In March 2020 I received the great honor of being nominated for the YWCA Health and Fitness Award. I actually WON the award thanks to the heart-felt testimonial given here by a yoga participant of mine – Marcy Paul. I’d like to THANK her from the bottom of my heart for sharing her experience. This warms my spirit and gives me believe that I too am on the right path…
In September of 2016, I found myself sitting in a yoga classroom at Anytime Fitness in North Huntingdon. I was nervous, but not because this was my first time at this gym and not because there were no recognizable faces in the room. I was nervous because this was the first yoga class I had attended since I had been diagnosed with breast cancer and had undergone a bilateral mastectomy with reconstruction. My body no longer felt like mine and I needed to get back to yoga, an activity that I loved. I was amazed when the hour-long class ended and I felt wonderful. The reason for that feeling, though, was due to the instructor, Aubrey Worek, who was almost eight months pregnant! It was unbelievable to see how she could bend her body even though she was in the last stages of her pregnancy. Suddenly, my body didn’t seem so foreign to me. If she could do it, so could I!
Aubrey was, frankly, the best yoga teacher I had ever had. She was extremely strong and flexible. However, the way she taught a class impressed me the most. Her directions were explicit, and I didn’t even need to look up at her to be able to complete the poses. Her voice was smooth and calming—something I desperately needed.
As I continued to attend Aubrey’s yoga class at the gym, I learned that she was more than a yoga teacher. She is an Exercise Specialist, with a Bachelor of Science degree from Slippery Rock University. She is also a certified Exercise Physiologist with the American College of Sports Medicine, a certified Nutrition Specialist with the American Academy of Sports Dieticians and Nutritionists (AASDN), a 200 hour YogaFit RYT Instructor with the Yoga Alliance, a Reiki Therapy Practitioner, and a professional Creative Movement Athlete.
In 2015, Aubrey won the Fitness America Championships in Las Vegas, just one of many awards that she has received. Aubrey has also appeared on the cover of BFW Magazine (Beauty, Fitness & Wellness for Women) in 2017 and has had many articles published in various fitness and yoga magazines.
With her unique talents, Aubrey is an outstanding volunteer in her community. She appears monthly as the Wellness Expert on the KDKA Channel 2 morning show, Pittsburgh Today Live. In 2019, she was a volunteer emcee for the grand opening of the EVEN Hotel Pittsburgh (a wellness-oriented hotel located in the former Kaufmann’s/Macy’s building) and also for the United Way of Southwestern PA Champions of Dance Competition held at the Wyndham Greensburg Hotel and Conference Center. This is just a small sampling of how Aubrey has used her skills to contribute to the Westmoreland County and Pittsburgh communities.
Since 2015, Aubrey has owned and operated FitnessEnvi — a unique yoga, fitness, dance, and aerial art studio in downtown Greensburg. In addition, she runs an online transformation coaching program in which, according to Aubrey, “she passionately helps improve the lives of her clients through a 3-tiered program that is physical, mental, and spiritually-based and titled, ‘Envision, Empower, Enhance.’”
Mikette Stinebiser, a pharmacist who is a member of Anytime Fitness, is a client of Aubrey’s coaching program and has nothing but praise for her experience in the program. “I have been working with Aubrey since January 2018. She provides me with a food and exercise plan that is specifically designed for me. Aubrey thinks outside the box by incorporating microbiome analysis (gut health), blood type eating, cleansing options and great workouts. She exceeds my expectations with her unique transformation challenges and has fulfilled my ultimate goal of feeling my very best.”
Perhaps the best example of Aubrey’s skill in helping her clients improve their health and fitness is Theresa Zolyak, another acquaintance of mine from Anytime Fitness. The transformation in Theresa’s body shape and energy level is astounding. She has lost weight, gained strength and doesn’t even look like the same person before she undertook Aubrey’s training schedule and diet recommendations. As Theresa told me, “It’s hard to sum up all that Aubrey has done for me: physically, with her personal training workouts and yoga that push me beyond anything I really thought I could achieve. She has taught me a nutrition plan that has been a life changer for me. She is always willing to help and problem solve for you. She has made me a stronger person, both physically and mentally. Aubrey has definitely helped me to be the best version of myself.”
Aubrey has helped me and countless other women to feel good about our bodies. For that reason, I would like to nominate Aubrey Worek for the YWCA Women’s Health and Fitness Award. She would be an outstanding representative of what this award embodies. Aubrey’s motto is, “You will change your life once you realize YOU are the master of your universe.” She has certainly changed the life of many women!