Health and Wellness: From world-class figure skater to real-life mom, how one woman still values a coach

TEMECULA, Calif. - Vicki Ringle, 48, is tackling the hardest workouts of her life. That would surprise many who don't know that she was once an alternate on the 1984 U.S. Olympic Figure Skating Team. Exercise and fierce international competition used to be the norm for Vicki who began skating at the age of 2.

"I was nothing but muscle," Vicki says of her years on the ice.

But today, you can find Vicki at Fitness Together at 31045 Temecula Parkway working out those muscles again to regain control of her body. And she has a new coach, Merin Babich, a National Academy of Sports Medicine certified personal trainer. What came naturally as a world-class athlete for Vicki has been tough as an adult woman, wife and mother of three who has struggled with serious health issues.

Vicki was a scarce 108 pounds when she married, and she lost her first child because she didn't have enough fat on her body to support the pregnancy. With each child that came later, the medical complications grew, even sending her to intensive care after the birth of her daughter. The journey to lose the baby weight got harder, and Vicki taught figure skating until the pain was unbearable.

"I stopped because my pelvis went out," Vicki says. "Being in the cold, my disks slipped forward. It was a long process of several months laying on the floor getting adjusted and not getting better."

Vicki put her family first in her drive to be a good mother. And there was a new and unfamiliar hurdle - weight gain that she couldn't fast away or skate off like the old days. So she walked…a lot.

"I was walking miles and miles on a daily basis," Vicki says. "On the weekends I would walk to church, 11 miles, and I wouldn't lose an ounce."

Then came the onset of menopause. Doctors were no help. She didn't want to medicate her symptoms. She wanted to feel healthy again.

That's when her husband Andy Ringle presented her with a gift membership to Fitness Together, where every client receives a customized workout in a private training studio under the direction of a personal trainer. In short, Vicki got a coach - one who would give her the kind of one-on-one attention she used to get as an elite athlete. And the guidance would prove invaluable.

Fitness Together became a family affair for the Ringles. Andy joined in his own quest to lose weight, and one of their sons signed up as well. They joined Jenny Craig at the same time to monitor their diet too.

Now, Vicki works out with Merin three times a week. She turns off her cell phone, and it's her time to be selfish. Her energy has improved along with her weight. And she describes her time with her trainer as a very important relationship.

"Merin is really very good," Vicki says about the sessions. "It's different every time. It's always challenging." The two have become so close that Vicki handled the flower arrangements for Merin's recent wedding.

The Ringle family is on a new journey. Andy has lost more than 70 pounds, Vicki has lost 20 pounds, son Aaron has lost 40 pounds and everyone has a new outlook on life. It's a realistic and healthy outlook, too.

"I'm 48," Vicki says. "This is what you start to feel like. It's about working through things on a daily basis to keep going. But I'm moving better now, and the weight comes off as it comes off. My goal is to be healthy."

About Fitness Together Holdings, Inc.:

Based in Highlands Ranch, Colo., Fitness Together, Inc., is one of the world's largest wellness organizations. The parent company oversees Fitness Together Franchise Corporation a one-on-one personal training fitness franchisor established in 1983 that began franchising in 1996. In 2010, Fitness Together launched Nutrition Together, a nutrition and weight loss counseling program for their clients. Fitness Together Franchise Corporations also oversees Elements Therapeutic Massage, Inc., a massage therapy franchisor that began franchising in 2006. Today, the combined franchise network has hundreds of franchises sold across the United States, Costa Rica, Brazil, Israel, Ireland, and Canada.

Franchise Information:

Fitness Together and Elements Therapeutic Massage are each actively selling franchises.