Meet Stef, one of our part-time employees! Stef is a Certified Inclusive Fitness Trainer (CIFT). She attended the University of Wisconsin- La Crosse and studied Exercise Sports Science. Stef landed an internship with a non-profit adaptive gym and PT clinic her last year at UWL. After her internship, Stef worked at the PT clinic for about 4 years before returning to the La Crosse area. Now she’s so thankful to be a part of the STAR community!

Stef coaches STAR Strong sessions on Tuesday and Thursday evenings at the center. She also leads TIME and assists members during open gym in the aerobic and strengthening center.

Since early high school, health and wellness- specifically exercise, was an important part of Stef’s life, leading her to know she wanted to pursue a career path in these areas. Within that broad category, Stef wasn’t quite sure. It wasn’t until her senior year of college internship that Stef realized how much she enjoyed working with different populations. Stef found herself gravitating toward and enjoying the neuro-based sessions. This naturally grew to be one of the most prominent populations on her caseload. Stef has worked with a great variety of neurological conditions: spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s Disease, post-stroke, Cerebral Palsy (CP), etc.

Stef constantly finds ways to adapt exercise programs to fit client’s symptoms or function levels. It is common for her to adapt an exercise program because of a change in symptoms or function. Traditional exercise isn’t everyone’s cup of tea- sometimes it needs to be disguised. Stef enjoys the creativity she is able to use as a coach!

Stef knows it is important to show empathy and compassion to the individual. She will try and remind participants what they can do versus what they think they can’t do, but oftentimes she feels people just want to be heard. Stef truly cares about each participant she works with and listens to their needs attentively. When asked what the most rewarding part, or favorite part about her job is, Stef answered, “I love watching people become stronger, more confident, happier, more connected, and overall better versions of themselves because of exercise and community. Witnessing someone prioritize their health and helping them feel comfortable in a space where they can flourish is pretty special.”

Outside of work, Stef enjoys hiking and camping! The outdoors holds a special place in her heart and she tries spending as much time out enjoying it as possible, whether that’s on the soccer field, getting lost in the trails, or hanging out by the campfire. She also spends much of her time with the two loves of her life, her cats Kallie and Dexter. We are so thankful to have Stef as a part of our team!

Written by: Anelise Maccoux