Meet the Certified MommaStrong Trainers & Squad Leaders
Certified MommaStrong Trainers
Our Certified Trainers are credentialed personal trainers who go through a 10-week training led by the MommaStrong team. This training qualifies them to work one-on-one with clients in the MommaStrong method, lead workshops, and create content for the MommaStrong program.
Stephanie Bieniarz
Albuquerque, NM
Stephanie Bieniarz, CPT, has a history in hospital based rehabilitation, She currently enjoys her career as a stay at home momma to four school aged kiddos. Though originally from Texas, she now live in sunny New Mexico where we delight in all four seasons outdoors. She has a passion for functional health for women through the lifespan, and believes that fitness is doable for anyone at any time.
Joey Burgam
Livingston, MI
Joey Leaver Burgam is a mom of two boys, partner, nurse, and graduate student who is passionate about reproductive and pelvic floor health for everyone. Mommastrong changed her life during my second pregnancy and she has never looked back!
Nicole Coatta
Port Moody, British Columbia
Nicole Coatta, MT, CPT is a momma to two little girls in Port Moody, British Columbia. She is happiest when she is spending time outside, with family, friends, or solo—reading, exploring her neighborhood, hiking, paddleboarding, you name it! In her work as a massage therapist, she has a keen interest in women's health, and chronic pain.
Megan Concannon
Moore, NC
Megan Concannon has a BS in Sports Psychology and is currently pursuing CPT certification. She has held group coaching and spin certifications in the past. She currently lives in North Carolina with her husband and two small children. She knows firsthand how hard it can be to start again with exercise after a time off, and is looking forward to helping others begin again (and again) and make exercise happen even when it doesn’t seem possible.
Ali Ecklund
St. Paul, MN
Alexandra (Ali) Ecklund is a public health professional with a background in maternal and reproductive health. She has been a Mommastrong member for nearly nine years, finding the program after chronic pain following a c-section delivery. Ali lives in St. Paul, Minnesota with her spouse, ten year old child, and dog. As a kid, Ali used to hide a book down her pants and hide during outdoor PE to read, and is very surprised to find she likes moving her body when it doesn't feel like punishment.
Season Hathaway
Monterey, CA
Season Hathaway, CPT, is a mother, soccer player turned coach and dabbler in many things including gardening and wood burning. As a trainer, she strives to empower women and those with birthing bodies with knowledge and movement. Her goal is to be a kind, supportive voice encouraging people to give their bodies the space, time and movements needed to recover and build strength and resilience.
reclaimfit.com
Jessica Hicks
Crofton, MD
Jessica Hicks lives in Crofton, Maryland with her husband and 2 daughters (4 & 5 years old). She loves MommaStrong for how it fits in her busy life and the relevant content for the issues caregivers experience. She has been working in human resources for over 15 years and has a passion for employee wellness. She enjoys listening to true crime podcasts and spending time with her family and dog Rocket and is pursuing her CPT.
Candice Jones
Silver Spring, MD
Candice Jones (they/them) has worked as a birth doula, prenatal/postpartum educator, and sex educator for more than 10 years in the Washington D.C. metro area. They are currently pursuing a CPT. After a difficult and disabling postpartum, Candice found profound relief through a combination of Mommastrong and mindful powerlifting. They can't wait to help new parents and fellow chronic pain sufferers build sustainable movement practices and find the joy in picking up heavy things!
Andrea Lui
Somerset, NJ
Andrea Lui, PT, OCS, CPT, has 2 kids and lives in the Northeast. She is an orthopedic physical therapist with a passion for patient education. She is a self-proclaimed obsessed knitter and release maker of self-care reels on Instagram, and host on a Youtube channel where she talks about all things knitting, yarn, and wellness! I also have a Patreon community for exercise break videos and a personal training services.
ptandrea.com
Nicole Neer
San Antonio, TX
Nicole Neer, PT, DPT, CPT, NTMTC, enjoys spending time with her husband and 3 children. They enjoy working in their backyard garden and playing outside whenever possible. As a coach, Nicole focuses on her clients as a whole, meeting them where they are in the moment.
wldbloomwellness.com
Megan Pashnik
Grand Rapids, MI
Megan Pashnik, MSN, RN, CNL joined MommaStrong after the birth of her second baby in March of 2020 and, like so many others, it changed my life. Physical function was just one aspect of what MommaStrong brought to the table. Everyday MommaStrong helps her navigate life on life's terms—as a full time nurse, parent to two busy children, and aspiring myofascial release therapist.
