CLASS SCHEDULE
Samantha Lazaris
Hello, my name is Sam and I am the original founder and co-owner of Ohana Fitness and Wellness! As a young female entrepreneur, I am on a mission to help transform women’s lives through fitness within our studio. Ohana Fitness turns 3 years old on May 14th and it has been one INCREDIBLE year.
I left my job as the assistant fitness director at the Detroit Athletic Club in Oct of 2014 to pursue my dreams of starting my own in-home training business. This was by far the best decision I have ever made in my life! Throughout the last few years in my life, I have found that my sole purpose on this planet is to inspire and motivate people to live happier and healthier lifestyles.
I graduated from Central Michigan University (Fire up Chips!) in 2012 with a Dual-Major in Entrepreneurship and Health Fitness with a Minor in Nutrition. I am a Certified Personal Trainer through ACSM and a Certified Corrective Exercise Specialist through NASM. I specialize in women’s weight loss, nutrition and core conditioning.
Amanda Decker
Hey, I’m Amanda! I graduated from Western Michigan University with a major in Communications and a double minor in Environmental Studies and Women’s Studies. It wasn’t until two years after I graduated from college that I even FOUND fitness and all of its perks. After college while working my countless unfulfilling retail jobs, I decided to order Insanity off the infomercial and give it a whirl. Little did I know it would jumpstart my love of fitness and pushing past those limits we set for ourselves. I ended up going back to school at National Personal Training Institute to become a certified personal trainer!
At NPTI, I had over 200 hours of nutrition training and 300 hours of practical and technical body movement training. I’ve been everywhere in terms of my own fitness journey so I believe I have a pretty good understanding of what it feels like to be a client. I’ve been underweight, slightly overweight, flabby, toned, and now what I feel is just right. I’ve been paleo, low carb, If It Fits Your Macros, vegetarian, and now vegan for nearly two years, so I understand most diets and nutrition styles. And most importantly, I’ve had my butt kicked in workouts and know how to motivate people through that madness. My mission is to instill in my clients that fitness and eating well is never punishment, but rather an exciting and fulfilling way to live your BEST life! Have the cookie, but not ten. Drink the wine, but don’t go nuts. ;) #balance!!
Outside of Ohana, I am an animal lover, interior design lover, grammar-obsessed, married dog momma who loves to curl up to Netflix marathons and sit at restaurants for hours with my friends and family.
Vanessa Lopatka
I’m Vanessa Lopatka! I currently instruct Ohana’s Pure Strength and Morning Jumpstart classes. I joined the Ohana team after participating in the Little Black Dress program. I am certified personal trainer through NASM.My passion for fitness has evolved through the past 7 years as I made my own transformation.
After 22 years of yo-yo dieting, crying in dressing rooms and binge eating until I felt sick, I took control of my health and am now down 70 pounds through good food choices and exercise. I’ve found a love for being in a gym and fitness studio and am so thankful to be surrounded by motivated and driven women that keep me dedicated each day! Helping women realize their own strength (and build the muscles that come along with it) has made such a positive impact in my own life.
Haley Vay Beaman
Welcome to the family! My name is Haley Vay and I’m so glad you’re here. I love everything that the Ohana fitness family stands for and I look forward to sharing it with you! My passion for combining healthy fitness and faith practices has become a life-giving part of my story that I can’t help but share. As an ordained Lutheran pastor (ELCA), it is important to me that women are empowered in healthy and uplifting communities, which motivate us to be and live as our best, most authentic selves. I believe that everyone has a story to share that helps motivate others to embody strength and wellness as a full-body experience, which includes treating not only our physical wellness as a priority, but also our emotional, intellectual, and vocational well-being with love and respect.
I was born shortly after Halley’s comet flew through the sky and was raised in Williamsburg, VA (hence the southern draw and double first name). I received my BA in Theology at Roanoke College in Salem, VA where I also studied Spanish and Psychology; I then completed my Master of Divinity at The Lutheran Theological Seminary in Gettysburg, PA (where I met my husband, Bryn, in cycling class!); and I’m currently pursuing my Doctor of Ministry in Detroit.
Bryn and I recently relocated to Michigan in early 2017 for his career. Shortly thereafter I was connected with Ohana Fitness and Wellness by a mutual friend. Today, I couldn’t be more grateful to be part of such a strong wellness community of women that is truly so uniquely inspired and beautiful in every way.
