Today we’d like to introduce you to Vanessa Bogenholm.
Hi Vanessa, 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 backstory with our readers?
I was a very overweight child from a poor family and very bullied. I didn’t realize this growing up, i was just always sad until one day in the 5th grade when a girl at school said that “you can eat your lunch with us but you can’t play with us, you do know why you are fat, don’t you? You drink a coke everyday at lunch.” I didn’t honestly know, I just ate and drank what my parents gave me. Then the summer before high school, I went to a basketball camp and the coach very politely said after I was the slowest girl out there, “Vanessa, you probably want to get fit before school starts.”
Frank Shorter the Olympic Marathoner was my hero, and so I decided to start running to get fit. I went to Foot Locker, bought the Nike $19.99 shoes and a copy of Runners World Magazine, got up at 5am and went out the door.
And all I could run was 23 steps. I sat down under the street lamp and cried. Now I knew I was the fat girl that no one liked. As I walked back home, I thought to myself, if I could run 23 steps, maybe I could run just one step more and so I did, I turned around and ran 26 steps. By the end of summer I had lost 60lbs and was running 11 miles a day.
I have been a personal trainer for 15 years. I have competed as a high level Tennis player, an equestrian, done over 50 marathons and now compete on the USA Track and Field Masters Team
I try to live my truth everyday, that being fit physically will help you be happier mentally.
I work as a mobile personal trainer, influencer and armed body guard teaching self defense classes.
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?
Life is rarely a straight line. I had a very successful fitness studio in San Jose Ca for over 10 years until Covid hit. In California we were closed down for 2 years!! over 50% of the fitness businesses closed permanently. I first bought a boxing studio in Las Vegas after Nevada opened up but they like Ca closed down again so I sold it after 8 months even though I loved the people in Las Vegas. Then I started looking in Texas which had just closed down briefly and though I found the perfect gym to buy in Fort Worth.
I did everything I possibly could checking out the gym and had done a real business purchase, but the landlord lied about everything, for example, the air conditioning system didn’t work or did the plumbing, and it was a disaster from day 1 but I had moved my life and couldn’t back out. I had put my life’s savings into this gym. I tried for 7 months but with the building being such a disaster, there was no way to salvage the business and I lost everything. I had a great case, every lawyer told me but every lawyer wanted $40,000 to take the case, and I didn’t have it. I lost $271,000.
I rebuild my personal training business going mobile like I had in the beginning. I have all the equipment I need to work people out in my truck and work out with them in their homes. It has taken me 2 years to build up my business again but I love it.
As I was rebuilding my business I needed income and became a Texas licensed Armed Security Guard and Personal Protection Officer. I also added self defense instruction to my business and sell stun guns, pepper spray and knives.
I am proud of overcoming these obstacles and being able to rebuild my personal training business.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Fitness 23?
Mobile Personal Training Structured to the Client
USATF Certified Track Coach
Self Defense Classes and products sold such as Stun Guns, Pepper Spray and Knives
What matters most to you?
I want to help people realize that physical health will make them feel better mentally. We have so much pain in the world, I want to eliminate some of it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://fitness-23.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fitness23_vanessa/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vanessa.bogenholm/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanessabogenholm/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Fitness23
- Other: https://selfdefensewithvanessa.com
