Colleen M Moss

I started Thrive Yoga & Fitness after retiring from Federal Law Enforcement. I decide to “go back” to my original love - fitness. I was a competitive gymnast (going to the junior Olympics twice) before a meniscus tear ending that chapter of my life. So I dove into a lot of other sports and activities: competitive cheerleading, martial arts, horseback riding, swimming, diving. You name it, I likely tried it. I jumped into coaching gymnastics, then running cheer camps at the YMCA. I ended up getting my Lifeguard Certification and Swim Instructor certifications and starting working as a lifeguard, swim instructor and diving instructor at my local YMCA. I LOVED IT! When I went to college (Slippery Rock University!!!). I thought I wanted to run a gym (that’s what my high school yearbook says!), so I tried out a few areas of study until I ended up getting a Bachelor of Science in Allied Health - Community Health Practices. I loved all my science classes - figuring out what everythng did in our bodies and what the likely cause of an illness was super fasinating. But, you know - it was the 80s and women just didnt own businesses - definitely not gyms. So, I ended up going to graduate school and getting a Master of Arts in Counseling. I spent 6 years working at Colleges/Universities in the Residence Life Department - running residence halls, supervising Resident Advisors, Hall Directors, maintenance staff, and dealing with crisis intervention ( “who did that!?”) in the buildings. If you havent noticed yet, there actually is a common theme in all of these interests! I enjoyed figuring out what happened. What happened that caused the illness/injury?, what was the best way to teach someone how to swim?, do a forward roll?, how can I explain it differently so the next kid understands too?, who really did break the shower head in the mens bathroom on the 2nd floor last weekend? I guess my love of Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys stories stayed with me! When I finally realized solving the mystery was what I really liked in all my roles, I decided maybe law enforcement would be a cool place for me - physical fitness and solving who-done-its! I applied to the Federal Bureau of Investigation - I figured if I was going to switch paths, start at the top. I was lucky enough (after 22 months of application process) to land at Quantico. My first office was the Baltimore Field office, where I ended up working what became Cyber Crimes (child pornography/exploitation, internet fraud, computer intrusions). All of this meant I was sitting a LOT more than I was working out. Although I did become a Defensive Tactics Instructor and continued to teach and work with other women who needed help to pass the yearly fitness for duty test. I met and married my husband, we had two awesome children, we were transferred to the Charlotte Divsion, where we both continued to work our respective areas of expertise. I took on more administrative responsibilities and ended up with more paperwork and even less fitness time. I was not moving as much as I needed to. I was sitting at a desk or in a meeting (or in front of a the kids baseball games, or driving for 10+ hours a day). Over the course of 15 years, I was only doing 30 minutes, three or four times a week walking or lifting and not paying much attention to my nutrition choices. What happened? The short story: high blood pressure, blood clots, and three strokes later - my body finally got through to my brain I need to change something up. I wanted to live healthier and have the energy to go to sporting events with the kids, heck - take the dogs for long walks. How embarrassing, I was in law enforcement, I knew how important it was to move and stay fit. I decided to make my health and fitness a priority (instead of everything else first). But when i went to the “big, box gyms” the classes/instructors were not providing classes that worked for me. I had issues: hips and knees that didnt take pounding exercises well to start. But when I asked about modifications - the answer was almost always, If you cant do “X”, just skip it. OK, Confession time. I am a fairly extreme “Type A” person - competition is hardwired into me (remember, competative gymnast at age 5). “Skip it” was not in my vocabulary. So i would just do the exercises. Needless to say, I ended up so sore I could work out again for days or hurt and couldnt go back for weeks. Worse, I was not improving my health or fitness, just my frustration level with myself. Why was I paying for this? My husband finally suggested I go back to yoga - movement I had enjoyed most of my life and had never gotten injured while doing becuase the instructors were easliy able to modify and make changes to poses for anyone who needed it. I loved it - again! I went and got my Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) 200 certification and started teaching once a week. I realzied this was what I really wanted to do. When I was eligible to retire, I did and starting teaching more and at several different studios with different clients and yoga styles. Then COVID. I worked online and worked on my RYT-500 certification, and certifications in Mat Pilates and Barre Fitness and Group Fitness. (Did I mention I am a bit of a Type A?) I realized I really liked helping others find their way back to fitness - even when they thought they couldnt do it. And no other gym seemed to care about anyone who wasnt already “in shape” when they walked into a gym. That is how Thrive Yoga & Fitness was born. The outcome of my journey? I ended up losing 30 pounds from my stroke days, I no longer have pain walking up and down the stairs (just walking for that matter) and I feel GREAT! Want this kind of change in your life? You can achieve it - just by adding more movement to your life. Notice I did not say by working out 7 days a week or to exhaustion. The key to health is small steps in the direction you want to go. And having a smart plan to get you there. Trust me - I lived it. I want you to be here with me - enjoying the life you want now. Walking, hiking, traveling, spending time with your kids and grandkids (granddogs) the way you want. Not worried about losing your independence or your next doctors appointment. I hope you will join my team and try some of our classes. Not sure which classes are right for you? I would love to talk with you about your health and fitness goals and help you decide your smart path to live a longer, healthier, more energetic life!