Connect
To Top

Meet Kristina Girod

Avatar photo

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristina Girod.

Kristina, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My story started at a young age. I came from a very athletic and active family and started playing a variety of sports (basketball, softball, track & field and volleyball) year around through high school. A knee injury stunted my athletic performance through college putting sports and fitness in general on the back burner until after I received my Bachelors Degree.

Fitness didn’t enter back into my life until after my father passed away, which as you can imagine was the hardest point of my life to date. I lost myself, hid away from friends, was laid off from my job and ended a 3-year relationship leaving me with nothing to “get out of bed for” for a full month. I gained weight, had terrible acne, had a bald spot from losing hair due to stress and lost confidence in myself entirely.

By the grace of sheer luck, I woke up one morning in 2009 (I was 24 years old – five years post knee injury and any real fitness lifestyle) and decided that I was done feeling sorry for myself and looking at the person I had become. On that same day, I joined a local gym, and still jobless and living off of unemployment, I spent two-three hours in the gym every day. Working on both my strength training and cardiovascular health. It started out purely “physical.” I wanted to like what I saw in the mirror, and that is what kept me going in the beginning, but then the internal work started to shift, and I became mentally and spiritually stronger too.

Fast-forward a year later, and I became certified to teach my first group fitness class and had my first experience in leading the charge and inspiring others. Talk about a rush, and I had certainly found my calling. However, I was doing kickboxing, which was high intensity and too strenuous on my knees. So, I looked to other means to get more cardio in via a low-impact method. Enter Indoor Cycling.

I began taking indoor cycling (spin) classes in 2012 and after two years developed the skills and confidence to get certified and begin teaching. I would say I had a knack for it from the very beginning, but that was just the “riding” and “queuing” part. Easy, right?

Little did I know that nearly five years into teaching I would be coaching, mentoring, inspiring and encouraging cycling enthusiasts all over the U.S. and Canada to create lifestyles for themselves that were meant to challenge any limited belief they had about themselves and push them to lean into discomfort…using it as a mechanism for grown both on and off the bike.

But, through the years of success I was experiencing through spin there was still something missing. An imbalance that I couldn’t pinpoint until I finally read the signs and listened to my body. I was weak and fragile, experience back, hip and shoulder pains and never felt 100% comfortable in my body – even though I was teaching (a.k.a working out) full-time (up to 20 classes a week at the moment). What was missing was Strength Training. The very thing that saved me years ago and pulled out of that rock-bottom state I was in.

Over the course of 2018, I slowly began introducing strength training back into my regiment and within weeks felt more capable of doing even the most basic tasks without experiencing pain (shopping, bending down, standing up, etc.). That is when it dawned on me that strength training NEEDED to be a vital part of my life if I wanted to continue teaching and inspiring my community in any way. Hence, the PWRHouse Fitness Program was born.

The PWRHouse Fitness Program is my strength training program that was designed for all fitness levels and is my way of reaching my community and sharing my wholehearted belief that a fitness regiment that includes BOTH strength training and cardio (because cycling will always be my first love) combined with a real-world, authentic take on life can create the most confident and powerful version of yourself – from the inside out.

So, in 2019, my passion is now to build my community further, expanding my reach as far as I can to share my story, passion and skills to help people shift their mindset, move more and align a well-rounded lifestyle (of fitness, work and play) with their ultimate goal – to live happily.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
When you are driven to inspire others, I don’t think the road is ever smooth. I am constantly challenged to find new and authentic ways to connect with my riders. Pulling from my own experiencing while not making it solely about me. In the beginning, the biggest struggle was showing up after a bad day and “pretending” everything was fine just to get through class. I was putting on a face.

It wasn’t until I used those emotions and experiences throughout my day as inspiration in a class that I realized I was the voice of so many who were afraid to speak up. That struggle became the savior for me and my riders and ultimately changed my classes from just “a ride” to a full-blown spiritual experience.

We’d love to hear more about what you do.
Most people in the fitness community know me through my work in the Indoor Cycling Community, and most recently the awareness of my newly launched PWRHouse business continues to rise. Although I have two degrees in business and held successful careers in that industry for years, being as an Entrepreneur and Fitness Professional is totally my jam.

My work in the spin community is unparalleled, and there is nothing I love more than the experience I create in that space. I am so proud of the growth I have experienced and most importantly the relationships this line of work (more like my passion) has brought into my life. As I shift my focus to both cycling and strength training, I would say I am most proud of the faith I had in myself to take the leap from the comfort of only cycling.

I recently heard that the most challenging part in a person’s life is that transition period between where you were and where you are going. Because you are no longer where you were, but aren’t quite sure where you are going. You have to trust your gut, blind faith, or whatever you want to call it and make the (sometimes scary) choice to step forward into the unknown and believe your gut/faith is leading you in the right direction.

My intention is to offer real experiences through my work. The kind of authenticity that will ask you to complete the toughest workout you have ever experienced and then take you out for pancakes after. Because in the real world, people love the reward you get for the work you put in. I believe, that in moderation you should be able to do just that. That is what sets me apart. I am far from perfect, and I show all my cards, making me relatable to everyone.

We always love to ask about the support network – have there been people, perhaps mentors or advisors, who have played a big role in your success?
First and foremost – I have the most amazing community of supporters with my husband, Jeremy, leading the pack by mile (or 1000). He is my late night confidant, my early morning wake up call and the reason I am even this far in my career. Yes, I am giving him THAT much credit. It’s well deserved.

In a very close second are a group of riders-turned-friends that followed my journey all over the valley and even into my strength training. Many of which sit with me post class to chat about life, ideas for growth and becoming more in our communities. They help ground me, lift me up and literally cheer me on to take the leap. I owe a tremendous amount of my confidence to them. So, to Cho Long Kim Richards, Maggie Devine, Michele & Bebe Quintana, Nicki Stephens, and Jamie Van Noord… I thank you and love you for unwavering support. #PWRHouseSquad

Lastly, Lululemon holds (and will always hold) a special place in my heart. As a current Lululemon ambassador the community has given me more than I could have ever imagined. They are so much more than a clothing company and instead aim to amplify my presence within my community, support my aspirations and truly give me every reason to believe that I can do anything I align efforts and goals towards. It has been a true gift to be a part of this community.

Pricing:

Contact Info:

Image Credit:
Brian Clay, Tiffany Alanoori, Matteo Matty Matt

Getting in touch: VoyagePhoenix 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.

Related Items

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

More in