IDEA Member Spotlight: July 2019

Jillian Hessel

Member Since 1989 • Los Angeles, California

In 1973, 18-year-old Jillian Hessel became a professional ballerina, working with luminaries like George Balanchine and Martha Graham. Today, Jillian is the shining star, helping her clients discover the joy of movement. In 1981, a friend referred her to Pilates to help her with lower-back pain. “I have s-curved scoliosis,” she explains. “I loved Pilates so much, and it helped me continue my dance career for years. It was a natural step to becoming a teacher.” Her teacher was a “first-generation” instructor, having learned directly from Joseph Pilates. “I see myself as a ÔÇÿkeeper of the flame,’” she says. “I have a calling to keep the teachings alive,” adding, “I get the most satisfaction when people tell me I have inspired them, made their day and even changed their lives for the better.”

Amber Kivett

Member Since 2015 • Monrovia, Indiana

“Celebrate your clients and love them for who they are and what they want to become,” says Amber Kivett. It’s a lovely thought, but it only scratches the surface of the inspiration this multicertified trainer brings to her clientele. As a child, Amber suffered sexual abuse. As an adult, she suffered spinal and brain injuries in a horrendous car accident. “I share my story of rape and abuse, and I heal a little more each time,” she says. “Taking a horrific past and being able to turn it into a positive situation . . . is simply indescribable.” As owner of Kivett Kinetic Solutions, Amber offers a fusion of sports medicine, human performance and bodywork principles. “I love every single day I get to work,” she says. “Every day I get to work is a miracle.”

Megan Johnson Mccollough, MA

Member Since 2018 • Oceanside, California

It all began . . . with basketball! “My father is the winning┬¡est coach in California high school basketball history,” says Megan Johnson McCollough. “I wanted to follow in his footsteps but found a niche in helping others through fitness.” The lessons she learned from her dad—practice, preparation and training—fueled her own shot at success as a professional natural bodybuilder and the owner of Every BODY’s Fit. Currently working on her doctorate in health and human performance and with a host of certifications to her name, Megan is “always aspiring for more, especially educationally,” so she can help others more effectively reach their goals. She’s also deeply connected with her community: “I have traveled the world for fitness competitions,” she says, “but there’s no place like home.”

We’d Like to Put the Spotlight on You!

If you would like to be featured in this section or know an IDEA member who stands out in the fitness crowd, email a brief description of your (or your colleague’s) fitness activities and achievements and a high-resolution digital photograph (at least 300 dpi, in focus, well-lit and at least 3” ├ù 3” in its original digital format) to content@ideafit.com. Please include your IDEA member number, if possible. You (or the colleague) must be an IDEA member to be considered for this section.