Remember the Hollywood movie, “The Perfect Storm?” It was the fictional story of an ocean storm that turned into a disaster for a group of fishermen.
Kathy Kent, Sun City’s new fitness director, describes her “perfect storm” another way: as the key to her successful fitness career.
Fitness Director Kathy Kent only SC staff manager to win a national award.
When she joined Sun City’s management team last year, it was the culmination of a lifelong dream, and the “perfect fit” for an active lifestyle.
“I had started and operated my own business, written a book on fitness, but I was missing something,” Kent said. “I was missing a connection with people. I started looking for some meaningful ways to work with people.”
Her favorite demographic of the kind of people she wanted to connect with, she said, was the “over-70” group. That, of course, is a pretty good definition of Sun City.
“When this opportunity arose at First Service Residential (FSR, Sun City’s management company), I jumped on it,” Kent said. “Things just fell into place, it was a perfect storm for me.”
Kent is the only staff manager in Sun City’s history to win a national award for her body of work throughout a career. Early this year, she was named “Rookie of the Year,” by FSR for her fitness-related activities and her early efforts after joining the Sun City staff last spring.
Kathy is a renaissance woman by any definition. She is an author, a business woman, personal trainer, triathlete, and a CPA. And for the past year, she has worked in her dream job, running a fitness center for 55-and-over mostly-active adults.
But she did not come to Sun City simply to run a fitness center. She is pursuing her passion for persuading seniors to establish or continue an active, healthy lifestyle of wellness. She has turned her personal philosophy of fitness and wellness into a nationally known industry.
Kent has spent nearly 25 years training people on acquiring and maintaining fitness. She has tested and developed training protocols that have proved popular and workable for people of all ages. She has participated in many challenging athletic events, completing two Ironman Florida triathlons in 1999 and 2001, two 10K open water swims, several marathons, and a number of cycling events.
An Ironman Triathlon, by the way, is a grueling, three-phase event that includes a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride (lots of hills), and a marathon 26.2-mile run, in the above order and without a break.
All of this reached a climax in 2013 when Kent wrote and published her book, “Living365Fitt.” She wrote the book for individuals as well as for corporate fitness and wellness programs. The “fitt” in the title is a fitness formula. Her book describes a step-by-step, weekly program of lifestyle fitness, ranging from food, exercise, activity goals, life goals, support systems, and fitness discipline.
Kathy got the fitness bug when she was very young.
“My father was my fitness role model,” she said. “I watched him play ping pong, platform tennis, and I played racquetball with him when I was in high school. Until five years ago, he ran several miles each day.
“When I was considering college, he recommended that I go to Notre Dame, where he studied. He also said that I should major in accounting. He said that I would always have a job and be marketable. He was right, but I never liked to do accounting. My CPA helped me in business later, however.”
Kent worked in physical therapy departments, fitness and athletic performance programs at Edward Hospital in suburban Chicago and in Galena, and several other organizations.
“I worked awhile at United Airlines, and my first job in fitness was a water exercise class at a YMCA,” she said.
Kent then took time out to marry and raise two children.
“My daughter Liz is a financial analyst at ACE Hardware, and son Stephen is an architect,” she said.
In business, Kathy met Sally Edwards, a nationally known triathlete and a member of the Triathlon Hall of Fame. After her first triathlon in the ’90s, Kathy became a fitness coach to hundreds of athletes and women. She eventually partnered with Edwards to develop Heart Zone Cycling and Heart Zone Personal Training Companies.
At Sun City, Kathy is expanding the number of classes in wellness and fitness.
“My bottom line with seniors is move your body, even if it hurts and is uncomfortable. There are so many opportunities here to practice good fitness and wellness activities, from tennis and treadmills to yoga and water aerobics, indoor cycling, and even dancing,” she said. “If you’re in pain, the first prescription is trying to move around. Exercise is merely moving your body in a purposeful way related to your body’s condition.”
Regarding her book, Kent clarified its purpose.
“My programs and my book are not weight loss or diet schemes,” she concluded. “They are lifestyle options that lead to good health. Most people, especially seniors, don’t want to run marathons or be triathletes. They just want to be fit. That’s why I wrote my book, and why I came here.”