R.I.P.P.E.D. – The One Stop Body Shock®
Stands for Resistance, Intervals, Power, Plyometrics, Endurance, and Diet. R.I.P.P.E.D. is high-energy fitness fuel! With a slogan of “cardio, weights, FUN, done!” you are sure to be engaged, while burning fat and building muscle. Led by your certified instructor in a full-body 50-55 minute cardio-strength routine, you’ll burn anywhere from 750-1000 calories! This program is designed to be a plateau-proof party in every class! “R.I.P.P.E.D. Is for Every-Body!” People of every age and fitness ability love R.I.P.P.E.D. and we know you will too! www.rippedplanet.com
Chereka Moore
I’m a Registered nurse with a passion for women’s health. ISSA certified personal trainer with certifications in Mixxedfit and TurnUp. I enjoy long walks and spending time with my hubby and three kids.Melissa Brode
Melissa is a blogger, life coach and yoga teacher with a passion for helping people.
She uses her honest words, creativity, and fun-loving personality to inspire and empower others to break through personal barriers and live life to their fullest potential.
Melissa graduated from Oakland University with a degree in Business Administration/Marketing, completed her RYT 200 Yoga Certification (twice) through Red Lotus Yoga, and received her Life Coach Certification through Soul Space in Rochester.
Melissa discovered Ohana Fitness and Wellness and felt instantly connected to our mission of promoting the health and wellbeing of women in the community! She is excited to be welcomed into the Ohana family and cannot wait to utilize her background and personal experiences amongst this amazing group of women!
Outside of this work, she is a photographer, self-proclaimed crazy dog lady, adventure seeker, and lover of all things outdoors.
Erin Saba
I’m Erin Glaros, co owner of Ohana Fitness and Wellness. I graduated from Central Michigan University with a BS in Public Health Promotion and Health Education and a minor in Professional Sales. I have always had a passion for health and fitness and helping other people. I just didn’t know how I wanted to use my passion as my purpose in life. I was teaching classes, coaching and instructing clients on how to live a healthy lifestyle and then I met Sam. I am blessed to have met a perfect piece to my puzzle in living out my dreams. To join her in opening Ohana at the new location, was just a great opportunity I knew that together Sam and I could work and follow our dreams together!
I always told myself that I wanted to help change at least one persons life. With being part owner of Ohana, I know that I will be able to fulfill that dream. I am on a mission to do just that. Having certifications that include: certified personal trainer, certified group exercise instructor, certified specialist in fitness nutrition, booty barre and turbo kick, I use my education and experience to lead women to use both fitness sand nutrition to see results and accomplish their weight loss goals.
Providing women with the confidence to know that they are worthy of the time and effort it takes to have a weight loss story and for them to realize they deserve it. I strive to help them understand that healthy doesn’t have to be just for them, it can be for the whole family, and making fitness and nutrition fun and something to look forward to.
Kate Hanser
I am a certified Yoga instructor and work as a full time 6th grade school teacher. Yoga has been a part of my life since 2014, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. Struggling with self-doubt and anger, yoga helped me to overcome those emotions and continuously live every day in the present. I love sharing this practice with my students, as we journey together to find our inner light.
Namaste 🙏🏼
Ashley
Ashley Gammon, Certified Personal Trainer, Certified MuTu Pro™, and founder of BeYoutiful Within – Core and Pelvic Floor Health for Mothers, offers expertise and advice to women suffering from a number of common postpartum body symptoms to include diastasis recti, incontinence, leaking (when laughing, coughing, sneezing and exercising), lower back pain, constipation, pelvic organ prolapse and the “baby pooch”. Ashley studied with the American Council on Exercise to become certified as a personal trainer. She trained with Tracy Sher and Antony Lo at the female athlete, bulletproof your core and pelvic floor course. She was also among the first 33 professionals to be certified as a MuTu Pro by founder of MuTu System®, Wendy Powell. This is a globally recognized, medically endorsed program designed especially for postpartum mothers, no matter how long it’s been! The method that Ashley is certified to teach will help you get your body functioning correctly, be strong, and have you feeling body confident with a body that works right! Most importantly Ashley will teach you how to do this the correct way by easing your postpartum body back into fitness the right way. It will get you back to where you deserve to be, having a strong core and pelvic floor, functioning right, and have you reaching your goals safely! Take it from Ashley, who herself had a 3 finger wide diastasis recti (DR) that she discovered after her third child
Ashley is a military wife of 13 years. She and her husband have three beautiful daughters. She has lived all over the World, including six years in Europe, but she calls Indiana home. Michigan became their new home in the summer of 2015.
