Meet the Instructors from Virtual Y
Last updated: February 11, 2021, at 3:38 p.m. PT
Originally published: January 22, 2021, at 9:55 a.m. PT
At the Y, we're here to help you achieve your goals, from building muscle to spending more time with family. Our Virtual Y instructors help you do just that, wherever you are! Get to know them a little better before your next class.
Live Fitness & Cooking
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Bengie has been a dancer and choreographer for over 25 years, and an instructor at the Dale Turner Family Y for over 8 years too! Share in the joy of dance and fitness with Bengie.
Bengie teaches Dance Fitness on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
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Candice believes that joy and fun should not be compromised when getting healthy and staying strong. She has been instructing Yoga for 9 years and plans on practicing 99 years more!
Candice teaches Yoga on Saturdays and Sundays.
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Deborah has been with the Y since 2014 teaching a variety of classes and facilitating programs as a Lifestyle Coach. She is a Radiant Health Yoga® certified teacher; certified Zumba®, Zumba Gold® and Zumba Toning® instructor; and a Dance for Parkinson’s® Teacher.
Deborah teaches Yoga on Mondays and Wednesdays.
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DeOnte has 10 years of experience in functional strength and performance training. His training philosophy stems from his time as an athlete -- He believes everyone is an athlete and should train like one. Whether your goal is to get stronger, run a marathon, or be active into old age, DeOnte is here to help inspire and empower you.
DeOnte teaches Bootcamp on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
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Heather has been teaching group exercise classes for 15 years. Besides finding fun ways to move to music, she finds joy in celebrating accomplishments with members to reinforce healthy habits.
Heather teaches AOA classes on Mondays and Fridays.
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Jim has been practicing Yoga for over 15 years and has been teaching for the last 5. He loves to bring yoga to all students, especially those who have never been exposed to or just beginning to explore Yoga. His classes will encourage you to explore how yoga works for your body - not some ideal - to really make your practice your own.
Jim teaches Yoga on Mondays and Fridays.
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Katrina has been helping people eat healthier for more than ten years. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Nutrition Sciences and is a certified Lifestyle Coach too. Katrina believes in a balanced, whole food based approach to eating that is as delicious as it is nutritious.
Katrina teaches Cooking Classes on Wednesdays.
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Kelly has been teaching and coaching for over 20 years. Meeting people where they’re at, Kelly motivates and inspires members to be their best version through strength training, TRX, and yoga.
Kelly teaches Total Body Conditioning on Wednesdays and Fridays and Yoga on Wednesdays.
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Kristin has been teaching group exercise classes for eight years. She loves to inspire others to be the best they can be through fitness and believes that working out should be fun, no matter your level.
Kristin teaches AOA Strength on Tuesdays and Thursdays and Stretching on Thursdays.
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Lisa has been teaching TurboKick since 2016 and brings an infectious energy to her classes. Her goal is to make sure that everyone attending her class has fun, is safe and feels included, all are welcome. Group fitness is her jam!
Lisa teaches Turbokick on Wednesdays.
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Shilpa is a BollyX Certified Trainer who's taught at a variety of gyms and dance studios, including the Y. With Shilpa, you'll unleash your inner rockstar while getting a complete body workout.
Shilpa teaches BollyX on Saturdays.
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Simba started teaching group exercise when the Kent YMCA opened in 2019. His advice: "EMBRACE THE PROCESS! We all start at different points in our fitness goals, but the journey is what makes it worth it!"
Simba teaches Bootcamp on Sundays and Mondays.
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Tim has been coaching, training and instructing fitness classes for over 16 years. He enjoys sharing his energy and passion for fitness and the outdoors to others, from experts to beginners and a wide range in between.
Tim teaches High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) on Monday and Strength & Conditioning on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
On-Demand Instructors
Hang tight -- we're still working on these! In the meantime, please say hi to a few instructors featured during our launch party on Wednesday, January 27.
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Amelia is a licensed Mental Health Therapist with our Social Impact Center. She'll be providing a one-time session on mental health, coping strategies for managing stress, and reflection on self-care and mental wellness too.
Amelia taught Managing Stress & Self-Care During a Pandemic as part of our launch party for Virtual Y.
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Andrew is our guru for all things fun. He hosted an event as part of our Virtual Y launch party where helped participants learn all about the programs we offer virtually for kids, plus conduct an experiment where they created walking water rainbows.
Andrew taught STEM Experiment & Virtual Youth Programs as part of our launch party for Virtual Y.
Your Virtual Y
The Virtual Y is FREE for members! Don't forget to join us on Wednesday, January 27 for a full day of events, including a variety of new fitness classes, events, and maybe a t-shirt or two.