Melissa White Episode
In the latest episode of the Empowerography Podcast, my guest is Melissa White. She is a postnatal fitness specialist and personal trainer based in Orillia. In this episode we discuss everything from women’s empowerment to mindset to personal loss to self love and body image.
Mama, entrepreneur and fitness specialist. She is a Certified Personal Trainer and Postnatal Fitness coach- who currently runs a private training studio in Orillia, ON. She is also currently completing a diploma program to become certified in Sport Nutrition.
She graduated with honors from Georgian College in both Early Childhood Education as well as a Post-graduate in Therapeutic Recreation. She has always had a passion for fitness, playing and coaching many sports competitively, and personal training on the side throughout her school career.
Through Recreation Therapy, Melissa worked with individuals with Special needs to improve their quality of life through fitness and recreational pursuits- both privately and within a classroom environment. Melissa also taught Physical Education overseas in Abu Dhabi and worked as a health coach for individuals struggling with addictions and mental health struggles. She became an entrepreneur/fitness specialist initially as a Recreation therapist, and since having her daughter has pursued a full time career in fitness, specializing in coaching Mom's during their pregnancies and postpartum journeys. First teaching her classes in the back of a tiny massage studio, her class sizes increased and she moved to a larger gym space where she shared with other trainers- as things continued to grow Melissa took a leap to completely go out on her own. She now has her own training studio that is private, where she has created a safe environment for clients to not only grow physically, but mentally.
Melissa has been heavily involved in a Girlstrong program, where she ran a self-esteem workshop for school-age women around confidence, body image and women supporting other women. She also was involved in a sheCANplay event, supporting young female athletes. Currently, Melissa coaches privately in-person and in-home, teaches postpartum strength training classes, stroller-fit postpartum classes, offers online coaching and continues to support those with Special-needs through Recreational therapy.
After overcoming some personal struggles around loss, eating disorders, personal trauma, relationships, and postpartum trauma, Melissa's main passion is helping others, especially women- to achieve a sense of self-love and confidence through fitness. As a Mom herself, Melissa not only works to help pregnant and postpartum mamas to safely recover physically- but emotionally and mentally coming to a place of body acceptance, to practice patience with themselves and to learn how to regain control over their lives and their bodies. Melissa strives to curb unrealistic societal expectations around all women's bodies, the language we use to describe ourselves and our bodies, our mindset around fitness, food and goal-setting. She works to end the shame postpartum women feel around encompassing a different body and the fear around talking about postpartum struggles. Ultimately, rather than women hating themselves into a body they love, she empowers women to LOVE themselves into a body they love.