Beginning a new journey may appear challenging at first for most, especially when it comes to fitness. For Clinton resident Heather Theriault, she finds joy in helping others to find their comfort in exercise. As a result, Heather has been guiding people across the Connecticut shoreline that are interested in many different things, including overall wellness, strength training, improving mobility, minimizing pain, triathletes, cyclists, golfers, sailors, runners, and youth triathletes.

Heather has been an athletic trainer for 19 years and was inspired to begin her fitness journey when she grew up in a family of people that loved to stay active.

“My mother always loved to exercise and take fitness classes; she would sneak me into class with her when I was young,” Heather says. “My uncle, Coach Cap [Peter Capezzone], has inspired me and been a huge influence as well because he coached me as a kid and has been mentoring me as a coach since I started. I love how dedicated he is to the athletes he coaches. He is patient, motivating, talented, and really fun. I was an overweight teenager and started taking group fitness classes at the YMCA when I was a senior in high school. I fell in love with group fitness training, and I have been inspired by many of the trainers and instructors that have mentored me over the years.”

Capezzone, Head Coach of the Old Saybrook boys’ and girls’ cross country teams, has not only guided Heather as she started as a trainer, but he has also seen her train some of the high school athletes herself. In addition, countless people across the shoreline have come up to Capezzone praising Heather for not only all of her hard work, but also her kindness in helping others looking to get involved in physical fitness.

“She works with an abundance of people who are mostly middle-aged but also youth athletes; she is unbelievable,” says Capezzone. “I think that it is really wonderful that she reaches out to the younger kids and the older population to help them get in shape.”

A typical week for Heather consists of training about 10 private clients and running 25 group classes. During the summer, she coaches 30 youth athletes for the Race 4 Chase camp that runs Monday through Friday. Heather notes that she does not train in her own gym, but rather in different places along the shoreline.

“I work in several places, including clients’ private gyms and homes. I manage the Group Fitness Department and teach group classes, spin classes, and some personal training at Coastline Fitness,” says Heather. “I coach the Race 4 Chase Program for six weeks in the summer at [Valley Shore YMCA] VSYMCA and Group Cycle at Lisa's Bike and Bootcamp. I sometimes coach at local tracks and schools for Coach Cap’s Running Rams program, and even some virtual private training, as well.”

Race 4 Chase is a triathlon for youth athletes ages five to 13. It is a Sandy Hook Memorial foundation that is dedicated to Chase Michael Anthony Kowalski (CMAK). In his memory, Kowalski’s family created this foundation, as he had completed his first triathlon the summer before the tragedy.

Heather became involved with the CMAK foundation about 10 years ago, when she was interested in getting her daughter Lily involved in the outdoors during the summer.

“There was a free camp at the YMCA that my friend had told me about, as her daughter was planning on doing it as well. I had just completed my first Iron Man, and I signed her up instead of sending her to summer camp,” says Heather. “Basically, we had a meeting night where we learned about what the CMAK was about. It is a free camp for kids. They provide bikes for them, and just last week they delivered two bikes for kids that do not have the money for them.”

Heather’s daughter Lily and her best friend Avery grew up with the CMAK program and are now coaches. Heather’s youngest daughter also attended and is now a coach this summer. Heather has participated in several events across the Northeast to show her support.

“I have run several marathons for them, the New York City Marathon which I have run for four years, and the Boston Marathon. We have 30 athletes here at the YMCA in Westbrook and around 400 kids in CT,” says Heather. “They all come together at the end of the summer, competing in a triathlon together in memory of Chase. It is the most beautiful thing ever, and it is hard to explain in words. They are a family-operated and a really beautiful program.”

COVID-19 posed a challenge for Heather when the pandemic hit, as she loves being able to exercise in a group setting the most. However, she remained positive throughout the experience and was able to continue her passion of coaching.

“I love the motivation, teamwork, and community of group exercise. It’s magical,” Heather says. “Before COVID, I was working corporate wellness training for the Gowrie group in Westbrook, and I absolutely loved working with the employees there. When COVID happened, everyone worked from home, and I still miss that to this day. I had to really get creative in that time to do what I love and work with the people I love. Learning how to coach virtually, record workouts, video and zoom classes, it was a challenge for sure, but it also made me a better coach. I became more tech-savvy, and I met and was able to work with people all over the country and even the world.”

As Heather continues coaching with her regular clients, group classes, and the Race 4 Chase foundation, she hopes that she can continue to inspire every person that she trains.

“I hope that I am a good role model of perseverance, effort, and kindness. I truly believe that anything and everything is possible, and I hope that I can help others feel the same way. Most of all, I hope that I can be an encouraging mentor, huge cheerleader, and a safe adult for all of the youth athletes that I train and have trained.”

For more information regarding the Race 4 Chase foundation, please visit https://cmakfoundation.org.