FRCC group fitness Instructors
Brenda Walker, Director of Wellness
Brenda brings a variety of experience and training to the Community Center and teaches Rx RIP, Fort Fit, Zumba, Chair Fit, and RIP & Bands. Brenda is also a Certified Personal Trainer. Learn more about Brenda and how she fell into her fitness journey…
“For some, going to the gym is a chore. For me, it became my personal escape from the daily grind of life. When I am working out, I am not a Mom, wife, chauffeur, cook, homework tutor, employee, etc. It’s my time to just exercise and focus on myself. No interruptions, no one to look after, it’s a complete hour just dedicated to me!
My fitness journey began 13 years ago. Some of my friends told me to join them at a gym for a class called Zumba Fitness. I immediately fell in love! It was my first time ever working out, outside of gym classes in grade school. For that small piece of time, it was all about a mental release, and I loved every second of it. Eventually, my friends asked me to join them in other fitness classes. I soon realized my joy and passion. Working out, and seeing others work out around me, made me want to be a part of fitness on a deeper level. While I saw physical changes in myself, I loved cheering on my friends, even strangers, in every group fitness class I attended!
As a military spouse, I have lived all around the world and recently landed here in the MD/PA area. My passion for getting fit myself turned into how I can help others find this same joy. I stepped into fitness as a group fitness instructor and eventually pursued personal training to help individuals on their health journey. While I love the intimacy of personal training, a group fitness class brings my heart so much joy! I teach a variety of classes because just like in life, variety is good for you! Whether you choose one day or day one, I hope to welcome you with a smile and encouragement. While the world is unpredictable outside of the gym, I will do my best to keep you motivated, and excited to continue on your health journey.”
Amber Reaver
Amber is an instructor of RX Rip, Pilates, Mix it Up, and Senior Sweat. Here’s a bit from her!
“I’ve always had a knack for fitness, but after having my second child and becoming a stay-at-home mom, I wanted to focus on my health.
After taking classes at Fort Ritchie Community Center, I found my passion for fitness. I wanted to help motivate others to reach their fitness potential, so I became certified kickboxing and Pilates. Since 2013, I have been teaching those classes at FRCC, as well as providing personal training to many clients.
I love being part of the Community Center, meeting new people, and most importantly setting a great example for my three boys to stay healthy and active!”
Christina Green
Christina is the Vinyasa instructor.
“I am a 500-hour certified yoga teacher registered with Yoga Alliance. I’ve practiced yoga for 25 years, and am the founder and owner of Serenity Yoga with Christina, LLC, and an adjunct yoga instructor at Wilson College.
I look forward to meeting you and sharing my passion for Yoga.“
Joyce Johnson
Joyce is the Yoga and PiYo instructor.
Joyce has been sharing her passion for Yoga with the Community Center for nearly a decade, with more than 20 years of Yoga experience in total
Susan Lasher
Susan is our instructor for Head to Toe Flexibility.
“My fitness journey began back in 2014 having just moved to England. I was looking for simply something to do that was England. A friend, who was a young Captain of the Royal Engineers suggested I come with her to circus training. From that first free class to 11 years later, circus and aerial dance led me to train with icons of aerial and circus of the US, UK, and Europe, to performance and opening studios prior to COVID.”
“Having to “retire” due to COVID and most recently moving to Cascade to ease into semi-retirement, I am excited to share my knowledge of flexibility with others. Having started not being able to touch my toes, I understand the sense of accomplishment of attaining an increased range of motion and mobility.”
Nicole Lehr
Nicole is our instructor for Barre & Sculpt, Senior Sweat, and Mix It Up.
“Prior to my first Barre class, I considered myself a cardio and strength junkie as a fitness instructor. The higher the impact and the heavier the weights, the better. My first certification was Group Power (aka BodyPump) in 2016. Barre changed all of that for me. I was instantly hooked on the intensity of the small, precise movements using only light weights or body weight. I was humbled by that first class and knew this was a format I needed to add to my fitness instruction repertoire.
My life mission is to have one small but meaningful impact on one person each day. Fitness instruction is well suited to make that small but meaningful connection with students, whether by making them smile and laugh or inspiring them to try something new physically (whether you look graceful, silly, or strong). I don’t take myself too seriously and don’t expect my students to either. My goal is to just have people feel happier after class. I live in Smithsburg with my husband Dave and our toddler daughter, Maggie. I am an animal advocate/lover and have one rescued pitbull Pickle, two rescued cats Funkhouser and Leon, and 20 chickens and a rooster named Bobo. I am an ACE-certified fitness instructor and NASM-certified personal trainer. I have specialized training in senior fitness, nutrition, and prenatal and postpartum corrective exercise. I have experience teaching barre, sculpt, HIIT, cycling, BodyPump/Group Power/RIP, and senior fitness classes.”
Trey McCarty
Trey instructs Boot Camp, Fort Fit, Personal Training and more!
Trey started in member services at our front desk, a few years ago and completed his Personal Training certification to work with our members through group fitness and personal training! He’s excited to help our members meet their fitness goals!
Katie Ostrowski
Katie is one of our Barre & Sculpt instructors.
“Sometimes, life comes full circle. As a child, my life revolved around dance. I took ballet, tap, jazz, hip-hop, and modern; explored rhythmic gymnastics, African dance, and aerial dance; ended up on my toes (aka pointe shoes); and spent hours after school and on the weekends in the studio practicing and performing. Naturally, I thought my dance career would continue in college. However, as often happens, my path curved, and formal dance disappeared from my schedule. That didn’t change my love for movement and challenge, though.”
“After college, I gravitated toward gym memberships that offered group exercise as the classroom felt like a familiar space. It encouraged accountability and community while making exercise fun and engaging. Plus, thanks to the many years of dance in my back pocket, the focus on form and choreographed movement patterns felt second nature.
Fast-forward a few more years to where I returned to a dance-related realm with Barre (a fusion of Ballet, Pilates, and Yoga). It just clicked! After encouragement from some of my teachers, I decided to give teaching Barre (and Cycle) a try. Barre allowed me to return to my roots, in a reformed way, and share my love of movement with others. And let me say, there’s a reason ballerinas are known for their strength, balance, endurance, and flexibility, but the best part about Barre is that no dance experience is required to reap the benefits of this low-impact format. This is a class that can be enjoyed by all.
When I’m not finding ways to challenge our bodies and minds in a classroom, I find myself gardening, hiking, cooking, and learning everything I can about modern-day homesteading, while living up on a mountain ridge in Smithsburg with my husband, Jackson, our two rescue pups, and our three Welsummer chickens.”
For information about each class, visit our Exercise Classes page!
Contact Us Today
Mailing Address
Fort Ritchie Community Center,
14421 Lake Royer Drive, P.O. Box 755
Cascade, MD 21719
Fax: (301) 241-5081
Hours of Operation
Monday-Thursday
5:30 am – 8:30 pm
Friday 5:30 am – 6:00 pm
Saturday 9:00 am – 2:00 pm
Sunday 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm
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