Ellen is the sweet, southern soul, ready to greet everyone who enters the doors of PFS with the biggest smile.
Born and raised in South Carolina, Ellen is the fourteenth member of her family to attend Coker College (now Coker University) where she was a pre-med major. After the death of her beloved father, and in the months following the earth-shattering events of 9/11, Ellen reevaluated her plans for the future.
Ellen needed a change, a fresh perspective and a new environment where she could be further challenged to learn and grow. Seeing how fragile and short life can be, Ellen knew she needed to spread her wings and do what she could to live life to the fullest. Graduating a semester early, Ellen ventured north to Cape Cod and began working at The May Institute in Harwich as a Behavior Program Specialist. There, she trained and supervised the residential staff, while working closely with autistic children, creating Individual Education Plans (IEP) for each child, along with teaching them important life skills. Ellen had a gift for creating personalized, custom programs to fit the specific needs of her clients; and this made her stand out. Through the May Institute and Ellen’s exemplary performance, compassion and dedication, she was recruited to work for a family, performing all duties as they related to their child’s medical, nutritional, social and overall health and well-being needs. Working with this incredible non-verbal, brain-injured child with many special needs would also bring Ellen to New Jersey, where she and the family relocated so that Ellen could continue providing their child with her unparalleled care.
Ellen dedicated herself to this child and helped him in ways that his parents could never have dreamed. Ellen’s commitment was unwavering. She also learned of the benefits of stem cell therapy, which was becoming an experimental treatment in the United States at the time.
Being devoted and constantly seeking the highest level of understanding around her client’s medical needs and care, Ellen was introduced to “The Institutes for the Achievement of Human Potential” (IAHP) where she successfully completed their course on brain health. Impressed by the course and learning even more about the significant impact nutrition and the development of sound body movement and exercise play in overall health, Ellen committed to also changing her own lifestyle.
It was at this time that Ellen and the parents of her client came across “The China Study: The Most Comprehensive Study of Nutrition Ever Conducted and the Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss and Long-term Health” by T. Colin Campbell and Thomas M. Campbell II. Impressed by the evidence-based research and knowledge she and the parents gained, Ellen and her client’s entire family began to transition to a Whole Food Plant-Based (WFPB) way of eating.
In addition to changing her diet, Ellen began walking daily, participating in spin classes and working with a personal trainer. Realizing her love of movement, fitness became her passion.
Ellen’s time caring for this child was extremely rewarding and greatly improved the quality of his life until his passing. Sadly, the emotional toll was unmanageable for Ellen, and she lost sight of the healthy habits she had been incorporating and she began to gain weight.
Ellen returned to Cape Cod where she missed the healthy habits she had enjoyed while living in New Jersey. Ellen tried different avenues to find her “happy place” with health and fitness here on the Cape, and while preparing for an obstacle course race, Ellen was encouraged to take a class at Personalized Fitness Solutions (PFS), and here she found her “happy place.”
It was at PFS that Ellen was able to find a healthy and supportive community. After recommitting to her own health, with the support of PFS and learning how to maintain her healthy lifestyle, no matter what emotional stress was placed on her, Ellen lost 50 lb., and cured her non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Ellen continues on her own fitness journey with endless enthusiasm, excited to help others.
Since 2014 Ellen has participated in every aspect of PFS from private training to group classes to nutrition workshops and plant-based cooking classes. Ellen has been a diehard night class participant. As a dedicated assistant bank manager, dental office manager and town administrative assistant, Ellen has shined in all fields. However, what Ellen really missed was her dedication to working with others.
Ellen longed for a career where she felt she had a purpose and could once again use her problem-solving skills, compassion and innate ability to recognize the needs of others both physically, mentally and emotionally to once again put customized plans together to help others find their potential and the healthiest version of themselves. Ellen longed for a career where she could help others learn from her experiences, where she could utilize her incredible ability to read people, creating customized care plans in order for them to excel. To educate and lift others while leading by example, as she continues on her own health and fitness journey, she realized what she had really been searching for was to be in the field of health and wellness helping others find a healthy relationship with movement and nutrition.
Starting out as a pre-med student, then along her journey taking courses in nursing and culinary arts and then acquiring her certification in personal training through the American Council on Exercise, has made her extremely well-versed in health, fitness and sound biomechanics. Ellen has done incredibly well in further learning the detailed importance behind the principles and protocols of PFS, and how best to utilize these skills to serve those she works with.
In her free time, Ellen is a voracious reader of many subjects, continuing her desire to learn as much as she can about optimal health, wellness, fitness and nutrition while making certain to stay on top of the latest research. Ellen also enjoys music and recently is learning how to knit.
We are so happy to have Ellen on board, and we are very excited for you to meet this beautiful (inside and out) being with a brilliant mind, a vast amount of knowledge, a keen eye, and a heart of gold!
