KYLE HARTCORN

President, Kettlebell Expert, Best Hug-giver & Goofball

Kyle grew up in a typical American-Italian household that revolved around lots of hugs, quality time and non-stop cheesy, saucy food. As the years passed, Kyle started to notice disturbing changes in his family members, who were known to have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and a high risk of heart disease. In his own words, “I remember talking to my mother and father about this at the kitchen table and it sent chills down my spine. I began to fear I would be killing my body slowly if I didn’t take massive action.” And that’s exactly what Kyle did. He attended Mars Hill College to earn his Bachelors degree in Exercise Science with a concentration in health and wellness. During that time he interned for one of the local fitness facilities to learn operations and how to make long-lasting impacts on members’ lives. After college, Kyle moved back to NYC and started working for a corporate luxury health club where he continued his growth in the fitness industry under some of the top mentors and coaches in the country. But the most important thing for him was meeting his wife, Victoria, there. Kyle has helped people at all levels and all ages, from teenagers to seniors. He is certified through National Federation of Professional Trainers and is a certified kettlebell fitness coach and girevoy sport coach through Kettlebell Athletics (level 1 and 2) and American Kettlebell Alliance.

Kyle believes in a holistic style of strength training, addressing not only exercise with his clients, but nutrition and the mental aspects of change as well. Rather than seeking to exhaust his clients, he seeks to inspire and challenge them, pushing each individual in a uniquely different way right for them. Kyle often worked with clients who suffer from severe scoliosis and kyphosis, but he is perhaps best known for his enthusiastic energy and ability to teach kettlebells. As an athlete, Kyle was a gymnast for 11 years, powerlifter for 2 years, and a competitive strongman for 3 years before finding his passion for kettlebell sport. In his first year of competing he won best lifter and first in his weight class at the LI City Championships and later that year Kyle's performance at Nationals granted him the opportunity to go to Russia and Germany on team USA at the world championships, where over 36 countries were represented. Kyle instantly felt at home in the kettlebell community because no matter where you are from or how long you have been competing, people will cheer you on and embrace you just for getting on that platform and pushing yourself. He hopes to bring that same kind of energy and acceptance to everyone he has the opportunity to train with.   

VICTORIA HARTCORN

Co-Founder, Mighty Mom Lifestyle Coach & Self-Development Junkie

"Your weight fluctuates like the temperature." Burn. From my best friend nonetheless. But she was right. It was honestly embarassing the way I lost and gained weight so often; not to mention whenever I lost it I feared not only gaining it back, but the attention it would put it on me, and if I even deserved it. What if I can't maintain the new look and then everyone will see me fail, again, so I might as well hide anyway. Looking as fit as I actually was just didn't seem in the cards for me.

Ironically, I didn't have any issues with my weight until I started dieting. Growing up dancing, I spent a lot of time fixated on the image in the mirror. I wouldn't say I had a fantastic self-esteem. I was suffering (still recovering) from a debilitating sickness called perfectionism. Add in cultural and peer pressure and that's a recipe for a young girl to think her body needs help. The yo-yo dieting only worsened my relationship with food. It all became black and white to me. I basically forgot how I used to eat before I started thinking about how to eat. The love/hate relationship with food was never really about food though...although I really, really love it :-) For 13 years it had been a cycle of restriction, self-sabotage, binge, mind games, meltdown, start over. Always starting over.

I received my degree in Dance from Hofstra University in 2007 graduating as the President of the Dance Majors, an esteemed choreographer by faculty and peers, magna cum laude. I had begun teaching group fitness in local gyms and at Hofstra while I was in school. I was intensely interested in personal training. Becoming a coach came naturally to me as I was always a leader, obsessed with movement, and loved helping people. I have spent the last 7 years training one-on-one in one of the premiere health clubs in New York City, achieving the rank of highest level trainer. On top of my certifications with NSCA and EFTI, I became pre/post natal certified, Trigger Point therapy certified, Powerplate certified, and Kettlebell certified through Kettlebell Athletics. Dance quickly took a back-burner to fitness and I began competing in powerlifting, and not long after losing a dramatic amount of weight (far too quickly) competed in bikini. The terrible rebound I experienced after my first show mentally destroyed me, and to make matters worse my skin erupted into a painful rash covering my arms and legs for an entire year. My emotional health was toast. I had dug myself into a metabolic pit.

After months of healing on the inside, turning my life over to God and taking the focus off myself, I was then ready to conquer this cycle once and for all. I achieved the Precision Nutrition certification, as well as National Academy of Sports Medicine Nutrition Coach and Women’s Fitness Specialist Designation and really dived into the journey of self-forgiveness and the further study of nutrition as medicine. After a year of coaching and mentorship under Jennifer Jewell, I became the lifestyle coach for Inner Jewell Athletics Ltd. I also earned my pro-card as a natural figure competitor with the American Natural Bodybuilding Federation. I could not be more proud to be a part of Jen’s vision for the fitness community and love for changing lives. As Chairwoman of Excelerate Wellness, my passion is to coach people that are sick of always starting over. The men and women that need balance and realize that physical transformation is much more than just exercise and food. I know my purpose is to be a light of encouragement and to live open-handedly, willing to serve others at every opportunity.