Have you had the chance to meet Joy Pappas yet? She is the mama who always has a smile on her face no matter how crazy the workout is! She got to do something so cool- major envy here! Read below to find out.....

Hometown:

Ft. Worth, TX

Tell us about your family:

I met my husband, Matt our Sophomore year of college at the University of Oklahoma {Boomer Sooner!}. We’ve been married for 7 years & have a 9 month old son, Matthew Jr. & a 16 year old Pug, Gidget. We’ve always shared a love for sunny California, but I never imagined that we’d actually have the opportunity to live in SoCal & now here we are raising our family in our favorite place!

Current/Previous Career:

Currently a stay at home mom, but my favorite previous career was working as a Wedding & Event Planner.

What was your childhood ambition?

I always wanted to be a Pediatrician or NICU Nurse because I love babies so much!

What is the furthest you have been away from home?

Traveling - Europe & Living - California

How did you find Fit4Mom?

One of my best friend’s from high school, Brandi, told me about it several years ago after she joined in Texas. She said such great things about her experience, that I always knew I wanted to join once I started having babies too. Coincidentally, Brandi was in town visiting when Matthew turned 7 weeks old, so it was perfect timing for me to finally get started with Fit4Mom! She went with me to my first class & the rest is history!

How has Fit4Mom impacted your life?

Fit4Mom has been such a positive influence in my life! It’s what I look forward to the most each week! After my son was born, I felt stir crazy being at home all day, so as soon as Matthew turned 7 weeks old, I hopped in my car and headed to my first Fit4Mom class! Not only do I love the awesome workouts & encouraging instructors, but I’m so thankful for the great network of moms & babies I’ve met!

What's your favorite exercise?

I love all of the exercise combinations we do that mix cardio with strength training.

What's your proudest moment?

Definitely giving birth to my son, but also marrying my husband, because without him I wouldn’t have my sweet little family!

Tell us something about yourself that would surprise us.

I have a black belt in Tae Kwon Do & as a kid I spent a summer taking private lessons from the stuntman who did the martial arts scenes for Donatello in the movie “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles”.

Have you taken a class with Rachel Hundley yet? If not, then check the schedule and get your sweat on with this OG Stroller Strides instructor. Rachel is also certified in Stroller Barre and Body Back Transformation. Learn more about her here:

Tell us about who is in your family.

My husband Jake, our two kiddos Savannah (5) and Camden (almost 3) and our dog Penny

Current/previous career?

I was an event planner for UCLA before I had kids! Technically I guess you could count my little shop as my other current job too. Snuggle Up Buttercups is Etsy/online store for blankets and baby accessories and I’m working on an offshoot for girls dresses right now too.

What are you doing when you aren't FIT4MOM-ing?

Running around after my kids, sitting in the backyard watching them play nicely together (sometimes...), hanging out with our friends at the pool/beach/whatever or taking them for little adventures and sewing whenever I get an extra moment.

Favorite exercise?

Burpees! And I also love deadlifts and monkeys because they don’t feel like much when you’re doing them but you’re always sore after.

What are your three current obsessions?

I don't know if these are totally weird but they're the first things that came to my mind....

Body back (is that weird ;)?? taking body back classes legitmately makes me a happier person)

Target (it's literally the only place I shop)

Starbucks (past, present and future obsession)

What is your dream day?

With my kids or without lol?? I love a good spa day at the Four Seasons if I get a day off to relax. Laying by the pool is my favorite. With my kids, we love to go to Disneyland...I know it's cliche but it's so magical there. No one melts down or throws fits or anything...they get along and love on each other and just exude happiness and it's so fun to watch.

What does being a FIT4MOM instructor mean to you?

It means teaching mamas and their children about how fitness can be fun and an amazing part of their lives. Fit4Mom was one of the first things that I got connected with when I first became a mom and it changed my life. Not only do I live a healthier, more active lifestyle, but my kids like to exercise "like mommy" and even play a game out of it. Also, being a Body Back instructor is ridiculously inspiring...watching mamas push themselves to new levels and really work out of their comfort zone to see how strong they really are!

You can find Rachel teaching at Oakbrook Park in Thousand Oaks most Mondays and Starbucks ;)

Have you had the opportunity to meet Ellen Miller? She has been with us since 2014 as a Strider. She completed Body Back Transformation in May 2018 and has been a tour de force. Learn more about this super woman here:

Hometown:

Alton, IL

Tell us about your family:

My husband Mark and I grew up in the same hometown, and never could have imagined we would be living in Southern California raising 2 crazy boys - Bradley (4) and Clayton (18 mos).

Current/Previous Career:

I previously worked in corporate retail. I started as a buyer of children’s apparel in the Bay Area then moved to Chicago as a Merchandise Planner for men’s accessories.

What was your childhood ambition?

I wanted to be a pediatrician

What is the furthest you have been away from home?

I lived in France for a semester in college

How did you find Fit4Mom?

We didn’t know anyone when we moved here 4 years ago except a connection through a childhood friend, she turned me onto stroller strides.

How has Fit4Mom impacted your life?

Too many ways to count! I am in the best shape of my life after having 2 kids, and the boys and I have made so many amazing friends.

What's your favorite exercise?

Plank

What's your proudest moment?

My proudest Fit4mom moment was by far completing Body Back this past spring. I pushed myself harder than I ever thought I could and I’ve never felt better!

Tell us something about yourself that would surprise us:

My husband and I have been together for 17 years (married for 11), which is almost half our lives!

Thank you Nicole for being our first #momofthemonth on #meetthemamas We are so excited to launch this page with one very special woman! Check back each month to meet another one of our incredible mamas.

Hometown: I grew up in Santa Rosa Valley but now I live in Moorpark.

Tell us about your family: I have been married to my husband, Blake, for 4 years now. I met him when I moved back home from college and it was pretty much love at first sight for both of us. It's true when they say opposites attract because we really are opposite in SO many ways! We have an 8 month old daughter, Victoria who we couldn't be more in love with. She really has been such an easy baby for us so far, we are so lucky!

Current/Previous Career: I am currently a Stay at Home Mama. I think it is the hardest yet most rewarding job out there! I previously worked as an Account Manager for a Home Furnishing company. (That's where I met Blake!)

What was your childhood ambition? I started riding horses when I was 3 years old so I always wanted to either own my own barn and teach kids how to ride or become a vet.

What is the furthest you have been away from home? I am not a big traveller so probably when I went to college in Massachusetts. Not only was it the farthest from home, but definitely the longest time away from my family. I always knew I would come back to Southern California and raise a family here.

How did you find Fit4Mom? My sister-in-laws, Dana Lattanzio and Erika Howell introduced me to Fit4Mom. It is so fun to be able to workout with Erika and see my nieces throughout the week. I wish Dana wasn't moving so she could be with us, too!

How has Fit4Mom impacted your life? Fit4Mom keeps me sane! I am able to get out of the house and focus on myself for an hour all while being with an amazing group of STRONG Mamas!

What's your favorite exercise? I love squats because my glutes burn SO good the next day. I also really like tricep dips because they really help with the muscle definition in my arms.

What's your proudest moment? Definitely becoming a Mother. I went through 21 hours of labor and ended up needing an emergency C-Section when delivering Victoria.

Tell us something about yourself that would surprise us: I am a big LA Kings hockey fan! Every time I go to a game, I bring a sign for one of the players, Drew Doughty #8. He has flipped 3 pucks over the glass for me during warm ups and even signed one of my signs with a little note before the game started. I've gotten on the jumbo tron a bunch of times and even made it on TV with my sign after the game!