Today we’d like to introduce you to Kara Sandoval.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I was in PE class in high school and we had to run a mile for time. I remember lapping my friend twice and seeing her look of defeat and embarrassment.
Soon after, it was very evident to me that fitness shouldn’t be about who is “best”, but about creating an atmosphere of inclusivity and encouragement that everyone involved finds empowerment through movement.
Fast forward to graduating from college with a degree in Exercise Science and entering my first job at a gym. One of my dear clients wanted to train for a canoe race and the bi-product would be losing weight. We trained hard for months and she took 12 seconds off her race time, which for anyone familiar with racing, is a ton of time!
Despite this, she never lost a pound! I was astonished as her cardio and strength went up at least 40%.
We had a meeting after her race and I honestly sat down with her prepared to take full ownership for the lack of weight loss….maybe I got the math wrong, maybe we didn’t lift enough or do enough “cardio”. I couldn’t imagine she would lie about her food when she worked so hard to get in shape.
All of these thoughts kept swirling through my mind, and finally, after asking a lot of questions, it came to me, and I asked her,
“Chris, have you ever looked in the mirror and said I love you?”
There was a long pause and then a sad “no”.
I was 21 years old at the time. I had no idea what it really meant. I had no idea where that would lead my heart regarding coaching, training, and holding space for my clients. I intuitively leaned into this idea that our thoughts derive our results: i.e “Self-talk isn’t just self-talk, it’s self prophecy.” Fast forward a few decades and rather than training the body first, my approach is a holistic one. One that understands we all have our trauma, stories, thought processes, and beliefs about who we are and who we can be.
And that is the starting point to wellness. We all want to be listened to, heard, and valued. We all want and deserve to feel good in our bodies, they are the only real way we can experience the now.
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?
I am an empath through and through. My heart and energy have always been of service first and this has led to many lessons along the way with regard to my own self-love journey. From a young age, we didn’t have lots of money-I have held a job since I was 14 years old, worked from the time basketball practice ended until 12am-2am every single night. I never slept enough, had access to the proper nutrition and trained way too hard without any rest… Back in the day, the only access I had to learning how to life/exercise were Muscle and Fitness magazines, and they basically were bodybuilders giving advice…. I am maybe 5’4 and back then was less than 5 feet, trying to life like a madman. Needless to say, this was a recipe for disaster…..I have had 2 shoulders, 2 elbows, 2 wrists, and 1 knee surgery….have needed another shoulder and knee surgery but have learned to train myself to no longer be in pain.
I have also spent many, many years selling myself short, ie giving too much, not recovering, not charging what I am worth, letting people take advantage of their time with me. I have spent years trying to figure out how to “play the game” and get more clients. Only to realize that it all comes back to me, the way I show up for myself, how I treat myself, and how I show others to treat me.
I have also realized its ok to be different in this field, I have always approached my coaching from a holistic standpoint and instead of fighting it, I am finally embracing myself and the sacred space I give each person I am called to work with, knowing that this service will honor both souls in abundance.
And finally, I am learning to listen to that sacred voice inside and treating myself the way I teach everyone else to treat themselves.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I have gone from a badass trainer (20+years) kicking butts holistically to a wellness coach who helps empathic leaders navigate their giving hearts, busy schedules, and find time within the current time allotment, developing a wellness routine that embodies their hopes and dreams.
After gaining my BS in Kinesiology, I started working in a normal gym setting to training sports teams. I have trained over 3,000 individuals from every walk of life (weight loss, weight gain, performance, managing depression, anxiety, rehab, and learning to walk again) countless sports teams, and Corporate clients including Samsung, Bristow LLC, and American Express.
I am most proud of the fact that I dance with each client individually, ie…we figure out together what you need, why you need it, and how to sustain it for a lifetime. This is about holding sacred space for wellness-not just fitness, not just sustenance …..What if we figure out how to dance with our shadows and show up in light and love for ourselves each day-that’s where the miracle lies, and that’s what you will get when working with me.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
I am a vegan because I love animals and cannot eat them-I spend every waking minute that I am not working, either resting or saving animals. I can come off tough, hard-nosed, no excuses but I am the softest, cry at the drop of a pen kind of human. Sometimes my heart hurts so much from being alive and feeling the pain of the world, I have to ground myself so I don’t just run off to the forest and never be seen again. If I had one wish, it would be that everyone’s trauma would be healed, and we would all be filled with hope and love…
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.btgwellco.com/
- Instagram: @btgwellco
- Facebook: @btgwellco
