to see as many places as I can, while I still can.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @jamishanicole
