Kam Parker, B.A., CPT  Kamthetrainer@yahoo.com

Certified Master Physical Fitness Specialist, The Cooper Institute of Aerobic Research

22 years combined experience in weight lifting, fat-burning, endurance training and motivation

   Most personal trainers have had to overcome their own personal challenges. Kam has been fortunate to be healthy most of her life.  At 15, Kam made some unusual decisions for a teenager. She gave up television, embraced nutrition and exercise and started telling her friends they needed to take vitamins to stay healthy. At 19 she joined the U.S. Marine Corps. The demands of bootcamp and military service solidified her dedication to physical fitness. Influenced by other health-conscious marines, she changed the way she ate based on Nathan Pritikin’s book, “Diet for Runners.” This book explained in simple terms, what other fitness greats like Kenneth Cooper and Dean Ornish would dedicate their lives to: “What you eat and how you live your life, can prevent a heart attack or give you one.”

    After the Marines, Kam chose to continue her military adventure in the Coast Guard. This time bootcamp ended with Kam receiving seven awards including the highest graduation score, the best fitness score, and the award that meant the most to her: Most Supportive Coastie ~ an award given by her peers to the person that helped them the most to succeed during boot camp. Kam continued to educate those around her on the benefits of eating healthy foods and working out. Her unit recognized her dedication and sent her to Kenneth Cooper’s Institute of Aerobic Research. There in Dallas, Texas, she became certified as a Physical Fitness Specialist and returned to develop and implement a corporate wellness program emphasizing a healthy and smoke-free workplace.

   To her surprise, in 2001, Kam experienced a cancer diagnosis of Melanoma, level 2. At the time her physician gave her 5 years to live. She re-dedicated her life to teaching fitness and health to assist others in reaching their health goals and preventing this terrible disease. Forutnately, Kam has not had a reoccurance, and now her prognosis is unknown, which she says means, “I may live forever!” On November 8th, 2009, Kam ran her first marathon, 26.2 miles in 3 hours and 51 minutes.

   Kam wants you to know the pursuit of your best you, fit and lean, is the same lifestyle that decreases your chances of diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and most cancers. Yeah! Being healthy rocks! And Kam will show you how to integrate fitness into your lifestyle.

April Dennis, B.A., CI-CPT apriljoysfire@yahoo.com

Cooper Institue- Certified Personal Trainer

12 years experience in personal transformation

   April Dennis, a graduate from the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and also a Cooper Institute certified personal trainer, has a health related story many mothers may identify with. In 1996 after two children, and gaining over 40 pounds of fat, April began to suffer from severe headaches, bloating and a depressing level of fatigue. With dark circles under her eyes, she went for brain scans and other medical procedures that offered no solutions. Eventually, a friend recommended an iridologist who informed her that she may be suffering from food sensitivities. April launched into a lifestyle transformation embracing the healthy fare of mostly fruits, vegetables, fish, brown rice and quinoa. She spent time walking every afternoon for 45 to 60 minutes. Over the course of five months, she dropped from 155 to 115 while raising two young boys and running a tropical fish collection business. She did it!

   During the last few years, April allowed foods she had been previously sensitive to, to reenter her lifestyle. At first there was no effect, and the freedom of being less menu-challenged seemed safe. Slowly, her weight began to creep back up. In 2007, in her junior year of college, April experienced a severe break of her right ankle. The break put her on crutches for four months. During this time, she had the opportunity to reflect on her personal goals, and the difficulty of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. She renewed her dedication to her own health goals. She also realized she was destined to assist others in adopting a healthy lifestyle by recognizing their food sensitivities or addictions. April wants her clients to know healthy food can taste wonderful and be enjoyed! She’s doing it again! So can you!

Bengi Rogers, CI-CPT, Bengithetrainer@yahoo.com

The Cooper Institute - Certified Personal Trainer

Bengi grew up in Puerto Rico swimming, scuba diving and surfing. He relocated to Asheville and pursued skateboarding and guitar. Caught up in effective advertising and peer pressure, he began smoking cigarettes at 17. Though a smoker, Bengi remained a natural athlete enjoying frisbee golf, skateboarding and basketball. When his mom, April Dennis, opened The Fire Personal Training Studio, he reassessed his health. He was underweight, but overfat, and had little wind for the sports he enjoyed. After counting up how much money he had spent on cigarettes, and thinking about how much they had robbed him of feeling his best, he made the decision to quit smoking. He then began to pursue fitness training for himself and as a career. Bengi demonstrates a strong commitment to adhering to a new healthy lifestyle. He now runs,  and enjoys lifting weights. He gained 15 pounds of muscle and dropped from 20% to 12% body fat as a participant in The Fire’s GET STOKED power half-hour lunchtime group personal training. Bengi is certified as a Personal Trainer by the renowned Cooper Institute of Aerobic Research. He enjoys working with individuals on every fitness level. He believes consistency and accountability will lead to the results you’re searching for.