ABOUT US

EVERY DAY IS AN OPPORTUNITY

Strive lives by the for 4 components to living a healthier life.

  • Exercise/Cardio

  • Mental Health

  • Nutrition

  • Sleep

Our Training programs are led by people who come from all fitness levels and have their own success stories. We personalize all the programs to deliver maximum results to fit your individual fitness goals and fitness levels. Whether you are a beginner, haven’t worked out in years, or an elite athlete, our professional coaches will help you Strive!”

At Strive your 1st class is FREE! We want everyone to experience the energy we bring to each class, the team we have created, and the amazing atmosphere we have to offer. For those individuals who are looking for more guidance, Strive also offers personal training.
At Strive we are more than just classes, we offer events year round such as: Ultimate Boot Camp, Class Marathons, and 5K/10K’s. Not only do we have three amazing locations, but when the weather breaks, we take our classes outside! We also now have our unique and innovative outdoor fitness center at Memorial Park in Lagrange Park.

VIEW MEMBERSHIPS

MEET OUR TRAINERS

Shawn
ShawnOwner/Coach/Nutritionist

We started strive in 2016 and since then myself and my team of coaches helped change and transform many individuals from weight loss, to mental health and a complete lifestyle change. I have been in fitness for over a dozen years and truly care about each individual that walks in the door. Who’s next?

My Long term goal is to change people and lead them into a healthier life. Short term goals is to have people break old habits, change their mind, and most importantly focus on themselves. #StriveStrong
Victoria
VictoriaOwner/Coach

Hey everyone I’m coach Victoria. I’ve been in the fitness industry for going on 12 years. Teaching and coaching everything from personal training 1 on 1, to boot camps, spin, kettle bells, insanity, kickboxing HIIT, and even kids classes.

I’m a mom to two handsome young boys, Kal 2 and Onyx 4. Before having our boys, I conquered many fitness goals. I ran my 1st marathon, 1/2 marathons (one of these half marathons was 6 months PP!) 15 hour GORUCK challenge( if you don’t know what it is, GTS), so many OCR’s I’ve lost count, climbed the highest mountains, rock climbed the 1st flat Iron in Colorado, cliff jumped, and countless fitness challenges along the way. But the one thing I can pride myself on most is the LIFESTYLE.

I feel very fortunate to have fallen into the most rewarding career anyone could ask for. I get to meet and help so many amazing people on their journey to a better life. When it comes to fitness, only positive things can happen; better attitude, more confidence, stronger body, stronger mind, and overall better lifestyle choices. Love what you do, and you’ll never feel like you’re “working”.

I haven’t worked in over 12 years!”☺️ #lovewhatyoudo

Beidy
BeidyCoach/Strive Xperience Manager - part time

My journey with Strive started at the end of 2018 on a Bootcamp pass. I then joined with a class membership, incorporated personal training, and lost over 80lbs. I have completed marathons, obstacle courses, ruck events, and hit many weightlifting goals.

I recently placed top 5 in my age group of a Spartan Deka Strong event and I also have successfully completed 75 hard & all 3 phases of the Live Hard program, a mental toughness program.

I gained so much knowledge on so many levels at Strive that I made the decision to pursue my certification as a coach.

My profession as a nurse and helping others has helped me to translate this into the fitness world and I now aspire to help others on their fitness journey with us at Strive!

Mike
MikeCoach/Personal Training Director - full time

Mike is an experienced personal trainer with 8 years of dedicated service in the fitness industry. Mike has always been passionate about fitness and health, which led him to pursue a career in personal training. His journey began with obtaining his NASM certification in exercise, and since then he has never looked back.

Mike has worked with a diverse group of clients, ranging from athletes to senior citizens. He takes a personalized approach with each of his clients, understanding that everyone’s fitness goals are unique. With his extensive knowledge and experience, he is able to create individualized training programs that cater to the specific needs of each client.

Mike is known for his ability to motivate and inspire his clients to reach their fitness goals. He is always encouraging and supportive, while also challenging his clients to push themselves beyond their limits. His infectious energy and positive attitude create a fun and enjoyable atmosphere during training sessions.

He is a true professional in his field, and continues to stay up-to-date with the latest research and trends in fitness and health.

Carlos
CarlosCoach - Part Time

My name is Carlos Flores. I’ve been an instructor at Strive for several years now. My specialty is martial arts, more specifically Stick Fighting. I’m a Full Dog Brother under the Dog Brothers Organization and go by the name Maul Dog. I also have over 20 years of martial arts experience in various arts.

You may find some martial art classes pop up here and there at Strive. I also teach various other classes focusing on strength, conditioning, and mobility. When it comes to fitness, I’m all about longevity. When I’m not teaching at Strive, I run my own business and am subcontracted by the state and work in Early Intervention providing families with counseling services. Mental health is also another component to my workouts and classes.