Ashley has always been health conscious, but it wasn’t until after her third child in 2012 when she became very focused and serious with her fitness journey. She worked hard for three years to get her pre-baby body back. What she didn’t know was that she had a DR and almost everything she was doing was working against her “baby pooch”. This is one reason she is so passionate about reaching the postpartum moms as soon as she can, after delivery. Had she known then what she knows now, her journey may have been much different. Although she wouldn’t change any of it, because now she helps educate other women in this often ignored, yet very important area in women’s health
Ashley started her own business, BeYoutiful Within, in June 2016 and has already helped hundreds of women correct leaking (incontinence), alleviate lower back pain, reduce their baby belly, and helped them reach their specific goals. She hopes to continue to reach out to as many women as possible through local chiropractors, doulas, Midwifes, OBGYNs, physical therapists, lactation consultants and anyone else related to women’s health.
Ashley is very passionate about helping the postpartum mom, no matter how long it has been. Ashley has helped moms who are as little as three weeks postpartum all the way to 30 plus years postpartum. The program she teaches can be modified so that it makes a perfect fit for each woman and where they are at in their own unique journey. Ashley understands the struggles of everyday life as a mother. This is why the services she provides are flexible and she works with her clients to best suit their needs. Ashley sees clients in their homes, has various locations she can offer private sessions, and teaches classes and workshops all over Metro – Detroit.
Moorey
Moorey-Margaret Myers is a 1997 Magna Cum Laude McNair Scholar graduate of Siena Heights College Adrian, Honors College. She holds a Bachelor degree in Philosophy with a concentration in Ethics, a minor in Biology, and her Honors courses included ballet. Ms. Myers has studied under Dmitri Roudnev of Ballet Intensive from Moscow on a McNair scholarship. Ms. Myer’s training also includes: The University of Toledo (studied Modern and Jazz as a scholarship recipient), Adrian City Ballet Company under the direction of Jefferson Baum (Vaganova and Balanchine Method), The Link School of the Arts (worship ballet), Fueled & Aflame Dance Company (Modern Dance Horton Technique) and Ballet Magnificat’s Summer Intensive Training programs. Ms. Myer’s teaching experience has included: Monroe Public Schools Community and Adult Education, Monroe City Ballet & Dance (Owner and Artistic Director) Fueled & Aflame Master Classes and Exodus Dance Company (Artistic Director). Ms. Myers has staged and choreographed ballets including: The Nutcracker, Cinderella, Coppelia, and The Four Seasons as well as original contemporary ballet, jazz, lyrical and contemporary pieces for recitals, dance festivals, televised worship services, conferences and non-profit organizations including The American Cancer Society and The Assembly of God Fine Arts Festival. Ms. Myers has been training and conditioning dancers for over 20 years and holds certifications in: personal training, PiYo, and the Ballet Magnificat Instructor Intensive Training Program (which includes kinesiology, strength and conditioning, Pilates for dancers, yoga for dancers, ballet, pointe, modern, jazz, worship dance, improvisation, pointe, pas de deux and ministry.) Ms Myers is also an accomplished water woman, therapy dog handler and cancer survivor who spent her summers growing up on the sandy shores of Lake Huron. On any given day she can be found SUPing her home breaks around Bruckner’s Island with her Beagle, dancing for charity events, motivational speaking on the benefits of a healthy plantstrong diet and lifestyle in disease management, or just soaking up the sun in her beloved hammock!Kelli Hodas
My name is Kelli Hodas and I am an instructor here at Ohana! I graduated with an Associate Degree in Exercise Science from Oakland community college and a bachelors degree from Eastern Michigan University in Sports Medicine. I am certified in Tabata Bootcamp, Barre, Group fitness and licensed in Zumba. I work part-time at Troy Beaumont as an Exercise Physiologist working with heart patients after they have had a heart intervention.
My journey began after a quick 20lb weight gain over a summer working on Mackinac Island! I started exercising like crazy and really started getting interested in how the body works, so I started investigating and researching. I found out that this could be a career for me so I went with it! Little did I know this shy introverted woman you see today fulfilled a piece of me that I never thought existed! it’s not about me anymore it’s what I can give to others in terms of health, fitness, encouragement, strength, fulfillment, laughs, smiles, sexiness, motivation, friendship, compassion and to know that each person I come in contact with knows their worthy and loved!
I will give you the best possible workout and will always make it challenging, fun and different so boredom never sets in. My passions have recently shifted from mostly Zumba to focusing more on Hiit style formats Tabata , Hiit, Bootcamp and focused groups like Butts and Guts and Core.
My journey is ongoing but I know Ohana was a place I needed to be a part of, they are not a gym where faces are just a payment they truly care about each and every person, their goals, accomplishments and self-worth… they are a team!
