Gunnar Edwards, Owner, NSCA-CPT, NASM-CPT, PN-1
As an 8 year veteran of the Army who served in Afghanistan in 2012-13, Sergeant Gunnar Edwards understands the struggles that some veterans may go through. Upon returning from Afghanistan he turned to drinking heavily as a coping mechanism. His use of alcohol and failure to deal with his emotions put a strain on relationships and employment. There are 20 veterans a day that take their lives, on more than one occasion Gunnar has almost been an addition to that statistic. One thing that has always been consistent and therapeutic, was his passion for working out.
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In 2018 he graduated from the Fitness Training Program at Parkland College and became a certified personal trainer. When Rally Point became a thought in his head, he wanted to provide an atmosphere for other veterans and first responders to have an outlet to go to for their PTSD and overall, well-being. Some veterans have a problem adjusting back to civilian life and the idea is to provide an atmosphere where
veterans can have that sense of camaraderie again. Physical fitness has been shown to improve symptoms of PTSD, depression, sleep patterns and more. Although Rally Point Fitness strives to help the veteran and first responder community, we want to express our desire to see any and every individual that wants to better themselves while building relationships and friendships.
Tina Hausmann, Certified ACE group Fitness Instructor
I became a member of Rally Point Fitness September of 2021 when I joined my first challenge and signed up for personal training. Through the process, I learned the importance of fueling your body with healthy foods and how hard work and consistency can and will pay off. I have fallen in love with the healthier lifestyle I now live. Being a teacher for the past 26 years, it only seemed logical to put those skills to work to help teach others fall in love with the process too. I received my ACE Group Fitness Instructor certification in the spring of 2023 and am ready to help others discover how to live their best life through group fitness classes! I love combining lifting and cardio in my HIIT classes at Rally Point and encouraging other members to push themselves to become healthier and stronger.
Carmen Morgan, Certified ACE group Fitness Instructor
My name is Carmen Morgan, and I am one of the group fitness instructors at Rally Point Fitness. I found my love for working out a little later than most and joined Rally Point Fitness in December of 2020. My goal was to get stronger, relieve stress, and get into better shape. The gym helped me achieve all of those goals, and I fell in love with working out! I've been an educator at the elementary level for 24 years, so it felt only natural to use those skills in the area of fitness. I am an ACE Certified Group Fitness Instructor and look forward to helping others reach their fitness goals.
Emily Scribner, Yoga Instructor
After an extensive Yoga Teaching course, completed in 2014 at a Yoga Alliance Accredited school, I have had many classes with students ranging from different experience levels and backgrounds in my classes. I have put on several community classes, taught at a gym, have done private small group classes and led a regular yoga session with children ranging from ages 5-10 years old.
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I have enjoyed yoga for a better part of my life and can happily attest to the benefits it can offer physically and mentally. I prefer to teach "Flow" style class that works exclusively with the breath and mind body connection. I also offer an "Energy Flow" class that offers a more upbeat, more momentum way to begin the day. As you begin to navigate through the world of yoga, I would love to collect your feedback and welcome any questions!
JT Wheeler, NCSF Certified Personal Trainer
JT's interest in fitness arose at a young age through different sports and being from an athletic family. JT grew up with a gym in his dad’s backyard so the importance of health was instilled in him from an early age. He is a graduate of Unity High School in Tolono, where he was an All-State basketball player and then went on to play 2 years of collegiate basketball.
Although always having an interest for the gym, his passion for personal training and fitness really started to sprout after he finished playing basketball and transferred to Eastern Illinois University. JT graduated from Eastern with a Bachelors degree in Kinesiology, Exercise Science. He has experience in group fitness settings as well as working with individuals, through his internships at the YMCA. This career path was an easy choice for JT as he has a natural ability to coach and motivate others to trust in his ability to produce great results.
JT is also going to head our sports performance programs for youth athletes to better prepare them for upcoming seasons.