The idea was originally targeted for senior citizens, but it quickly became apparent that people of all ages were interested in their services. The company has grown to include a staff of 16 personal trainers in Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids, nearly half of which are WMU alumni. Genesis also employs two interns who are exercise science majors at WMU.
Genesis Fitness & Wellness is also the sponsor for two MyWMU Alumni Social events this spring; the March 16 event at Webster’s Prime in Kalamazoo, and the April 6 event at Peppino’s Pizzeria and Sports Grill in Grand Rapids. (Learn more about Broncos & brews Alumni Social events here.)
“The cool thing is that some of our sponsor dollars are going to scholarships in exercise science, and also to the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at WMU, so it’s a win-win,” said Rob.
Supporting these two areas at WMU are important to Elisa and Rob, who are passionate about expanding access to exercise for anyone with a desire to improve their quality of life. Aside from teaching classes for the Lifelong Learning Institute, which provides educational opportunities for mature adults, the two also support the exercise science program at WMU because it serves as a pipeline of qualified and competent potential employees.
“People don’t always think of being a personal trainer first, but you can do it, you can make a living from it and really help a lot of people,” Elisa explained.
Whereas Rob chose to attend WMU specifically to study exercise science, Elisa did not have a career in fitness until later in life. The daughter of two WMU alumni, Elisa chose to attend WMU because her dad was an employee at the time and it was the most logical choice. She went from marketing, to communication, to music before finally creating a student planned curriculum in arts management. It wasn’t until Elisa decided to lose some weight that she considered changing her career to become a personal trainer. She’s been committed to helping other people improve their health through exercise ever since.
To learn more about Genesis Fitness & Wellness, visit genesisfitwell.com.
To learn more about MyWMU Broncos & Brews Alumni Socials, visit MyWMU.com/alumnisocials.
If you are interested in sponsoring a future event, please contact Janis Clark in the WMU Office of Development and Alumni Relations at Janis.clark@wmich.edu or by calling (269) 217-0569.