Girl Power

Nineteen-year-old Morgan Jones may look like your average teenager, but she has a super power… strength.

Jones is a second-year student at St. Clair College, enrolled in the Fitness & Health Promotion program. Jones says St. Clair’s SportsPlex has become her new home since she is there all day, every day.

Jones started her fitness career running from the age of six up until last year when she switched to body building. She ran cross-country and track all the way through grade school and high school and even ran for the college during her first year.

She started training in a gym setting in grade eleven due to having to take time off because she had to gain weight because of unhealthy habits in the past.

Jones is 5’2’’ and weighs 130 lbs, but this wasn’t always the case. Back in Grade eleven Jones saidshe was still 5’2’’ but weighed a frightening 68 lbs.

When she was in Grade eleven, Jones was diagnosed with anorexia and depression after her parents were divorced. She used running as an escape. She said the more she ran, the better she felt. Running allowed her mind to wander and get away from the problems in her life. It was her “me time.” Jones kept herself motivated by writing quotes on the back of her door that made her feel better about herself.

The low point in her life was at the beginning of high school when she was very involved in running. She realized over the season the more she ran, the lighter she weighed. She had the mind-set the lighter she became, the faster she would get.

After she ran her last marathon, Jones took three months off of running and got back up to 110 lbs. During that time, she did circuit training at the gym. When she went back to running for track, she had to train to change her running form because she put so much weight on in so little time her muscles didn’t have time to adapt.

During that summer, Jones got more involved in weights.

Grade 12 is when she started lifting three to four times a week because she wanted to maintain her body weight instead of reversing back into her old ways.

Jones thought she wanted to become a running coach when she graduated the program until she fell in love with lifting. She says it’s a better stress-reliever than running.

Jennie Love, one of Jones’ classmates and a SportsPlex employee, can’t recall a moment when she hasn’t seen Jones in the gym.

“I see Morgan come in every single day. She’s always working super hard. She’s usually in the gym about two to three times a day. I never not see her in the gym,” said Love.

This year, Jones decided to not participate in cross-country because she is in the process of prepping for her first figure competition later this year.

The competition is broken down into three categories: bikini, figure and physique.

She explained the intricate process of the competition as walking on stage in front of a panel of judges who will then judge competitors on how they look symmetrically, straight down to the colour of their suits.

The first competition she plans to enter this year is May 21 in London, Ont. She hopes to also compete in another figure competition later this year in Windsor Sept. 10.

After this year she hopes to continue competing, but also wants to be a personal trainer. Jones is hopeful her long-term vision of becoming an owner of her very own gym warehouse in five to ten years comes true alongside her classmate and gym partner, Joel Yorke.

“She’s got a lot of good things going for her and I’m just happy to be a part of it,” said Yorke.

From past experiences, Jones wants to gear her niche market towards women who are new to lifting and want to gain strength and muscle size. She also wants to gear working out for runners as well since she has an extensive background in the sport.

Many gym-goers call Jones an inspiration and their source of motivation.

Most teenagers enjoy the occasional burger or a slice of pizza, Jones prefers a much more strict and extreme diet containing protein pancakes and berries.

“Right now I have to eat every two hours because otherwise my metabolism will slow down, so I have to keep it high. Pretty much I’m eating six times a day. It’s always on the go- when I’m in the car, when I’m walking or in the middle of class,” said Jones.

Jones said her inspiration comes from the people who are in her program who keep her motivated on a day-to-day basis. They lift her spirits, make her want to be at school and help her achieve her goals.

“Morgan is a go-getter. She works so hard. The first thing she does in the morning, she gets up, does her prep, she gets in here and does her work out. Then she goes to class and then after that she trains people, and then she goes back to her training as well. So she definitely works hard. She’s a hard worker,” Yorke said.

In years to come, Jones is hoping to open her business. She is planning to open a warehouse gym called “Strong and Sassy Fitness.” She says she came up with the name due to the word “strong” representing not only physical strength, but mental and emotional strength. She admits the word “sassy” came from fact she herself is sassy.

Women are the main target for her business which is why Jones says the name reflects well. She wants to help inspire people and show you can make it through any emotional struggles and mental issuesthey may be going through. She says she herself is a perfect example.

Jones feels she is too young to call herself an entrepreneur, however, that is exactly what she is aiming to be.

“If I want to get something done, I’ll get it done,” said Jones.

She said her biggest tool of advertising right now is reaching out to people through social media and spreading the business through word of mouth.

Currently, Jones and Yorke teach a boot camp Thursday nights from 6-7 p.m. at the college in the mezzanine, where they help train people. Through this, Jones and Yorke say they gain knowledge and experience.

Jones and Yorke also bring people through personal training sessions on their own time and also make health and fitness programs for people.

Yorke hopes to continue to work alongside Jones in the future when she opens her business.

If you are a woman starting out at the gym, Jones said to not be intimidated. She said to plug your music in, find your happy place and do what you went to the gym to do. She said a gym is a place where people go to better themselves and if you find yourself in a gym, you most likely chose to go there for that exact reason. Jones said to not let others look down upon you or judge you while you are trying to do better yourself.

 

 

 

 

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