Hello, ladies of Vertical7; I am Tonya Thornton, a 50 year-old wife, fitness trainer, and pilates instructor. I began my fitness career 20 years ago, after watching my mother suffer and succumb to cancer. Working out seemed to be the only thing that made me feel sane, and it became my therapy. It was then that I began to realize the importance of fitness to not only physical health but also mental health. As I built my knowledge of the human body and nutrition and obtained various certifications, I tacked on a new goal, the desire to help people overcome joint pains, injuries, and posture reeducation.

Over the years, I realized the most common obstacles that stand in the way of many women’s fitness goals are exercise intensity and progression and hormone imbalances. With these challenges as my driving force, I pondered developing comprehensive programs for women to contend with those obstacles. I later met Daniela at a local fitness club in NYC. As a mentor to Daniela, I got to know her on a professional and personal level. I discovered that we shared very similar goals and thoughts on women’s health and wellness. That is where our journey together began, and Vertical7 is where our fitness strategies merge.