I've been teaching group exercise at Gold's Gym in Seattle for over a year, and have found this to be a perfect meshing point of my passion and profession. Through group exercise, I am able to bind my passion for fitness and my desire to help people push themselves to a level that I find exhilarating. Seeing my students and clients find power in confronting and overcoming their pain and finding strength in their weakness is the ultimate reward for me, and I hope to continue to do so for a long time. The biggest reward of all is not just in the fitness though, it's in carrying this act of overcoming doubt into the rest of one's life. Thus, more than anything, I bring a force of passion to fitness that can only help the people I work with to sail onto positive change.

Of course, this sometimes gets me called a little bit crazy. And early in a class, there may be a few feet dropping when they should be up, and some jaws too may hit the floor as I ask more of my students than they would ever ask of themselves. This is the hard part, made so easy by what comes next.

After the class, I've seen many people with a smile on their face once they've reached their goals. I've helped people lose fat and gain the muscle that it takes to make them a whole new person, inside and out. I've seen people push past their mental barrier of pain and achieve a whole new level of fitness that they didn't know they could ever touch.

I am determined to make a difference in people's lives, and have done so countless times. Being passionate about fitness and the relationship between physical and mental strength is something that drives me.

As for me, I've been an athlete all my life, running track and volleyball in high school, and have been dirt biking on motorcycles since the age of 6. I've recently gotten more focused on snowboarding and track biking, but continue to hold on to the focus and dedication necessary to push myself physically above and beyond my expectations.

I'm currently a junior at the University of Washington in the Journalism department, and hope to graduate in the spring of next year. In the meantime, please come to my class, so we can push our limits, and let me be part of this transformative process!

Abigail Stansfield, 34, has been an ACE certified fitness instructor for over 9 years and also currently co-owns Seattle's oldest natural juice bar and healthy cafe, Juice It. Abigail's mission is simple: to get people moving more and eating healthy foods. Her positive spirit is addicting and she will make fitness both fun and challenging for you.

Abigail's road to fitness began at a very young age. Coming from a family that is extremely active and has always eaten healthfully has made this type of lifestyle very natural. Starting tennis at the young age of 5, Abigail played competitive tennis throughout her school days and still enjoys a knock today from time to time. At the age of 9, Abigail watched her mother take an aerobics class and begged to attend class with her mother. At the young age of 12 the gym allowed her to attend class and she has not stopped taking classes ever since.

Some of the other activities that she enjoys are running, cycling, hiking, skiing, fashion, traveling anywhere and everywhere with her awesome husband Terrence, walking her dog Lola with her dad around Greenlake, playing with her nephews and niece, and hanging out with her 95 year old nannie, Ruthie.

Abigail considers herself to have an explosive approach to fitness: never taking no for an answer and always pushing her students to that next level with a can-do attitude. Her students reach their goals by combining cardiovascular conditioning, balance, isometrics, plyometrics, strength training, and flexibility exercises. Abigail will guide you through the challenging workouts and she will help you to reach your goals. Helping people reach their health and fitness goals are something that really motivates, inspires and deeply satisfies Abigail. It will not always be easy, but she will get you there--success is something that she must accomplish. There is nothing better than seeing someone find that confidence within that gives them that extra push to be all they can be in life.

Because of her dedication to health and fitness, the decision to help others achieve their personal goals is a simple and natural life choice.