The Community is KEY.
This is Carina Reid. She has been living in Santa Cruz for most of her life; 5 months ago, she fulfilled her dream to launch her own studio: Fuel PHitness.
Fuel PHitness is a thank you letter to her community that stood by her through thick and thin. The fuel community is more than just friends and neighbors, it is a family, and she wants to share this amazing experience with everyone.
Carina explains the studio as, “the feeling of entering a place where people can hang out, feel inspired, be motivated and have a supportive community is the place I dreamt of building.”
Fuel PHitness is made BY the community FOR the community.
Why is community so important to Carina?
Community is what helped her throughout her life and continues to be a foundation for wellness. Growing up Carina struggled with alcohol and drug addiction and eventually found a community through fitness. She explains that a strong support system and the people who believe in her are the reason why she is here today.
To pay it forward, Carina offers personal training, group classes and her passion is always finding new ways to actively support the youth in this county. If she’s not at the studio chances are you’ll find her helping out at the juvenile hall or doing one to one training with teenagers.
She is constantly trying to inspire the youth by planting a seed about the healing power of movement. Through Fuel PHitness and the strong community behind her she is creating change one child at a time.
We couldn't agree more with Carina! Supporting the youth IS the foundation for a better future and of utmost importance. Our youth are going to face tough choices and everyone can help by giving a gentle nudge in the right direction. At Växa, we know that children are our future, that is why we are sponsoring young surfers and helping to raise their voices in any way possible.
Carina has dedicated most of her life to fitness and we wanted to understand WHAT movement means to her.
She explains, "it is everything, I know deep in my heart that I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for fitness".
Fitness kick started Carina’s path towards a positive mental attitude while also empowering her physically to feel confident and limitless. With movement behind her she was able to harness her energy towards healing. Her relationship with fitness saved her from being stagnant and created a space for her to become her true authentic self.
Reaching new heights in the studio can quickly translate to all corners of ones life. You can show up to the studio with a backpack of heavy feelings, issues or emotions, and the idea is to leave feeling uplifted, seen and heard.
Last but not least, YOU look amazing Carina!
You are not only fit as F*ck, but you are glowing. Tell us the secret: Beyond the hours spent in the studio, what has helped you thrive the most?
She eagerly told us it's the fuel!!
You get out of your body what you put into it.
Carina found through trial and error that she couldn’t give 120% if she didn't fuel her body with the right nutrition. She decided to go Vegan many years ago because she noticed it gave her the energy she needed to show up for herself and others. It's all about longevity and she wants to live her life fully.
Can you guess Carina's favorite Vaxa bar flavor?
Of course, it's Orange turmeric. She loves that it's anti-inflammatory and all the nutrition that it provides. Health is number one for Carina and luckily the zesty orange doesn’t sacrifice any natural taste to get there. She also tells us that No Nut PB&J tastes better every time she tries it, so we’ll call it a tie between the two.
A BIG thank you to Carina for being there for us, the community and the youth. What you do is amazing, and we KNOW you are inspiring people every day and that is so needed in our community.