‘An Infinite Difference’

Personal Training Helps UC San Diego Employee Recover While Building Confidence and Strength

By Shawn Cyr
Assistant Marketing Director

“Life-changing.”

That’s how Monica May describes her experience working 1-on-1 with Delaney Fox, one of UC San Diego Recreation’s expert trainers in our Personal Training program. Fox has worked with May once a week for four months, helping her recover — and ultimately grow stronger — from a painful neck injury.

“Delaney helped strengthen my entire body, taking care to explain the rationale behind all of the exercises and gave me excellent stretches and exercises I could do at home,” says May, who works here at UC San Diego as assistant communications director for the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. “It’s honestly been life-changing.”

At each session — held in the privacy of the downstairs Wellness Studio in RIMAC — Fox makes sure to ask how May is feeling and if she has any questions about the workout regimen they were doing that day. 

“She paid attention to every piece of advice I gave her,” says Fox, who calls May the type of client that “makes a trainer’s job worthwhile.”

And it’s paid off.

“Today I am absolutely delighted to share that I am pain-free and have excellent strategies when the pain does crop up occasionally,” says May, who came to Fox through the WorkStrong program.

While she typically does cardio and strength sessions guided by YouTube videos, May says that having access to a skilled trainer made a huge difference in healing her body — and growing her confidence in the gym.

“It was like night and day,” says May. “Having someone correct my form made an infinite difference in safety and effectiveness and also has improved my at-home training. As a woman who has always felt intimidated by strength training, Delaney was the best trainer I could have asked for, allowing me to voice those feelings and giving me the confidence that I, too, can weightlift.

“Today I am confidently doing things I never thought I would ever do — including pull-ups, chest presses, deadlifts, and more. And I feel confident doing it!”

Offering accountability, workout instruction, and corrective feedback, REC personal trainers can help put you on the path to being your healthiest self!

To speak with a member of our expert staff about how Personal Training can help YOU accomplish your goals, email Fitness Coordinator Vanessa Laniawe at VLaniawe@ucsd.edu with “PERSONAL TRAINING” in the subject line. Or click here for more information.