Catherine Pivonka

Hi I’m Cathy. I was born and raised in Arizona where I earned my Master’s Degree in Education and taught for a number of years so the love of learning has always been in my life. I moved to Sycamore, IL in 1996 with my husband and two daughters and continued my love for education by becoming a supervisor for student teachers at Northern Illinois University and later Aurora University, with a total of 13 years of supervising. In 2020, after my husband retired, we were happy to relocate back to Arizona.

 

I was never much into fitness and carried an extra 25 pounds before my lifestyle changes. While raising our family, I realized I wasn’t the best role model for our girls and was always lacking energy.  My first step in improving my health and fitness was to find a class I could enjoy attending for exercise. Once I started moving, I fell in love with it so much that I studied and trained hard, earning my Aerobics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA) Group Exercise Instructor Certification. I began leading cardio dance and strength training classes and went on to earn certifications/licensing for other formats like Zumba® and POUND.  I also started eating better and became certified in Plate™ by Zumba® to have a better understanding of food, nutrition and how it affects our bodies so I could share this knowledge with others.