Peggy
PeggyCoach - part time

I have been active in fitness for many years, teaching indoor cycling since 2001 and yoga since 2017. My cycling certification is with Schwinn. I began doing yoga in 2005 during a particularly challenging time in my life and it was so therapeutic.

I obtained my yoga training with Judi Harvin at FocusOm, completing a 200 hour teacher training in 2017. The most important thing to me in fitness is proper form. No matter the exercise, proper form will create a strong foundation and minimize injury. This is what I teach.

In cycling it starts with proper bike fit for each student. In yoga, my motto for teaching is ‘it’s not about the pose’, rather it is about the blending of mind, body, spirit and loving yourself. I love traveling to foreign countries and experiencing unique adventures. My most humbling experience was summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro.

Mariel
MarielCoach - part time

It’s been 5 years since I decided to walk in the door at Strive and it has been life changing. I finally found a place where I can be comfortable and a place that keeps me engaged by offering a huge variety of workouts and continually evolving/changing it up. The support and positive vibes at Strive made me embrace the fitness lifestyle. Personal training with Shawn Groll helped shape me physically and mentally.

After 2 years, I became a certified NASM instructor and started teaching at Strive! I have enjoyed continuing my fitness journey with my Strive family and helping others on theirs. I’m back teaching class and doing personal training after being on maternity leave. I became a weight loss specialist and corrective exercise specialist with NASM while on leave. Make that leap. Try your first free class. Strive changes lives every day.

Jesus Garcia
Jesus GarciaCoach - full time
Hey everyone I’m coach Jesus aka Zeus! I’ve been an instructor for 2 years now. It’s been an up and down journey. I started as a member at Strive and lost 40lbs.

Eventually I decided I wanted to do this for a living and I became ISSA certified. Since then I’ve done 6 and 8 hour rucks, class marathons, ran a half marathon, and recently hit a max deadlift of 515lbs!
 
This year I’ll be working on my re-certification while also getting NASM Certified along with a powerlifting course. Always gotta keep learning!
Colleen Ryan
Colleen RyanCoach - part time

Who says you can’t teach an Old Dog New Tricks?? The pandemic changed many people’s lives but my life did a complete 180. When the World stopped turning for those couple of weeks I lost my job. I spend 22 years working as a limousine dispatcher and all of a sudden limousines were not allowed on the road. I had to reinvent myself.

A friend of mine needed help at her warehouse and I instantly fell in Love with physical work. I am now the warehouse manager for ComEd’s Energy Efficiency Program and the only forklift operator in the warehouse.
 
I began a weight loss mission in October of 2019 but just like my job all of a sudden the gym was shutdown. I had to find new ways to get my workout in. I had to really dig deep and find the passion and discipline to continue working out even though my gym was closed. I became completely obsessed with Fitness. So much to the point that I decided to start taking classes to change my career and become a Certified Personal Trainer.
 
I worked hard on my own transformation just recently reaching a major goal of 100 pounds of weight loss. I also reached some other big goals like nailing my 24 inch box jump, a 235 pound deadlift, 105 pound bench press, 145 pound squat, and this is just the beginning!!! My passion is helping people believe they have the ability to do a 180 and make major changes in their lives no matter what stage they’re at in Life!” 
Kim Hale
Kim HaleCoach - part time

Hello there! I’m Kim, a group fitness and personal trainer here at Strive. I’ve taught everything from spin, kettles, barre, bootcamps and more! My passion for fitness started well into my elementary school years where I spent many many years as a ballerina. Being “active” has always been a large part of my life. 

I have spent the majority of my career years being a mom and working in the Tech Industry. I still felt like I was missing living my passion fully.

It wasn’t until about 6 years ago I decided to pursue a certification in fitness. Since then I have acquired 6 certifications including barre, sports conditioning, corrective exercise, fitness nutrition and more!

I love helping people become the best versions of themselves and hitting their goals. That is so powerful! 

Fidel Jr
Fidel JrCoach - part time

Lives in Brookfield
Father and Husband
Passionate about Fitness

Basketball-Played collegiate @Marian University/On my 17th year of coaching HS basketball.
Coached HS Boxing team for 6 years and boxed amateurs for 2 years
Triathlete- Completed a full Iron Man
17 years of personal training and coaching.
I bring a broad perspective of fitness. I think we all are capable of more than we think possible!

Lily
LilyCoach - part time

My name is Lily, I enjoy staying active and reaching new fitness goals . My passion is using my energetic personality to assist others in all capacities of life. My experience working at a physical therapy clinic has helped me gain more knowledge on proper body mechanics.

I want to make your experience with me be the highlight of your day and motivated for your next session! I look forward to becoming a new member of the team and helping you all reach your goals!

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Flexible membership packages to suit all levels of training to help achieve your fitness goals

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