Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessika Wager.
Jessika, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I grew up in South Dakota and ended up in Texas for college. I was a five sport athlete in high school and then my track career ended in college. I had battled eating disorders for many years prior to this and it was a big wake up call to me because I had never imagined my life without running before. Essentially, my career ended because my bones were not strong from all the mistreatment and could not withstand the pressure. I was going to school for marketing and decided to take as many nutrition courses and mental health courses to educate myself and help me get out of a lifestyle I was so used to. I became a personal trainer for my “college job.” I needed to do something that was active because that’s all I really knew.
I ended up in different parts of the country during college and my first couple of years out. It didn’t take me long to realize a couple of things.
1. I loved training and it was much more than just a college job to me. Helping educate others and helping them reach their goals is so fulfilling for me.
2. Texas was the place that I had loved the most. I call it my happy medium. I had lived in South Dakota where I love how friendly the people are, but the weather is not good. Then I was in Los Angeles which is quite the opposite. Houston is a place where I get the best of both worlds: friendly faces and some heat! –> so next thing you know, I was on my way back to Texas!
I tried a lot of different personal training settings but I have always been the most comfortable being in control of my schedule and business so about four months ago I took the leap and started my own business.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
There were TONS of obstacles, but those are the things that make us stronger. In terms of training alone, I have always been a soft-spoken person so sometimes the industry will eat you alive. I have always been very confident in what I do because I have put so much time and effort into my trade, but I was never one to be very bold. It made me step way out of my comfort zone and I struggled with that for quite a few years.
I have recently had to deal with a very similar obstacle while entering the online world of training. I am not comfortable in front of a camera at all. I would honestly rather not have social media or anything but it is something I am willing to work through because I think my story and experiences can be helpful, and there is no comparable platform.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the ATF Fitness and Sports Performance story. Tell us more about the business.
I am a fitness and performance trainer! I offer training to all types of people and I have a nutritionist so that I can also provide meal plans.
One of the things I specialize in is people that struggle(d) with their relationship with food. It really makes the process completely different and the battles that you face are completely different.
I think I am most known for building muscle mass: especially in the quads (aka thighs!) and shoulders. I do every type of training: strength, weight loss, muscle mass – but I just really enjoy helping people develop muscle! If you look at me you would probably guess that.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I think that I’ve had a pretty good mix. For a long time, I think I felt sorry for myself and continued to attract some bad luck. I finally told myself I just needed to keep going no matter what and keep a positive outlook no matter what. After that, things seemed to start to be better. I don’t know if there was really any more “good” or “bad” at any point in time. But I do know life seemed a whole lot better when I started turning everything into a positive.
Pricing:
- I have in-person training that is $65 per session (goes down a little if they train multiple times a week)
- If people want to do small group training it is between $35 -$40 depending on the size
Contact Info:
- Address: I train out of Grind Sports in Pearland
4407 Halik St Suite D-500
Pearland, Brazoria County 77581 USA - Website: https://www.atf-fitnessandsports.com/
- Phone: 605-769-1191
- Email: jessika@atf-fitnessandsports.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allthings.fit/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ATF-Fitness-Sports-Performance-817955275249487/
Image Credit:
Duy Ta (@duytakesphotos) Track shots; Darrin Nguyen (@darrinphotographer) two motion shots; Isa Cuadra (@ibc_photography) close up shot
Getting in touch: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
