Meet Olivia Pellish of Hitz Fitness in Camelback East/Arcadia

Today we’d like to introduce you to Olivia Pellish.

Olivia, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Becoming the passionate and knowledgable personal trainer I consider myself to be today took courage, resilience, and discipline. Like most women in today’s society, I have always had things I disliked, or wanted to change about my body. Growing up, I was involved in a variety of physical activities like ballet, track & field, and basketball. I always enjoyed being physically active, and I liked influencing others to do the same. I have known that I wanted to be a personal trainer or strength & conditioning coach since I was 14 years old. Keeping this vision with me throughout high school, I stayed active in multiple sports and made sure to enroll in every Anatomy & Physiology course I had the opportunity to. I chose to study Exercise Science at Northern Arizona University in 2012, which is where I met my coach, Sarah Pawlicki. Sarah not only helped me prep for my first NPC Figure show, but she gave me an internship with her training facility, Build Your Own Body. This is where I truly began to see myself Personal Training long term. Shortly thereafter, I moved to Phoenix and chose to use the skills Sarah taught me. I worked as a Personal Trainer under a few corporate gyms, but ultimately decided that I wanted to handle my clients the way I think is best for their fitness. I spent time getting multiple certifications based on injury prevention, group training, nutrition, and of course one-on-one training. I now work as a Personal Trainer out of Hitz Fitness, which is the most impressive private training facility I have seen in Phoenix, run by one of the smartest individuals I have met, Matt Hitzhusen.

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?
My younger years were full of negative self-talk and false information about health and fitness. I remember comparing the size of my legs and stomach to others as early as the age of five. In middle school, I would do 100 crunches before bed because I believed that would give me a flat stomach. In high school, I weighed myself every morning and would determine my “Worth of the Day” based on how high or low the scale would tip. These falsities and unhealthy views of myself ended up serving me as I desired to pursue the truth in a culture saturated with shortcuts to “health.”

Shortly after I went to NAU to pursue a degree in Exercise Science, I was a victim of sexual and physical assault. The trauma I suffered from this experience allowed every insecurity from my childhood to surface, including constant comparison, self-doubt, shame, and isolation. I quietly bowed out of my educational career, as my Post Traumatic Stress Disorder was at an all-time high and I began to experience symptoms of what would later be diagnosed as “trauma-induced ADHD.”

Rather than having my assault in college and my negative body image in my younger years define me, I have used these experiences to propel me forward in my career. I now have 2 Associates Degrees based on Exercise and Personal Training, as well as 2 Nutrition Certifications. Through therapy, counseling, and plenty of transformations of my own, I have come to appreciate my journey and use my experience to shape my clients into the best version of themselves.

Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
Being a Personal Trainer is so much more than taking my clients through an hour-long workout, or getting them to follow my instruction. Rather, I teach a practical, science-based approach to nutrition that does not promote any type of binge or “yo-yo dieting.” I teach my clients how to read through the fad diets and methods that show up in the media, and how to see the flaws in the “quick fix” approach that many gyms promote. Empty promises of “3 days cleanse” or “8-week challenges” are something I never claim. Fitness is a lifelong journey that requires time, effort, passion, and drive. My mission is sustainable health, and appreciating the body you have regardless of where you are on your fitness journey. I truly hope to never stop learning and will continue to teach simple, true, scientific methods that allow my clients to reap the benefits long term.

So, what should we be on the lookout for, what’s next in store for you?
I am 1 year out from graduating with my Bachelor’s degree in Fitness Wellness, and I continue to prep for NPC Figure Shows and compete to challenge myself. I took fourth and fifth place trophies home at my most recent competition, which has been my best placement thus far. I still work with Coach Sarah, as we practice the same vision for ourselves and our clients.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.oliviapellish.com
• Email: opellish@gmail.com
• Instagram: @oliviapellishllc

 

Image Credit:
@capturedbycalderon

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