Madeleine Lewis

Qualifications: Certified by ACE. BA in Dance from Loyola Marymount University.

Personal History: I was always a 'natural mover' from my earliest childhood days in California. After seeing Olga Korbett perform, I began gymnastics lessons at the age of 13. I later majored in dance at Loyola Marymount. After I graduated, I was asked to come back to campus and teach a class for dance majors called 'Conditioning for Dancers.' This class was a precursor to a phenomenon that was soon to sweep the country - aerobics. As aerobics became more popular, my classes became more crowded. When I won the California Shape aerobics competition, I was finally 'recognized' by my peers. I got to travel to Japan for my first instructor training session. And that started me on my 20-year (so far) career in fitness.

Workout Philosophy: Being fit is not only about working hard and looking good, it's about making fitness a part of a healthy, balanced life. Fitness is not an end in itself; it's a powerful tool we can use to help us all realize our full potential.

Sucess Story: I have received so many letters from people who have told me how my workouts have helped them and all of them mean a lot to me. It's really nice to get feedback and to know that someone is benefiting from my work. I guess if I had to pick a favorite, it would be from a man named Stephen. He had just turned 50 years old and was training for his first triathlon. He told me how much he enjoyed the AM/PM stretch program and how much it had helped him achieve his goals. It meant a lot to me that I had a positive effect on someone.