Sheryl Carpenter
Sheryl remembers being quite young and associating physical strength and movement with feelings of freedom and empowerment. She loved to climb trees, swim, take long bike rides, hike over cliffs, run fast and throw the ball hard from shortstop to 1st base. In order to enjoy the outside, participate in anything her heart desired and live as her most authentic self, she had to stay strong. By the time she was in high school, she had started creating workouts for herself at home – instinctively moving to the rhythm of the music she used. She played softball and soccer in college and took her first group exercise classes through the YMCA close to campus. She had thoughts at the time about how lucky the instructor was to have that perfect job, but somehow never considered it as something she could do.
Once she graduated from college with a degree in education, Sheryl went to another fitness class in her home town here in the mid-coast. She was approached by the instructor immediately afterward who urged her to aspire to lead classes herself. That would turn out to be one of the most important moments in Sheryl’s life. From there, she did the work to earn certifications in Group Exercise and Personal Training, and she discovered the joy of being in a position to help others find their own feelings of strength, freedom and empowerment. In case after case, clients and participants started reporting their success stories, whether meeting weight loss goals, keeping up with their grandchildren better, running faster races, or having the confidence to try something new altogether!
Sheryl has been doing this work for her entire adult life. She is now a Certified Nutrition Coach, a Golf Fitness Specialist, a certified G.E.A.R. Indoor Cycling Instructor, and is working on her Level 1 TPI (Titleist Performance Institute) Certification. She discovered how much she loved dancing and creating choreography in 2017, so she started taking lessons at Swing & Sway – ultimately performing her pieces in two different showcases. One of her favorite outdoor activities now is climbing Katahdin, and she loves to write.
In 2020, Sheryl and her husband made the big decision to start sharing their time between Maine and Florida, so her schedule at Midcoast Strong will be from June – September.