I was born in the USA, but grew up in Canada. As a child I was a competitive figure skater, and ballerina, and was lucky enough to dance in the Olympics Arts Festival in the 1988 Winter Olympics.

I relocated several times from my teenage years on; the most noteworthy being a year in college spent studying in France, taking in the culture, language, and too many chocolate croissants! ☺ To work off all that flakey, buttery deliciousness after returning stateside, I became a Heavy-bag Kickboxing Instructor, and there began my love of teaching fitness. I progressed into training in Muay Thai, then eventually fought at the 2004 Women’s Nationals Boxing Championship, and was ranked 6th in the US!

I also decided pursue a degree in Photo Journalism around that time, and graduated with a BA from The Brooks Institute of Photography in Ventura, CA, in 2006. My graduation project was a small documentary I filmed and produced, (along with friend and colleague Jessica Wunderlich), covering the 2006 Hezbollah (via Lebanon) attack on Israel. We filmed the war from Israel for only two and a half weeks of the 34-day conflict, but it was definitely life changing. While it may seem strange to state that it was a positive experience since witnessing firsthand the thorough, and unmitigated disregard for human life was beyond heart breaking, it did give me a profound, unexplainable lust for living. The destruction and death emphasized and restored in me a desire to help others, and respect of the fragility and permanent impact of single moments. Carpe diem. In 2008, another friend and fellow photographer (Evan Cohan), and I bicycled 500 miles across the South Island of New Zealand, also over a two and a half week time period, and soon followed up by self-publishing a book on our adventure.

Somewhere in between those two projects, I took up Krav Maga, (the official self-defense system of the Israeli Defense Forces), and eventually became an instructor. It is this career path that led to me to Los Angeles, CA just over a year ago, where I now manage an international Krav Maga licensing company with over 130 affiliates everywhere from Canada to Australia. I just tested for my Instructor Brown Belt, one level below Black Belt. I’m also in the process of becoming a Krav Maga Alliance Training Team Instructor, which is train the trainer status. I’m overseeing our StrikeFit® (heavy-bag kickboxing) program, which will soon involve travel for certifications to train others to become StrikeFit® instructors. Since relocating to LA, I have been recruited by one of the top Lagree Fitness Method (Pilates inspired strength training) studios in North America, and am proud to now be a certified instructor in the most physically challenging, (result evident) methods to perform, let alone teach, that I have ever come across.

What Makes Your Job or Hobby Badass?: On the administrative side, I enjoy dealing with Krav Maga Alliance’s overseas affiliates, it makes me feel like a part of something bigger, and realize how much I need to pick up my language skills beyond only French and some Hebrew!

On the physical side, I feel very lucky to work in an environment where I rarely sit at a desk, and basically live in comfortable workout clothes. I LOVE to move and punch, also teach adults functional self-defense, and fitness. This absolutely extends into teaching the Lagree Fitness Method at The Studio (MDR). Helping people to challenge and transform their bodies and minds is highly fulfilling, with consistently tangible accolades. My position at Krav Maga Alliance has allowed me to volunteer to be involved in self-defense seminars for teens in need, and children at the Boys and Girls Club. I organized Krav Maga Alliance fundraisers for C.A.M.O. (Challenge Aspen Military Operations), which provides healing and hope for Wounded Warriors though outdoor adaptive sports like cross country skiing and mountain climbing, in beautiful Estes Park, CO. Not only do we raise money for the cause as a company, but also I personally volunteer, and it has been the most rewarding week of my year the past two years and running.

Badass in a completely different way, I was recently hired to train a well-known actress briefly in Krav Maga, consult about technique and class format on set while filming, and be in the movie. I was just informed by the producer that I was in a lot of the footage, and it is going to be submitted into the Sundance Film Festival!

The day before that filming, we did a photo-shoot of our own for a new Black Belt book that John Whitman (5th Degree Black Belt, and author) is writing. I took photos for much of the shoot with a group of really great and talented people, and got to be featured in a few techniques also. It was a privilege to be on both sides of that camera, and will be a privilege to be published as both.