Tara DiDonato
My name is Tara DiDonato and I am so excited to be Ohana’s newest personal trainer! Although I obtained my NASM personal training certification in 2012, my journey to health and fitness began long before that. Growing up, sports were a big part of my life, but when I went to college and became less active, I started to struggle with my weight. I learned quickly that I could not continue to eat whatever I wanted and live a sedentary lifestyle. I tried every diet under the sun and my weight fluctuated massively. This led me to not feeling healthy, strong, or confident, so I decided to educate myself in weight training and nutrition. With time and patience, I started to see changes in my body, and most importantly I felt strong and healthy again!
Through my experience, I found a love for fitness that I want to share with my clients. There is nothing more fulfilling to me than being able to guide my clients through an experience that makes them happy, healthy and confident.
You are stronger than you know and capable of more than you think! I’m here to guide you every step of the way!
Jenna Vitale
I’m Jenna Vitale! I have been an Ohana member since Sept 2016 and fell in with fitness and recently took the leap to become an instructor! My favorite workout is tabata and I am a self proclaimed Burpee Queen! I love pushing my clients to try something new and try to push them out of their comfort zones so they can become the best version of themselves! You can find me teaching strength based or cardio based classes, come join me! I promise it will be a blast!!
Melissa Stratton
Hi all! My name is Melissa Stratton, your resident POUND Pro at Ohana! I was thrilled when Erin and Sam asked me to be part of this amazing tribe! The energy, camaraderie, and overall positivity within everyone is inspiring and contagious!
I graduated from Michigan State University with degrees in Theatre and Psychology, and then got a Masters degree from Oakland in Counseling Psychology. I’m married to an awesome guy, and have three equally awesome (albeit sassy) young daughters. In fact, if not teaching, you can usually find me being a human jungle gym and chasing these girls around somewhere!
I’ve always been an active person, but didn’t consider becoming an instructor until I stepped into a POUND class and immediately realized: I NEED this in my life! Teaching POUND, I get to be a rockstar, inspire others, and help people forget about their worries outside of class. The upbeat music, party atmosphere, and the killer workout are just extras! I love showing non-dancers that they can move their bodies in a fluid way and get a great full-body workout. Anyone can be a rockstar! POUND is for all ages and all stages. My kids love to “assist” me when I’m learning new tracks and my husband even thinks it’s pretty cool!
My family now has a mother that is motivated, healthy, and ready to live each day to the fullest. I can only imagine where this wonderful adventure will take me next!
Whether you’re new or established in your fitness journey, I invite you to put your hand over your heart. Feel the engine that has keeps you going – keeps you LIVING. It’s time to make your heart POUND harder, beat faster and love itself more!
Vina
Hey Ladies! My name is Vina, better known as “MOM!” (I have 4 amazing little boys and a fantastic husband!)
I am thrilled to work with Ohana as I am passionate about the prenatal/ postpartum journey. I understand the struggle with body dysmorphia, gaining and losing the weight, most frustratingly diastasis recti (abdominal separation) and how to overcome the challenges of new Mommy hood while maintaining autonomy and a sense of self. Whoa!
I am a NASM Certified Personal Trainer, RYT200 Yoga (with several yoga certifications including SUP Yoga, Prenatal, Kidding Around Yoga, Warriors for Healing, Yoga for Trauma Survivors and Aerial Yoga) and Group Exercise Certified Instructor.
I am a beach loving, sandy toes kinda girl who loves to spend the day out on my paddle board doing SUP Yoga! If I’m outdoors I’m happy. My family just moved here from Florida and we are eager to experience all the beauty that Michigan has to offer, even the winters!
Nicole Mikulski
Hi, I’m Nicole! I enjoy teaching yoga with my own personal combination of core stabilization and strengthening techniques put together with creative yoga flows. I believe my education as a physical therapist helps me to cue my students to move stronger, move better, and create a healthy connection between body and mind. My favorite parts about teaching are watching my students get stronger and more confident mentally and physically, as well as sharing with them yoga’s unique ability to clear the mind, relieve stress, and create a sense of inner peace. My own life would not be the same without these benefits of yoga! I’m so happy to have found Ohana and I love being around the wonderful community of women here, whether it’s teaching or attending classes myself!
Outside of teaching, I lead a very passionate career as a physical therapist, enjoy all forms of activity and exercise, and enjoy spending time with my new husband, family and friends, and of course my dog Teddy!
Katie Attard
I’m a busy work from home wife and boy mom of 2. Since experiencing what I later learned was postpartum depression in early 2011 and living with anxiety ever since I’ve been using fitness and community as a part of my mental health care. Ohana is the perfect place for me to not only create and maintain the best version of me but to also be in a position to help women on the same path.
