Team Works Figure and Bikini Team

Born in Massachusetts, Jennifer Searles is the owner of THE WORKS Personal Training and Competition Coaching, a full-service personal training and coaching service in NYC. She is also the founder of TEAM WORKS FIGURE and BIKINI TEAM, a team of gorgeous ladies competing in figure and bikini in the NPC and IFBB.

She is a professional IFBB Figure competitor and has placed 9th in 2 consecutive Figure Olympias. She holds the title as the first ever Motor City Pro Figure Champion (2006) and competed in 5 total Olympia qualifiers placing in the top 2 in all but one. After 2 very successful years on the IFBB Professional Figure circuit, Jennifer decided to focus on her business, and retire from competition. She continues to teach what she knows about the competitive stage to her students. She is a published fitness model and author as well as a speaker on health, wellness and competitive figure/bikini competition. Her photos and articles have been featured in magazines such as Oxygen, Musclemag, MetRx magazine, Axl, Bodyfitness, Bodytalk, and Vitamin World Magazine

Jennifer is SAG and AFTRA sanctioned, having appeared in several independent films and daytime television series. She has worked with ABC's All My Children as well as the hit HBO show Sex and the City. She is currently working on a reality fitness project for t.v. and dreams of hosting her own fitness and lifestyle show one day.

Dream Big, Nothing is Out of Reach...

Lauren Ashby is a New York City-based Certified Personal Trainer, NPC Nationally-Qualified Figure Competitor and Bootcamp Instructor.

I started my career at an exclusive boutique gym in Arlington, VA before moving to New York City in 2008. Since moving to New York, I worked at a large commercial gym but left to become an independent trainer servicing a broad client base including a Broadway performer, reality TV contestant, college athletes, fitness competitors, pre/post-natal clients, post-rehab clients and everybody in between!

I became interested in fitness and weight training after "retiring" from competitive swimming which I did for 11 years for United States Swimming. I became a regular at my gym and decided to make it my career after 10 years in the nonprofit and marketing industry. I then decided to take my passion to another level when I became an NPC Figure Competitor in 2009. Since then I have done four competitions placing as high as second in the Rhode Island Championships in May 2010.

In 2011 I formed Aspire Private Fitness in Downtown Manhattan. I train a consistent group of 20 -25 clients, hold outdoor bootcamps, provide nutrition guidance and help other fitness competitors get ready for the stage?all with a creative approach to create muscle confusion so clients never get bored and constantly see results.

CERTIFICATIONS:
AFPA Certified Personal Trainer
AFPA Nutrition and Wellness Counselor

My name is GRACE RIVERA; I was born in Puerto Rico and raised in Brooklyn New York. I'm a fitness model/MOM/TRX Certified group Instructor/NASM Personal Trainer.

I started with health and fitness when my son's father said, "Girl you're getting kind-a-heavy and your rear is starting to look square." At this point I started to look in the mirror every day because of the complex I had. I kept sucking my gut in and still no hope. I said to myself, "Grace it's time to take charge of your life."

So, I joined Jack Lallane; now called Bally Total Fitness, this was in 1992. I stuck to this gym to build my lack of self-esteem and it has helped a great deal. While at this gym, I also learned how to use free weights to help build more lean mass. I attended many seminars on fitness training throughout 1995, receiving two certifications in AAAI for aerobic instructor/master step class. Also in 1995 I entered the Ms. New York pageant and got 3rd place.

Even though I enjoyed working as an instructor I felt something was missing. I applied for college in September 1997 and majored in Sports Fitness Therapeutic Recreation. Looking for more of a challenge, I then entered The Miss Galaxy competition in June, August and October of 1998, each time finishing in the top 20 out of 75 competitors. I then entered Woman-Tri Fitness in April 1999 and took 1st place physique. A couple of months after, I competed in Miss Fitness America September 1999, and took 2nd place. Finally, I found what I really enjoyed and was looking for without realizing it. Entering the FAP, (Fitness America Pageant) on Oct. 2, 1999 and I placed 1st place. I then entered the Women Tri Fitness, I placed 1st in the physique & grace round category (25-29 5'4" and under) and 2nd overall out of 120 competitors. Then started with NPC where I garnered many first places in regionals and top 5 in several of the National competitions.

I'm currently getting my degree, in Exercise Science at Brooklyn College and enjoy working with fitness, figure and physique competitors. I feel they are a challenge. At this stage, they need guidance towards a positive attitude and positive self-esteem to feel better about themselves and their environment to progress in their competitions. I hope I can be an inspiration to some and therefore change his or her life because of it. My motto is, "If you plant a seed it will grow no matter were you grow it, it's how you nurture it that makes it bloom."