Viki Quirk
Holmdel, NJ
Viki Quirk, BSW, CPT, is a momma to two high needs kiddos ages 5yrs and 2yrs. When she is not wrangling them or attempting a complete conversation with her partner (over kiddos), she is an Intuitive Coach and Breathwork teacher, co-admin for the Mindful MommaStrong group (Facebook), and admin for the Parenting High Needs Kiddos and Streaking groups (Mighty Networks). In other minutes of the day, she enjoys her MommaStrong workouts, reading paranormal books before passing out at night, and listening to 80s music.
vikiquirk.com
Megan Spence
Brooklyn, NY
Megan Spence, LMT, CYT-200, CPT, is a massage therapist who believes that feeling a little better creates space to be a little better. She is a mom to one in Brooklyn, NY. She is an avid home baker, long walker, self-betterer, and taker on-er of elaborate cooking and crafting projects regardless of whether she has the necessary skills.
bodyworkbrooklyn.com
Certified MommaStrong Squad Leaders
Our Squad Leaders are credentialed group class instructors who are trained by us in our philosophy around motivation and accountability, as well as in leading Daily 15s. You can enjoy these wonderful people in our community in our Streaking group where they lead LIVE workouts.
Madeline Best
New York, NY
Madeline, CGFI, is a former dancer, mother to two, arts administrator, and lighting designer living in NYC. In her little moments she runs a bit and she loves a good craft project. As a family they love hiking, camping, and museums. MoSt got her through the pandemic, helped her avoid hernia surgery, and gives her a structure to listen to and show up for herself.
Theresa Moutafis
Salem, MA
Theresa Moutafis, MA, RD, CDCES, IBCLC, CGFI, is a part-time working mom of 3 and the ultimate cheerleader for her nutrition and lactation clients. She is so excited to bring that energy to being a Squad Leader with MommaStrong, which has been invaluable for her to figure out her long-term pain points and fix them. She is so excited to help others do the same.
Rebecca Pawela
Skokie, IL
Becca Pawela, CPT, is a win ugly Stay-at-Home Mom to three girls—a 5 year old and 3 year old fraternal twins. After the birth of her twins she fell in love with the life changing philosophies of MommaStrong. Becca is thrilled to guide moms through the physical and mental challenges of motherhood.
Kelsy Wilson
Colorado Springs, CO
Kelsey Wilson, CGFI, lives in the beautiful state of Colorado with her incredible husband, her 4.5 yr old daughter, and her 2yr old son. She is a work-from-home mom dabbling in a bit of homeschooling and doing her best to keep her head above water! In her seldom but precious moments of free time, she enjoys getting outdoors, adventuring with her crazy fam, running and crafting. She found MommaStrong shortly after the birth of her first child and fell in love with this incredible program from day one.
Monique Cortes
Monique Cortes is a licensed clinical social worker and therapist in Houston, Texas. She serves as Assistant Clinical Director for a community mental health agency in Houston, TX. Monique has focused her social work practice on serving individuals with severe and persistent mental illness, and her specialty is working with young people diagnosed with psychotic disorders. Monique joined MommaStrong in April 2021 as a mental health advisor, and you can often see her posting content in the the MommaStrong community. Monique is a fierce advocate for social justice issues, in particular, women’s and immigration rights. She has two daughters, 5 and 7 months, who keep her busy at home, but give her just enough time to squeeze in a D15 on most days.
Monique Cortes
Monique Cortes is a licensed clinical social worker and therapist in Houston, Texas. She serves as Assistant Clinical Director for a community mental health agency in Houston, TX. Monique has focused her social work practice on serving individuals with severe and persistent mental illness, and her specialty is working with young people diagnosed with psychotic disorders. Monique joined MommaStrong in April 2021 as a mental health advisor, and you can often see her posting content in the the MommaStrong community. Monique is a fierce advocate for social justice issues, in particular, women’s and immigration rights. She has two daughters, 5 and 7 months, who keep her busy at home, but give her just enough time to squeeze in a D15 on most days.
Monique Cortes
Monique Cortes is a licensed clinical social worker and therapist in Houston, Texas. She serves as Assistant Clinical Director for a community mental health agency in Houston, TX. Monique has focused her social work practice on serving individuals with severe and persistent mental illness, and her specialty is working with young people diagnosed with psychotic disorders. Monique joined MommaStrong in April 2021 as a mental health advisor, and you can often see her posting content in the the MommaStrong community. Monique is a fierce advocate for social justice issues, in particular, women’s and immigration rights. She has two daughters, 5 and 7 months, who keep her busy at home, but give her just enough time to squeeze in a D15 on most days.
Monique Cortes
Monique Cortes is a licensed clinical social worker and therapist in Houston, Texas. She serves as Assistant Clinical Director for a community mental health agency in Houston, TX. Monique has focused her social work practice on serving individuals with severe and persistent mental illness, and her specialty is working with young people diagnosed with psychotic disorders. Monique joined MommaStrong in April 2021 as a mental health advisor, and you can often see her posting content in the the MommaStrong community. Monique is a fierce advocate for social justice issues, in particular, women’s and immigration rights. She has two daughters, 5 and 7 months, who keep her busy at home, but give her just enough time to squeeze in a D15 on most days.
Frequently Asked Questions
We are evaluating our certification program now. If you are interested in learning more, you can sign up to receive information about future offerings for becoming a certified trainer or squad leader.
MommaStrong members will find content from our MommaStrong trainers in the Hacks section of the program right now. The new trainers have special interests that will support new content areas like strength training while pregnant or relief for crafters. You will also find our Squad Leaders in the community leading live workouts in the Streaking group.
Yes, absolutely. Jya and Courtney will continue doing the Momma daily workouts. Adding these trainers to our HACKS section is a next step for MommaStrong to continue to expand representation here at MommaStrong and we think these trainers and their knowledge, background and experiences will continue to enrich and expand the MommaStrong program. We can’t wait to hear what you think.
Monique Cortes
Cathy Power
Franny Oxford
Karen Walrond
Hez Wollin
Monique Cortes is a licensed clinical social worker and therapist in Houston, Texas. She serves as Assistant Clinical Director for a community mental health agency in Houston, TX. Monique has focused her social work practice on serving individuals with severe and persistent mental illness, and her specialty is working with young people diagnosed with psychotic disorders. Monique joined MommaStrong in April 2021 as a mental health advisor, and you can often see her posting content in the the MommaStrong community. Monique is a fierce advocate for social justice issues, in particular, women’s and immigration rights. She has two daughters, 5 and 7 months, who keep her busy at home, but give her just enough time to squeeze in a D15 on most days.
Cathy Power Cathy Power is a disabled musician living in Houston, Texas. She has CMT, a neuromuscular disease, and uses mobility aids like leg braces. She comes to Mommastrong for strength, function, body positivity, and pain reduction and is a huge Glute Awareness Day fan. She is passionate about kids and worked as an infant toddler Montessori certified teacher for 20 years and as an Early Intervention Specialist Associate providing support to moms and kids with atypical development and disabilities. She is also a stepmom to someone who is shockingly now a full grown human!
Franny Oxford, she/her is a white, mostly cisgender, older lifelong lesbian, and mom to a teenage transman. Franny has dipped into MommaStrong daily 15’s intermittently since 2015, but has a deep and abiding love for MommaStrong as a community, as a philosophy, and as a guidepost for self-care without the self-loathing that often is a subtext for much of women’s framing around health and
movement. Franny is an HR leader and has DEI responsibilities, but more important, has deep inclusion as a mindset, in all of her work, paid and unpaid. She loves to celebrate connection and inclusion in her hobbies: front-yard gardening, community building, civic activism, and entertaining old and new friends. Franny aspires to become a wise crone-witch-healer who scares and intrigues all the kids in the neighborhood. And their parents, too.
Karen Walrond is an author, lawyer, leadership coach, and activist. A Certified Dare To Lead™ facilitator, Karen has helped thousands of people around the world find purpose and meaning in their work. As a photographer, she traveled throughout Africa with the ONE Campaign and serves on the board for the Houston Coalition Against Hate. Walrond and her work have been featured on PBS, Huffington Post, CNN.com, and The Oprah Winfrey Show. Her award-winning blog, Chookooloonks, is a lifestyle, inspiration and photography destination. A sought-after speaker, Karen is the host of the highly-rated podcast The Make Light Show, the author of two books, The Lightmaker’s Manifesto: How to Work for Change without Losing Your Joy and The Beauty of Different, and a contributing author to Disquiet Time and Expressive Photography. Karen lives in Houston with her British husband, her American daughter, and Soca the Supermutt.
Hez Wollin (they/them/their) is a transgender/nonbinary clinical social worker and parent living on Ohlone Land (San Francisco Bay Area). Hez supports parents in the LGBTQ+ community around fertility, conception, and postpartum mental health. Hez works with queer and trans families in all parts of the perinatal process to create meaning and joy in their journeys outside of a heteronormative, cisgender framework. Hez often uses somatic modalities to help new parents process barriers to embodiment because of trauma.