NFL
By: Joe Cardoso
December?! Yep, 2018 is coming to a close and with that, we present our last Spotlight on Fitness for the year. The world of fitness is changing rapidly and with that, we are also seeing something great and that is the surge in people of color making a mark in the industry. This young lady based on her videos and speaking with her goes HARD, every day and shows no signs of slowing down. She is a professional trainer, cross fitter and model just to name a few of her titles. What better way to close the year than with a hardcore go-getter, let’s get to know Stormi Knight!
JC: For men and women starting out in fitness can be overwhelming, with all the diets and e-books etc. How was the start for you and what advice do you have for newbies?
SK: My own fitness journey began when I broke my leg and faced opposition with the doctors and physical therapists. They believed that I should settle with the fact that, I will never be as active anymore and that there is no other solution but to deal with the pain. Unsatisfied with that answer and upset that these qualified doctors just gave up on me, sparked a fire in me to not only rehab myself to be better than I was before- but it inspired me to help others who were dealing with the same problems as me. The advice I would give to newbies is. Don’t be afraid to question skillfully and listen carefully. You have to make your fitness journey your own and not about other people. You have to experiment and see what works best for your body composition. Not every gym/lifestyle/workout will fit you and that is something you need to understand first when beginning your journey. Second, you need to understand there is saturated misleading information out there you have to be careful with, so I implore you to do a lot of research and do not rely upon anyone else understanding alone. Educate thorough research and experimentation in order to find what works best for you.
JC: Has fitness and sports always been a part of your life?
SK: Sports has always been a part of my life, I was always active always moving and on the quest to do adventurous things to learn and add value to my life. Fitness was not apart of my life until I was severely injured and my health was compromised that I sought out fitness. I couldn’t settle with the thought of being injured, taking prescription drugs and not working out just to manage the frequent pain.
JC: Let’s talk diet and how everyone has an opinion on it. So, what is yours and has it changed over time during the journey?
SK: We are seasonal people, we are constantly changing because of this I have learned that less is best. Eat whole organic healthy foods, drink plenty of water, get a good amount of sleep and rest when necessary. Take supplements to fill in the gaps that are missing from your diet and not just rely on them.
JC: What is a typical week like for you?
SK: Monday-Sunday my days/weeks run the same depending on work, projects, collaborations I’m working on. I have clients to train (and online clients to coach), I workout every day, I do photoshoots twice a week on average (those shoots are for building my website, portfolio, projects I’m working on with other companies), I train my grandmother as she has diabetes and I’m on the quest to help her have a healthier lifestyle. I study every day, as I’m always adding new education and certifications under my belt to further myself.
JC: What companies and products are you endorsing and how do you choose who to work with?
SK: I’m a sponsored athlete by 1st Phorm and Herbstrong. I’m picky about choosing companies to be sponsored by because it could bring the value of you and your brand down. I choose companies that I want to stay with long-term, grow with and cultivate a meaningful business relationship with.
JC: Women of color in fitness are not something I see a lot of, what are your thought on that and how do feel being an example for little girls and boys?
SK: The fitness industry does have a diversity problem! People don’t want to admit it or talk about it but there needs to be a change! There’s so much space for women of color to make a huge statement, effect change is being impactful and relatability. I also feel in order for us to do that we need to truly support one another in understanding that we all add value in different ways rather than competing against one another let society wants us to do. It’s an honor to receive uplifting messages of being that an example of the diversity that these young ones can look up to because we are all so different and that’s important to recognize and appreciate rather than just glossing over it and not understanding its true value of impact.
JC: Social media is EVERYWHERE and we both use it daily, what do you like about it and what do you hate?
SK: I like that you can connect with people you can learn from, collaborate with and grow your brand creating a community for people to be a part of and share an interest with! What I detest the most about social media is people what they don’t like and don’t understand and a lot of misleading information out there to confuse and distract people and people not able to decipher between the two where it consumes their life.
JC: As we hit the end of 2018 without giving it all away what do you have on tap for the rest of the year and early 2019?
SK: Bigger and better projects that you’ll have to stay in tune for!
JC: When not in the gym what do you do to relax and unwind?
SK: When I’m not in the gym, I love to do adventurous activities and traveling to new places and reading a lot of books!
JC: What about fitness keeps you going on the journey?
SK: What keeps me going on my own journey is that knowing that there is so much more to learn and so much value to gain. We are constantly evolving and changing. It is important for our own survival to learn how to adapt to new changes and circumstances in our life!
JC: I’m sure the doors that have opened for you so far are awesome. What has been the best “wow” moment so far?
SK: Wow, so much has happened that I’m honored and thankful for!! For me, first, it’s the constant the support and encouragement I received daily. I’m learning a lot from them and not only that they have been a witness to my fitness journey and being retable to life challenges and setbacks. It’s a community where everyone shares information and we are constantly learning or discovering something new. Most importantly, I’m so honored to be a part of an amazing family, team, and powerful company 1st Phorm. Helping people and education is the first priority for them and aligns with my main core beliefs. It’s a company that I plan on staying with for a lifetime.
JC: Who is Stormi Knight?
SK: My “never settle” Attitude comes from me waking up every day and thinking this where I know I don’t belong. I have a vision of who I want to be and I will never stop until I have successfully accomplished that. My biggest achievement for me out of everything I have accomplished and been through is evolving into something greater. Things that keep me going is remembering it’s not how you start in life but how you finish. Having a better understanding, that I’m more powerful than my mind can comprehend and to never quit on myself. There’s no end goal for me, I aspire to be impactful every day and become an extraordinary leader. But I still refuse to be satisfied because there is always a reason to level up.
Follow Stormi on social media:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stormi_knight3/?hl=en
No one should doubt that soon Stormi will be a name everyone knows in the fitness world. I have to thank her for taking the time to talk with me and share her story which is only starting. This year I have spoken with some tremedous athletes and want to say THANK YOU to all of them. I hope you all have enjoyed the 2018 Spotlight on Fitness and buckle up for 2019. Make sure you follow us @NutsAndBoltsSports on Twitter and Instagram as well. Happy Holidays and keep living YOUR best HEALTHY life!
