Rising Stars: Meet Amanda Butler

Today we’d like to introduce you to Amanda Butler.

Hi Amanda, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I first started my entry into fitness when I moved back from Bangkok, Thailand in 2016 and decided to pursue my love for spin. I opened Cyclebar in Kansas City and after eight months, decided I was ready to move to Los Angeles. I opened Cyclebar in West Hollywood as a spin instructor while also working a full-time job. From 2017 to 2020, I continued to grow my fitness career on the side, working at numerous spin and HIIT studios around LA. Once the pandemic hit, I decided to pursue fitness full time and this is when all the doors started to open for me. I began personal training and quickly moved my career online when I was hired as a trainer for Onyx, a digital app that tracked the client’s body and gave personal feedback. I also began working at Barry’s as a trainer while also working with a major activewear line to produce fitness events around the nation. When Onyx shut down, I was asked to join PopSugar Fitness as well as Amazon Halo, Amazon’s fitness app, as an LA-based trainer while frequently traveling to Seattle, WA for filming. Since then I have worked with Nike, Adidas, Fabletics and many more major fitness brands.

In 2022, I finally felt as if my career was taking off and I was finally pursuing everything I loved. I was helping people improve their lives in person but also all around the world. In Sept 2022, I went to the doctor’s after finding a lump on my breast and was soon diagnosed with Stage 2 Breast Cancer and also found out I have the BRCA2 Gene Mutation, making me more susceptible to breast and ovarian cancer. My entire world and career felt like it came crashing down. I quickly rushed to freeze my eggs before starting four months of chemotherapy in November. I worked as much as possible during chemo to still train clients, film content, and teach classes at Barry’s. As chemo neared the end, my energy levels were too low to keep up with my schedule and work slowly came to a halt. I finished chemo on March 14 and now tomorrow, May 5, I will have my double mastectomy followed by radiation and more chemo.

Through this journey, I have found some light while sharing my story on social media. I picked up the camera and shared everything on TikTok as soon as I was diagnosed because I wanted to try to help as many people as possible going through a similar journey. I have grown an amazing community of women who are currently or have previously battled cancer and lead bi-weekly virtual cancer meet-up calls. This has allowed me to heal along this emotional and physical rollercoaster. I’m not sure where this path is taking me but I know the lessons I have already learned and will continue to learn are beautiful. I am trusting that this will all make sense in the near future and that this is adding to my already amazing story. I pray to continue to help others along the way and though I am still coaching individuals, it looks a lot different than it did a year ago.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
My life has never been a smooth road. HAHA! From a young age to adulthood, I feel as if I have faced so many crazy challenges and life has constantly been an uphill battle. This is not to say that my life has been negative in any way, but that this has forced me to change my perspective on life. I believe that every obstacle you are given is a lesson. You are given these lessons as a way to transform or remain the same. I have such a positive outlook on life but I have not always been this way – it has taken many years of self-work and reflection to choose this higher mentality. It’s easy to give into the negative and succumb to your current reality; it’s much more difficult to say, “What is this trying to teach me?”

I have received more no’s than I can remember, I have lost many people and relationships in my life, I have experienced death and abusive relationships, the list goes on. For as long as I can remember, I have never reached a point in my life where I thought, “Man, life is great and smooth sailing.” But this has been my life and I’m stronger, more vulnerable, and have as much depth as the ocean because of it. Do I wish I could just relax and have an easy life moving forward? Hell yes. But I’m a fighter and I will keep fighting until that day comes.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a personal trainer, group/online fitness instructor and wellness content creator who has transformed lives with my motivating, “love yourself first” approach to health and fitness. I have secured my place with leading companies such as Amazon Halo, PopSugar, Nike, Adidas, Barry’s and more. I am super passionate about health and wellness at any stage of life and I empower others to do things that feel good (workouts, food, relationships, self-talk). I am also very passionate about women’s health – hormone, menstrual, and fitness and the “less is more” approach after battling over-exercise and a negative relationship with food and my body for years. I strive to help others to feel confident in their own skin and serve as a reminder that your mindset will help determine the outcome for any difficult obstacle in life.

Life is meant to be beautifully lived – even through the ups and downs but how you view life will greatly affect your current reality. I am proud of who I have become through so many challenges. I am proud of who I am becoming along this cancer journey and I want to continue to help as many people to improve their life physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

What sets me apart from so many other trainers and people in the wellness/fitness industry is my mindset. Oftentimes, fitness can be one-dimensional, only focusing on the exterior rather than incorporating the mental and emotional aspects as well. I believe it is all so interconnected and when one pillar is off-balance, it affects the entire system. I believe in loving yourself first and foremost and choosing to do things that emulate that love while also spreading that love to others.

Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
I hope to see the fitness industry continue to grow into more of a loving space for all individuals. There has been some shifts over the last few years, thankfully and I hope it continues to hold space for individuals who don’t feel confident enough to step foot in a gym or studio. I want the fitness industry to focus more on overall wellness rather than just what the mirror shows. My motto while coaching is “Movement over Mirror” meaning I want my clients to focus on how they feel and performing movements that feel good to them rather than focusing on the aesthetics of exercise. The aesthetics will come, but by first shifting your focus to exercise that you love will increase your chances of maintaining healthy habits and routines.

Pricing:

• I lead a free virtual cancer call every two weeks and it is for people currently experiencing or who have previously gone through cancer. This call is to help answer questions and to receive support from others going through something similar.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/backpack_belle
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCy2sBni9Wug2EAdEiWxJ7EQ
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@hiamandabutler