July 25, 2016

Meet Glendale Fitness Trainer: Donna D’Aurio

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Donna D’Aurio.

Donna’s passion is to make a difference in people’s lives by helping them get healthy and feel better about themselves while encouraging and coaching them to reach their potential. Donna grew up with a single mom and a lot of financial issues. She understands financial stress and wants to help others to reach their goals even if the odds are stacked against them.

Donna had her son Daniel at 20 years old and at 22 got into fashion modeling industry in Europe. She had never struggled with her weight until she started dieting while in the modeling industry. After she got tired of feeling pressure to diet in order to maintain the weight required for that job, Donna quit modeling and ended up gaining over 50 lbs. and becoming very depressed. She was overweight for a couple years and she had a very hard time losing the weight. After a friend invited Donna to the YMCA in La Canada, Donna soon lost the weight and became much healthier. It was through this experience and the people she met at the YMCA that Donna found her passion in working as a personal trainer in 2006. She began her company, Bella Fitness, just a year later. Donna has a passion for both working with client’s one-on-one and instructing group classes. She has found that in the last couple years that she really enjoys mentoring other instructors and trainers to further their careers. She is also passionate about the community and wants to make a difference in the lives around her, which is why she strives to frequently run charity events at Bella Fitness that directly benefit the Los Angeles community. She teaches Cardio Kickboxing, Bootcamp, Yoga, and Weight Training. Many of Donna’s younger clients struggle with their weight. Having struggled with this herself, she is clearly motivated to see others hit their weight loss goals and to not be defeated by their circumstances. Donna also has a special place in her heart for seniors. When Donna is working with senior clients she focuses on training for mobility, flexibility, and balance while she pays close attention to risk factors. The benefits of her sessions include reduced health risks, improved cardiovascular function, overcoming stiffness, a sense of relaxation and it helps her clients work towards achieving a healthier, longer life.

Below you’ll find edited excerpts of our interview with Donna.

Has it been a smooth road?

It has not been easy at all. Many challenges with the growth of Bella. Bella is much like a family we have had good, bad and everything in between.

What are your plans for the future?

Bella Fitness is starting his own app “Bella Fitness Workout Club” this will allow clients a comprehensive fitness platform with:

* Check class schedules and opening hours

* Track your daily fitness activities

* Track your weight and other body metrics

* Over 2000+ exercises and activities

* Clear 3D exercise demonstrations, some with your favorite instructors here at Bella!!

* Preset workouts and the option to create your own

* Over 150 badges and coupons to earn

We are very excited about this new chapter for many reasons. We have clients that have moved away that we will be able to once again work with us on this online platform. Also another amazing thing is that we can have more price point options for our clients who are on many different economical levels.

Let’s dig a little deeper into your story. What was the hardest time you’ve had?

I starting working at 8 years old doing odd jobs and had some kind of work ever since. When I was in my 20’s I got into fashion modeling and did to hope to get ahead financially and help my family. Unfortunately in the process of that career I became very self-destructive and did not take care of myself at all. I soon developed eating disorders and became extremely depressed. Depression does run in my family. After quitting the fashion industry I soon returned to my regular job of sales and sales management and was back in the grind. I had gained 50 point and for the first time in my life was very over weight. I was not happy with my career or myself. I soon divorced and got into an unhappy relationship at which point I was not working at all for the first time in my life. It was at that point I realized I needed to get myself back to health and happier again. I starting working out and getting connected at my local YMCA.

I soon realized that I wanted a new direction completely and lost all the extra weight and started to feel whole again. I then made the decision that I would change my career yet again to become a health and fitness professional. That choice was the best choice for me! I soon realized that I did want to not only be in the industry but to start my own company. I knew that to really hit my goals that was what needed to happen. My heart has always been to help people and what better way could I do that except by helping people feel better about themselves and help them become healthier and happier. One year later I started Bella Fitness. My motivation has always been the same to help my family. Many people are dependent on me and I want nothing more than to build a career for myself and the people who work for me. By this I hope to provide my family a stable life.

I will not say this has been easy, it hasn’t. If it was not for my faith in God and the support of my clients and friends, this would have never happened. My clients and friends have both supported me financially and emotionally through this process. We have had many times where it looked like we would not make it, and from time to time I still wonder how we are still going. The stories I could tell you! But we seem to be coming out the other side. I truly believe God has a call on our lives to help people. If God is for us who can be against us. Many times in families it is the dad who has this obligation. But in my family it has always been me. Now I do have more help than ever before. I am now happily married and my wonderful husband is a great help. I am still not where I want to be, but life is a journey and we are never done until it is over. Bella Fitness has come a long way from its conception but it still has a long way to go. I hope to one day franchise it. But for now it is our wonderful family business that continues to help many people through group classes, semiprivate training and personal training. To this day we are happy to train anywhere home, work, or in our club and now

Do you ever just stop and think WOW – I’ve made it?

I have not felt that yet, at least not 100%. I have very high hopes and it will take me a while to reach them. I will say that in 2013 when we moved from the 700 foot studio that my client allowed me to use, to this studio I did feel the biggest opportunity! We were so super excited for the possibilities. This week is the Idea World fitness conference at the La Convention Center, and it is out first time having a booth there. I definitely feel like a small fish in a big pond but we are thrilled to be there. Bella Fitness has a new workout we designed and trademark called Bootcamp Barre and we are preforming there and selling our workshops.

Pricing:

Unlimited group memberships for $70.00 per month
Drop in for group is only $5.00 per class.
Also offer semi-private personal training classes up to 5 people, and personal training

Contact Info: