Kristi Dowler, Mentor, Coach - VyAyr - Fitness for Women: Bio

ACE Certified Personal Trainer
NASM Certified Personal Trainer
NESTA Certified Boot Camp Instructor
AFAA Certified
Pilates Certified
CPR Certified

Ultra Distance Runner
Marathoner
Triathlete
Two Time Ironman Finisher
Death Ride Competitor

Background:
Kristi grew up dribbling basketballs and swinging at softballs. By the time she hit high school, she’d switched to sweating through cardio classes and pumping iron at the gym, but she wasn’t having any fun. In her 20s, she started teaching group exercise and found that she really enjoyed being on the other side of the classroom. Then she moved to San Francisco, and things took off.

“When I moved to San Francisco, I was ready for a change so I decided to run a marathon. Before I started training, the longest I’d ever run was six miles – on a treadmill.”

While training for that first marathon, Kristi’s workouts went from mind numbing to mind-blowing. She looked forward to the longer and longer runs, and when the marathon was over, she signed up for her first Ironman competition. She was so excited about it that she overlooked one small detail – she didn’t own a bike!

“I turned 30 in 2001, and celebrated by completing my first Ironman in Canada on my Birthday. My two coaches were so amazing I decided to stay as a mentor for the triathlon season. Fitness makes me feel good, and I wanted other people to have that feeling.”

Besides assisting with triathlon training, Kristi continued teaching spin classes where she inspired a loyalty so fierce that devotees would arrive early to nab one of the coveted spots. What had them lining up? Kristi’s infectious energy. Soon she realized that helping people accomplish their fitness goals was more fulfilling than anything else, even meeting her own personal challenges. And that’s when everything clicked into place: Kristi ditched her corporate job, invested in a wardrobe of sports tops and running shoes, and founded Bay Area Adventure Boot Camp, one of the first San Francisco boot camps for women. Two years later, she launched VyAyr Fitness to offer her own unique brand of motivational workouts to the San Francisco community.

“I work out best when I’m inspired – by the outdoors, by a good song, by a great coach. I think about that when I teach boot camp. I don’t just call out the next exercise; I try to make sure everyone is enjoying the ride.