Giovanna AbrahamSince winning a bikini bodybuilding competition in September, Giovanna Abraham has begun teaching fitness classes through Campus Recreation.

Fitness instructor and lifestyle coach a model for fellow employees

After gaining 30 pounds and having no energy, Giovanna Abraham, administrative assistant to the executive director of Facility Services, knew she had to make a change.

“I began lifting weights in March 2015 and I fell in love with it,” she says. “I quickly discovered how lifting weights and cardio gives me a ton of energy and releases endorphins, which makes me feel really amazing.”

As exercise became her hobby, she found herself competing in a fitness show—placing first in her category in September.

“I didn’t really know what to expect as I had never been exposed to a bodybuilding show, but by the morning after the competition, I knew I had to do it again,” Abraham says. Her next competition is a provincial tournament in London in August.

She is now passing on the knowledge she has gained by leading a “Booty Blast” class for UWindsor employees through Campus Recreation.

“When I first went to the gym, I felt a bit awkward and frumpy and had some people come up to me to correct my form, which was great,” she says. “Being new to the machines, it was important for me to learn proper form to prevent injury.”

She says that getting on track with health and fitness is a process.

“Overnight transformation is not the norm. You must have patience with yourself because it is a lifetime journey,” says Abraham. “You just need to be consistent and pick yourself right up if you ever fall. True achievement are those feelings of strength, energy, wellness and confidence that you gain.”

Her class runs noon each Wednesday in the Education Gym. She recommends it to fellow staff members.

“We’re really lifting and toning the lower body as well as upper body,” she says. “It is a great class to get your booty sculpted in time for the summer.”

Find more information and register online through Campus Recreation.