This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Senada Greca, founder of WeRise and cofounder of Aonic. It has been edited for length and clarity.
Four times a week, I join Kim Kardashian for personal training sessions that revolve around strengthening the upper body and core. Our routine includes exercises like assisted pull-ups, hollow-body chest presses, and face-pulls, usually concluding with a dead hang on the bar.
My journey with Kim spans three years, during which I’ve also been guiding a vast audience, predominantly women, through my training platform WeRise and fitness content on social media.
Strength training is particularly empowering for women. It allows you to appreciate and feel comfortable in your body, rather than feeling the need to diminish or punish it. This is a transformation I’ve experienced firsthand.
Immigrating to the US from Albania at 14 was difficult
As the eldest of three sisters, I was born in Albania. The fall of the communist regime in the early 1990s led to civil unrest, a time when we often found ourselves taking cover from the sound of gunfire.
Fortunately, my family won the green card lottery (also known as the Diversity Visa Program), enabling us to move to America in 1997. This move promised a safer and more promising future for us.
However, the transition was challenging. I had a noticeable accent and dressed differently, which led to bullying in my school in upstate New York. With my parents relying on me for translation, I often found myself juggling legal paperwork and family responsibilities.
I developed an eating disorder that took years to recover from
Life felt uncontrollable, and I turned to regulate my eating habits as a coping mechanism, leading to anorexia. This was compounded by depression and anxiety in the following years, as I used exercise to punish rather than nourish my body.
College introduced me to counseling and medication, which marked the beginning of my recovery. A significant change occurred in my mid-20s when a primary care doctor, who was in her 50s and actively running marathons, inspired me to view exercise as a mental health support. This led me to take up running, which stabilized me physically and mentally.
In my mid-30s, I embraced strength training, a decision that profoundly changed my life as I began to use exercise as nourishment.
I left my corporate job when I realized I had stability in fitness
Growing up in an immigrant family, financial security was paramount. I held a corporate job, never envisioning entrepreneurship for myself.
Initially, I started teaching yoga classes, enjoying the impact it had on participants. By 2019, I was sharing workout videos online, initially for personal motivation. Consistency paid off, resulting in a large online following. The pandemic further accelerated this growth as many sought accessible home workouts.
In 2020, I launched a website offering membership-based fitness programs. Realizing the potential for a stable career in fitness, I decided to leave my corporate role and pursue my passion full-time. Since then, my platform’s reach has expanded, leading to opportunities like training Kim.
At 43, I am in the best shape of my life. While age is just a number to me, I aim to demonstrate that aging does not equate to slowing down.
