Young, healthy and strong: probably not three words that come to mind when you envision someone who needs a personal trainer, right? We tend to think of someone out of shape, perhaps a little more seasoned in life, and definitely someone who isn’t already strong on their own. But 16-year-old Kennedy Miller is used to defying stereotypes.[porto_blockquote]“I’ve done a lot of different sports, like track and volleyball. But I wanted to do Crossfit competitions.”[/porto_blockquote]And while Kennedy was taking a weightlifting class at school, she didn’t think it was going to give her the strength and skills she needed.“At school we don’t really learn the proper form. My dad used to work with Anna Woods’ dad and suggested that I train with her.”Kennedy has been training with personal trainer and strength coach Anna Woods of SheStrength for a little more than a year now.“I started working with Anna one on one and I loved it right away. She’s so knowledgeable, and I was quickly improving. And I wasn’t continuing to strain my shoulder that I’d injured before because she was teaching me the right way to lift.”
With her newfound weightlifting knowledge, Kennedy tried to share the insight with her classmates.“Some of them don’t take me seriously because I’m not the teacher, and I’m not a guy. I have girls in my group though, and they take the advice, and it helps them.”Armed with her new techniques, Kennedy didn’t worry about the response from her peers, and instead turned her attention to her goal--Crossfit competition.“I did a competition at Crossfit Compelled. It was nerve-wracking. It was very hard, and I might have died a little, but it was really fun. I loved it. I can’t imagine how I would have performed without help from Anna. I think it would have been absolutely horrible.”Kennedy’s willingness to be coached has been a tremendous asset, and she’s seen incredible strength gains as a result.“Compared to where I started, I’m ten times stronger. It’s ridiculous how much form can help you improve strength. My dream is to compete in the Crossfit Games, it’s like the Olympics of crossfit. I’m not there yet, but I will be someday.”Kennedy is not only a great example of today’s youth pushing themselves and striving for excellence, but she also defies the stereotype of younger generations not valuing insight and advice from older generations.[porto_testimonial view="default"]“The ladies I work out with in Anna’s class are a lot older than me. One of them is 80! But I really enjoy being around them. They make me laugh and support me. They’re all working so hard to be their best. They inspire me. And Anna? Well, all I can say is she’s flippin’ awesome!”[/porto_testimonial]
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