A self-proclaimed Ohana “lifer” since my first class in 2016; I’ve made it a priority to help these wonderful ladies in any way I can to bring the life-changing programs they’ve created to women far and near. From organization to logistics, to program and event coordination; I’m the one behind the scenes helping to keep things running smoothly.
Amanda Fortsyth
Hi! I’m Amanda and I am a certified 200hr yoga instructor.
I have been practicing for years so although I did recently become officially certified, yoga has been in my life for a long time. It came into my life when I needed it the most (cliché, I know) and from that point on I knew I needed to continue down this incredible path. There is something about exploring that constant journey inward that is so humbling and I feel that every single person regardless of who they are or what they’ve done deserves to feel free and experience the bond between body/mind.
I wanted to be the one to help others do just that. To find themselves and find that inner peace. I want my classes to be a safe space for any one to come to, no matter what your level of fitness or flexibility is. Yoga is about learning to trust yourself, expressing your emotions and letting go of your fears! I think we can agree, we ALL deserve that.
It’s so important for women, family or not to know that we are all there for one another to support each other and lift each other up. That is what Ohana is all about and I live for that!
Namaste
D'Ann Zona
D’Ann has been leading group fitness classes for 20 years including cardio kickboxing, barbell strength, SHRED, Spartan Strong, spinning, STRIKE, cycle sculpt, TRX, kettlebell, circuit training, stretching/mobility and outdoor park bootcamp classes. In addition to studio time, her Sunday outdoor workout crew donates all their weekly proceeds to local charities throughout southeast Michigan. She also offered free workouts during gym shutdowns due to COVID.
“I love keeping exercise/training fun and interesting for every level. It makes people forget that they are actually pushing their limits and being challenged. When they feel accomplished, they want to come back and do it all over again.”
When not training, D’Ann works at Michigan State University’s College of Osteopathic Medicine and is married with two children (Angela 25 and Anthony 20). She’s been to mountain hiking & paddleboard retreats in Arizona, Nevada, Colorado, Florida, California, Utah, Mexico & Belize and continues to love traveling with family and friends.
Sarah Evans
Hi friends! Sarah here! I am blessed to have the opportunity to work for Ohana all the way from Buena Vista, Colorado. After finishing Ohana’s first-ever virtual Little Black Dress program, Sam and Erin invited me on board as a virtual instructor. I have been teaching group fitness for over 10 years. In high school, I was an athlete and was able to maintain my physical and mental fitness. Once graduating in 2008, I embarked on my journey as a student at Central Michigan University. I gained more than the “freshman 15” and knew I had to find something that brought me back to fitness. I signed up for a credit TurboKick class and was HOOKED! Before the semester was over I was a certified instructor and had been hired as a group fitness instructor for the Student Activity Center. This is when I met Sam! She and I were new hires together!
Group fitness gave me a purpose and ignited my passion for helping others. I have experience in almost every format. My favorite formats to teach are kickboxing, HIIT, Bootcamp, Strength Training, and Tabata. I pride myself on providing a safe, energetic, FUN, and effective workout. I will constantly push you out of your comfort zone all while encouraging you to SMILE BIG!
In addition to instructing, I work as a full-time high school special education teacher. In my free time, I enjoy whitewater rafting down the Arkansas River, mountain biking, basking in the sun, and hanging out in the Mount Princeton hot springs. I enjoy doing all of this with my husband, Brandon, and young daughter, Brynnly!
Lizzy Darke
Hey friends, I am Lizzy.
I am your TLC and Piloxing Instructor at Ohana. I have been teaching group fitness for 5 years now. I fell into fitness after a long career in dance. Fun fact: I spent 6 years working on cruise ships, and yes, it was a blast.. and I always recommend Alaskan cruises or Baltic cruising to everyone! Seriously both itineraries are beautiful !!!
When I began instructing, I found workout styles that are total body but encompassed dance concepts to be my favorite. My knowledge of body alignment, muscles usage and technique have made me a one of a kind instructor. TLC: Tone Lengthen Core, is a fantastic class for newbies- do not let the cute name fool you because it is Tough! It brings together concepts of pilates with stretching and barre principals. Piloxing is full-blown cardio!!! It combines Boxing Pilates and Dance, so get your party pants on because we spent 45 minutes sweating it out. You can find my classes at 8:30am Tuesday and Thursday. Come check me out! You will for sure fall in love!
Meghan Korte
Hi, my name is Meghan and I’ve been a Zumba instructor for almost 8 years. I have a passion for fitness, boxing, and I love being active and hanging with my three kids. They are 10, 5, and 7 months! I graduate with my Psychology Degree in the winter. Being able to help people in any way I can is something I live for.Class Schedule