Kimberly Fowler has always been into fitness and sports. Growing up in a poor family, little emphasis was placed on higher education, but sports was always important. Her grandmother was also interested in vitamins, and would give them to Kimberly for Christmas, which could partially explain how she wound up as the COO of a 200 million dollar vitamin company in spite of her modest upbringing. Ultimately, the corporate life was not for her, however, when after a climbing accident Kimberly found herself at a crossroads and decided to turn her love into her work, opening YAS Yoga and Spinning Center in Venice, California.
Kimberly had found her way to yoga during another challenging period earlier in life. In 1982, while attending law school, she was hit by a car while competing in a bike race, leaving her severely injured. Her physical therapist introduced her to Iyengar yoga, which helped her to heal and realign her body. Kimberly’s recovery was successful, and she began to compete as a triathlete, but in 1983 she suffered another blow when she was diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor. Determined to prove the doctors wrong, Kimberly focused on yoga as the cornerstone of her recovery. “Practicing yoga while battling cancer taught me the importance of balancing strength with flexibility. Focusing on my breath helped me stay centered when in physically or mentally challenging situations,” she shares. At one time, Kimberly was told she would not live to see her 30th birthday, but she persevered and celebrated her survival by returning to competition as a professional triathlete.
After decades of practicing yoga and competing in triathlons, Kimberly opened YAS Fitness Centers and created a class specifically for athletes. The idea is to reduce the risk of injury and enhance athletic performance. Called Yoga for Athletes®, the class combines elements of Iyengar, Ashtanga and Power Yoga, and focuses on the hips, hamstrings, core abdominals and upper body. “These are the areas that need special attention in athletes. They are used and abused in sports,” Kimberly says. The classes are frequented by professional and amateur athletes, and aim to be the secret weapon that prevents them from becoming injured and keeps them ahead of the competition.
Getting results is what drives Kimberly – and is also what fulfills her at the end of the day. She is determined to help others reach their potential, which is directly linked to her own experiences with the human body and mind and its ability to overcome amazing odds to regain health. While Kimberly admits that running a fitness center isn’t easy, citing the slogan, ‘It’s the hardest job you will ever love,’ she truly enjoys knowing that she’s helping people. “I have always tried to help people. If someone needed something, they would come to me,” she says. Being in the fitness industry allows her to expand upon this natural inclination, since helping others is at the very foundation of running a fitness center.
Along with helping others, Kimberly really enjoys the marketing aspect of her business. Although her formal background is in law, and she hasn’t had formal training in the realm of marketing, Kimberly finds it fascinating to bring the many pieces of the puzzle together. “To me it’s like playing a game of chess. I love hearing from students about their fitness success stories. I love my clothing line YAS Wear® – especially designing and picking fabrics – it’s like being on my own version of Project Runway! I also love seeing my clothes on people – especially in unexpected places. I was in New York last year and saw a woman wearing YAS Wear® from head to toe – it was a surreal moment,” she says.
These days, Kimberly continues to live the healing benefits of yoga every day and to share her experience that you really can do anything if you put your mind to it. Her DVD, Yoga for Athletes® is also out on the market, and her brainchild, YAS Fitness Center, has begun to offer franchising opportunities. So far, she has sold six locations in California, and plans to sell a total of 15 by the end of the year. They are targeting successful individuals who are looking for a career change to run the franchises, which also incorporate environmentally friendly building options and a philanthropic, fundraising element into the business plan. With her family all “back East”, and a busy schedule that demands her complete focus, Kimberly prefers to have solitude when she’s at home, with the exception of her canine companion, Lucky, who often accompanies her on early morning walks around the Venice Canals.
NUTRITION: “I start my morning with an Emergen-C® vitamin supplement and have for the past 20 years. Also, I usually have a Myoplex® protein shake in the morning. I have to admit, I’m not a big foodie.”
FITNESS: “I practice what I preach. For my workout, I take a Yoga for Athletes® class and a YAS indoor cycling class five days a week. I don’t do weights. Instead, I use the upper body work in Yoga for Athletes® to keep me strong.”
MOTIVATION: “”I want to empower my students to become their own teachers. I hope they leave my class feeling good about themselves and what they are capable of doing.”
PHILOSOPHY: “Anything is possible if you believe in yourself. I have a motto for my classes at YAS, ‘Fun, Safe, & Effective.’ I believe if you enjoy your workout, you will do it more often and thus have a healthier life! I call YAS ‘The Cheers of Workout.’ You don’t even think, ‘Oh, I have to go work out,’ because it becomes a social!”
HEROES: “Martha Stewart – mainly for her business sense, although she also has a health and fitness magazine called Body and Soul. Also, my friend John Boudwin, who owns Madd Dog Athletics, which owns Spinning®. My studio is right down the street from their corporate headquarters, and I think he’s done an amazing job; he’s a mover and a shaker! I also look up to the Rodale Group – I love companies that support athletes. I even have a blog on their site: www.iyogalife.com/yogaforathletes. Finally, I do a fundraiser every year for The Women’s Sport Foundation, which is owned by Billie Jean King. She has a program called Go Go Girls which helps underprivileged girls with sports and fitness. You can’t be a woman in the sports world and not be a big fan of hers!”
