Today we’d like to introduce you to Jerricka Boone.
Hi Jerricka, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Life began in Chicago, Illinois. I grew up with three brothers in my household along with supportive parents. My brothers and I grew up in a community called Beverly Hills. Our parents always tried to keep us occupied through sports, video games, and other extracurricular activities. My great aunt, Bette, who became one of the biggest influences in my life lived a few blocks away from us. My youngest brother and I would always walk to her house after school because she gave such positive and radiant energy. In layman’s terms, she was the fun aunt!
One hobby she enjoyed the most was tennis. Every summer, we would play at a park called ‘Ridge Park’, which was directly across the street from my house. This was the start of my tennis career.
Aunt Bette later introduced me to a couple of my first coaches. Tennis became a home away from home and every weekend, starting at the age of 9, my mother and I traveled to multiple tournaments across the country. At the time, I didn’t understand why we traveled so much. But in retrospect, now I see the purpose.
After competing nationally for 9 years, I received a full ride scholarship to play at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. There, I majored in Animal Sciences and it was my first time actually being a part of a team. For those of you who don’t know, tennis is primarily seen as an individual sport, but college transformed that individuality aspect into a team atmosphere. Naturally, it was a challenge at first, but I later developed lifelong relationships.
After I graduated, I started playing professionally; this required me to travel outside of the country. Along the way, I learned a lot about myself and my surroundings. This was my first time traveling alone for longer periods of time.
In 2020, I spent a couple of months training and playing tournaments throughout Europe. However, it was cut short due to COVID, so I had to travel back to the states. Initially, I was distraught. There were no tournaments, no tennis facilities open (so I couldn’t even practice), and I didn’t know what to do with my time. In addition, March in Chicago is a hit or miss when it comes to the weather (most of the time it is a miss).
After a few weeks of contemplation, I started doing at home workouts. Every workout made me feel a little better about the situation and kept me in the “zone”. Over time, I realized this was the same “zone” I had with tennis. I had goals again and when I would reach them, I would feel accomplished. I wanted other people to have the same feeling, so I decided to post my workouts on Instagram. Surprisingly, I received a substantial amount of feedback and this propelled me to become a certified personal trainer. I fell in love with the idea of helping people through obtaining their physical goals.
Once lockdown was over, I applied to be a personal trainer at LA Fitness. Although I was placed in personal training sales, I was still able to talk to people about their body goals, their purpose, and their diet. I was quickly promoted to a Personal Training Director after 5-6 weeks. I had the same responsibilities, but now I managed the entire department.
After working there for a few months, I realized that most people didn’t have a problem coming to the gym and hopping on the treadmill. Most people struggled with their diets. Some people NEED that accountability aspect-not only in the gym, but in the kitchen as well. Also during those few months, I decided to start training for a bodybuilding show. I had never imagined being on stage, flaunting my muscles, but it became one of the best decisions in my life. It was the discipline and competitiveness I longed for since I had stopped playing tennis. Being judged on how you look was a bit overwhelming at times. But, the hardest part was the preparation, which consisted of a strict diet and workout plan. The easiest part was stepping on stage. Once on stage, you’re not thinking about what happened yesterday or what you’re going to eat afterwards. All that matters is the present. I missed that competitive edge.
In all, I’ve done two shows already. In my second show, I received my professional card through the federation called, WBFF (World, Beauty, Fitness, and Fashion) and will make my pro debut in April 2022 in Orlando, Florida.
I later resigned from my position at LA Fitness and moved to San Jose, California for a fresh start. I currently have clients I train in person, but I wanted to help even more people so I decided to train virtually as well. I am also in graduate school studying Nutrition and Dietetics.
My goal is to help as many people as I can accomplish their goals through exercise and diet!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Definitely not. But I don’t think it’d be worth it if it did go smoothly because there wouldn’t be any growth. I would say that awkward transition from doing something your entire life (tennis) to starting something new and uncomfortable (personal training and WBFF shows) was a struggle.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
KiKi’s Fitness Room is a personal training business. I am a certified personal trainer and nutritionist. With potential clients, we go over baseline questions, such as what are your goals, how is your diet, and why do you want to accomplish this goal. Some people search for that accountability aspect or they simply don’t have the knowledge to get to where they want to go and this is where Kiki’s Fitness Room comes into play. The services offered varies on the individual. I do customize both workouts and meal plans for my clients. In addition, we do weekly check ins. My programs offer weight loss, meal plans, full body muscle tone, BBL maintenance, etc.
I do work with my clients online and in person-depending on their location.
What matters most to you? Why?
Results and quality service. Even with my online clients, I want them to feel like I am there. I want my clients to feel good about themselves and maintain that healthy lifestyle. Improving by 1% each day will keep someone going.
Pricing:
- Meal Plan: $125.00/month (I change it once every 4 weeks)
- Weight Loss Program: $450.00/month (includes customizable 5 day workout plan and meal plan. I change both plans once every 4 weeks).
- Building the Booty: $300/month (includes 3 day glute workouts and meal plans. I change plans once every 4 weeks)
- Full Body Muscle Tone: $550/month(includes customizable 5 day workouts and meal plans. I change plans once every 4 weeks).
Contact Info:
- Email: Rickiaboone16@gmail.com
- Website: https://www.trainerize.me/profile/kikisfitnessroom/Jerricka.Boone/
- Instagram: @jrickia
Image Credits
@bmars
