Morgan Dowd

Growing up I was always extremely active.  Starting with gymnastics at age 3 to competitive cheerleading until the age of 19, my life was always consumed with constant activity.  It wasn’t until 2009, after an injury took me out of my college cheerleading career, that I became extremely conscious of my body & weight.  My life had turned upside down and I felt a loss of identity, which ultimately resulted in the onset of anorexia nervosa & anorexia athletica**.

I battled in silence for 8 months, losing approximately 70lbs. Finally, at 5’7 and 96lbs, I was admitted to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelpia for 24 days after an abnormal EKG.  Since that time, I have spent the last 7 years in and out of recovery regaining my health and ultimately my life back.

In 2013, after 4 years in recovery, I consciously chose to turn my unhealthy obsession with exercise into a healthy outlet to manage my stress and anxiety.  Ultimately, fitness turned my life around at a time when I thought I had nothing left to give.  This passion continued to develop and in 2014 I made the decision to pursue a career in fitness & use this vehicle to help others in the same way it helped me.  Since then, I have worked as both a coach & personal training manager at a large health club. I am also committed to continuing education in both functional training and nutrition.

The last 7 years have been an adventure, to say the least, but I have grown in ways I never thought possible.  I have seen the darkest of days and today I am committed to helping others understand what I didn’t a couple years ago– that there is so much more to a healthy lifestyle than a number on a scale.

**Anorexia athletica = an eating disorder characterized by excessive and compulsive exercise. An athlete suffering from sports anorexia tends to over exercise to give themselves a sense of having control over their body.