Izzy Atkinson

My journey of becoming a personal trainer and fitness instructor started after being a bodybuilder/fitness competitor for three years. Throughout my journey as a competitor, I really struggled with body dysmorphia and disordered eating. Through my own healing journey, I saw how life-changing it was for me when I stopped fixating on needing to change my body to feel worthy & accepted for who I am. I was determined to change the narrative in the fitness industry and how we relate to our bodies from a place of shame & needing to change/shrink ourselves, to a place of empowerment and embracing getting stronger (both internally and externally). Over the last 8+ years as a trainer, I have worked with individuals who were really struggling in their lives both mentally and physically, and looking to feel empowered in their lives and within themselves.

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I've worn many hats in my career, including a 10+ corporate career as a project manager & leadership coach, I am a Self-love Coach, Breathwork Facilitator, and have worked with numerous businesses/non-profits in strategic planning & development. I love being able to integrate all of the work I have done as a person into my personal training sessions and how I work with my clients. I always take a holistic approach when working with my clients, just as I do with myself.

One moment in my journey that sticks out to me is when I worked 1:1 with the #1 US Female Pro Squash Player back in 2020 & 2021. I supported her in navigating her journey recovering from an eating disorder, learning how to relate to her training & relationship with food in a completely new way, and releasing shame she held around her body & the expectations around performing as a female athlete.

My turning point has continuously been my own journey. I was a woman who grew up drowning in shame around my body & really struggled to see my self-worth outside of my body & appearance. It took me years and years on my own healing journey to understand that my worth lies within, it is not in the external. So many of us are seeking validation and change outside of ourselves, always running and trying to fix, versus looking inward to get to know ourselves and understand ourselves better.

Life continuously threw really rock bottom moments my way to force myself to look inward and understand where these deep-rooted beliefs were from and how to start reframing them & reprogramming them. Fitness was the thing that started to save me from myself - it taught me how incredible it feels to be strong, that I could do hard things, that I could be disciplined in ways I did not know were possible, and that feeling empowered internally helped me show up as my authentic self in the world. When we seek out change from a place of shame or hatred, the "change" does not change that feeling. This is why I take such pride in the work I do with my clients because we are not only going on a fitness journey, we go on a journey of reprogramming how we relate to ourselves, how we show up in the world, and how we can love & embrace ourselves throughout the journey.

Clients of mine have not only achieved their fitness goals during our time working together - they have been able to show up happier in their lives, set better boundaries, have a healthier relationship with food, prioritize joy more, reduce their stress, try new things, and show up as their beautiful, authentic selves.

My purpose for coaching is to help others feel deeply connected to themselves and their bodies, and to feel like a total badass while doing so.
When we embark on a fitness journey, so much of that journey is about cultivating practices & tools to support ourselves outside of how we are integrating movement  - the way we talk to ourselves, the way we show up in the world, the way we stand in our power, and embracing being our authentic selves.
I apply everything I have learned as a leadership, as a healer, and from my own healing journey as a woman, to help support others on their journey to feeling like their most empowered, strong, best self.

(I also have a website  www.izzyatkinson.com & podcast: Make it Make Sense with Izzy)