Diane Buchta

Diane Buchta has face polio, breast cancer and a tumor in her femur, but has never lost her passion for fitness. Overcoming the surgery on her femur was difficult for Diane because she could not walk, run or do much of anything for 6 months. “For the first time in my life I felt sorry for myself,” she remembers. She now uses her experiences to inspire her clients. “If I could [do something], so could they.” Since her femur surgery Diane’s motto has been a quote that she received on a get-well card: “It’s not what you lost that counts but what you have left and what you do with it.”

Diane started her personal training career in San Diego in the late 1970s. Since then she has been part of the fitness industry evolution. She is now 70 years old and continues to train clients and work out. Along with training clients, Diane also volunteers at the University of California, San Diego, leading student hikes and offering free personal training. She also spends time visiting older individuals to help them walk and stretch.

Hiking is one of Diane’s favorite activities. “I do almost all of my cardio in Torrey Pines State Park,” she says. She would like to see free access to state and national parks for everyone because she believes there are many benefits to being out in nature.