About Me

Hey there Fit Fam! My name is Jolynn Toma. I am an ISSA Certified Personal Trainer, an ISSA Specialist in Fitness Nutrition, and am CPR/AED Certified. I have competed in four NPC bikini competitions - one of which was a national level event.

There I competed against more than a hundred girls who all share very similar goals and beliefs. It was one of the most rewarding and unexplainable experiences of my life, and I deeply treasure everything I learned from it.

In May 2012, I was diagnosed with two herniated discs in my spine and told I could no longer compete in these competitions. Unfortunately, the only way to fix this problem for good is to have surgery, and I refuse to do that at such a young age. The cons: I can no longer compete in my bikini shows. The effect of hearing that news was as if someone took all my dreams away. My life plans, my goals. All of it ended within minutes. The pros: it made me realize how great my life truly is. I don't need to compete to be successful. And I don't need 6-pack abs to be one of the best trainers and influential motivators in the industry. #FitFluential

Life before fitness: I actually graduated with a Bachelors in Marketing and a minor in Spanish but once I moved back home, I realized it wasn't my true passion. I was consistently going to group fitness classes when it clicked. "I want to teach. I want to help people get in shape and look and feel amazing!" So I did just that. I got my AFAA Group Fitness Certification in 2009 and taught a wide variety of different classes including: step aerobics, spinning, kickboxing, strength, and abs. I taught for about a year and realized I wanted more. I wanted to be able to touch people's lives one on one so I decided to get my personal training certification in 2010. From there, I trained at two different gyms until I saved enough money to open my own private training studio.

I created this website and blog (Lift Pray Love) to hopefully touch others in some way and encourage you to live a healthier and happier life. It's not always about the physical features. It's about how you feel on the inside that shines through to the outside. We can all succeed in this lifestyle. Sometimes you just need a little help along the way.

My husband and I have a four legged child that we are mildly obsessed with. Meet Nitro.

Don't let him fool you. He's never that innocent. We're normally graced with this attitude.


We're so excited to announce we're expecting our first baby in September 2013!

Follow along as I share my life with you, tips to eating clean and exercising, workouts that I personally created, and recipes that both I have made and have found through other great bloggers and fitness professionals.

I am interested in and available for future speaking opportunities as well as modeling positions. For advice, suggestions, opportunities, or just to say hello, please contact me through email or one of my many social media sites. 

Highlights:

• AFAA Group Fitness Certification - 2009
• ISSA Personal Trainer Certification - 2010
• 5th Place in first NPC bikini competition in Chicago, IL - May 2011 (qualified for National level event)
• Opened a personal Private Training Studio - January 2012
• ISSA Fitness Nutrition Certification - 2012
• 5th Place at NPC bikini competition in Davenport, IA - April 2012 (qualified for National level event)
• One of my recipes appeared in the September 2012 issue of Oxygen Magazine.
• I've been interviewed and featured on RXMuscleGirl.com.
• I spoke in front of kids (aged 4-14) at Cigna about the effects of health and fitness, both in school and with their families - September 2012
• I was the Exercise Motivator for the 2012 Making Strides walk in Orland Park, IL - October 2012
• I became and am currently a FitFluential Ambassador - November 2012
• I became and am currently a Larabar Ambassador - January 2013
• Interviewed and featured in an article on MensFitness.com - March 2013

xoxo,

I can do all this through him who gives me strength ~ Philippians 4:13