Meet the TruTribe: Leah T.

In southwest Philadelphia born and raised… on 61st and Lindbergh Instructor Leah Trask spent her early days.

Take a look at what else Leah had to say when we sat down to learn everything there it to know about TruFusion Southwest’s new director of fitness. HINT: It includes politics, Hawaiian Tropic Bikini modeling, and learning the meaning of true love.

Click on the questions below to reveal Leah’s answers.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][tabbed_section][tab title=”How did Leah get started as an instructor?” tab_id=”1456957186042-8″ id=”1456964346509-8″][vc_column_text]

I finished my 200-hour yoga teacher training on a Sunday and got fired from my job on Tuesday, and it was the greatest thing that happened to me because it set me on my path.

I came here and told Mark the situation and told him that I wanted to take a run as being a full-time instructor. He told me, “I don’t have anything for you, but let me see what I can do,” and then I started teaching one or two classes.

I really am the true TruFusion story. I already had a personal training certification and my CrossFit training Level 1, but I learned SPX and pilates after coming to TruFusion. All of those modalities I learned from the incredible leadership team here. I was really brought up through the ranks, which is awesome.[/vc_column_text][/tab][tab title=”Why TruFusion?” tab_id=”1456958765827-10″ id=”1456964346549-7″][vc_column_text]I was student here before I was a teacher. I did my yoga training elsewhere because at the time Mark hadn’t started his program yet. I had a great teacher training experience, but it was facilitated at a studio where I didn’t really jive. I auditioned there and was offered me a job, but I was like “Ehhh… I don’t know about this.” It wasn’t a matter of pay or salary. It just wasn’t the right fit for me, and I do believe that there is a yoga studio for everyone.

TruFusion is where I wanted to be, so I took the offer letter and told Mark, “I want to be here.” The people here are brilliant. The teachers are not only inspiring as role models and how to teach, but also they have become mentors and friends.

That’s a luxury that I don’t think is available anywhere else in town.

Before I took Martin’s class, I had only taken boring, basic yoga. I didn’t have access to a lot of strong instructors on the east coast. I lived in Virginia and D.C., and its different.The first time I took Martin’s class, it was a fusion class blending yoga, Pilates, and boot-campy stuff, and I thought to myself “This is incredible.” Prior to that, every movement was in its little box. There was yoga; there was Pilates. So being able to blend those I was super inspired.

Then I took one Mark’s TruFusion classes—a yin class—and it kicked my ass. Prior to that, yin was so boring to me, but Mark’s class was the most intense yin class I had ever taken. It was essentially YinFused before it had a name. I was super inspired by his teaching and wanted his guidance at the time, so when I had the offer, I came over here and talked to him about the yoga teacher training. He said he wouldn’t have anything available until next year, so I literally knocked on the door and insisted he take me in and teach me.

We are really, really lucky here because the caliber of instruction is unparalleled and the instructors willingness to not only teach but also to share that knowledge, I mean, that’s a leader. That’s the true quality of leadership to me.

I think I would be doing some version of sales, but I think I would want to be in something that I’m more passionate about like alternative, renewable energy sources—selling something that makes a difference, not just selling to sell.

I moved from the hood to the sticks.

I know a lot of people think Soprano’s and Hoboken when they think of New Jersey, but it’s called the garden state for a reason. It’s very, very country. I moved back to Philadelphia for college.[/vc_column_text][/tab][tab title=”What brought her to Vegas?” tab_id=”1456957087712-5″ id=”1456964346638-7″][vc_column_text]I used to work in politics. I wanted to get out of it, so I took a losing race so that I wouldn’t have an obligation to serve as chief of staff or anything like that. So I came out here and was the Director of Finance for Rory Reed, and after that I moved into hospitality.

April 20^th will be 6 years in Vegas for me.

Just lifting—weight lifting in general.

They taught me how to love and how to pursue a life worth living.

I lost my dad in December, but my mom and I—she’s the person I can go to without judgment. Moms always know the answer no matter what.[/vc_column_text][/tab][tab title=”What is her favorite food?” tab_id=”1456958055194-4″ id=”1456964346722-7″][vc_column_text]

Pizza… Pizza. Pizza. Pizza. Always Pizza.

I mean… pizza.

Boxed wine. Country music. Cinnamon Toast Crunch. I’ll eat a whole box of cinnamon toast crunch in one sitting. It’s bad.[/vc_column_text][/tab][tab title=”Does she have any fears?” tab_id=”1456959041996-9″ id=”1456964346797-7″][vc_column_text]Sky diving. I will never do that. I’m terrified of heights. I got nauseous at the Ogden photo shoot for Niyamasol. I was looking out the window and then looked down, and I was like “Umm no. Absolutely not.” I used to be afraid of flying, too. It’s funny because I always see things that say fearless…

…and I’m like ”No—I’ve got fears. I’ve got a lot of fears.”

But you face them. You confront them.

I used to be really good and be able to do all of this crazy shredder shit, and now I’m just happy to go in a line—happy to not be falling and getting water in my nose.

I have the coolest dog. I now live in a menagerie of animals, but I love my dog. He’s a whipador, which is a whippet/lab mix. He looks like Santa’s Little Helper from the Simpsons, so he just kind of slinks around. He moved with me from Virginia to Jersey to here, so he’s my sidekick. Although, he does get carsick.[/vc_column_text][/tab][tab title=”What does her future hold?” tab_id=”1456960929851-7″ id=”1456964346862-8″][vc_column_text]There are a lot of things I look forward to. Professionally, I’m really looking forward to growing in the company. I’m super stoked to be TruFusion Southwest’s director of fitness not only because it’s a really cool opportunity to grow a membership base, but it’s also a learning opportunity. Every time you are working, you are learning from your successes and your failures, so I’m really excited that I will get to learn so much there.

I do eventually want to go back to the east coast and be close to family, but in the meantime, I want to travel. I’m single again. I have the luxury of not having to answer to anyone. There are places I want to go and things I want to see that I had to put on hold, especially when my dad was sick. As hard as it is not having him around, its also really freeing because I know that he would want me to do all of those things.

And possibilities. I don’t know what the future holds. If you asked me five years ago what I would be doing now, it sure as shit wouldn’t be director of fitness at a yoga studio. That was not even on my radar.

I look forward to the infinite possibilities and the adventures that might happen along the way.