Sheryl Babbitt
Owner & Founder
Growing up, Sheryl’s friends didn’t want to eat at her house. They knew that instead of kid-favorite fish sticks and pizza, her family’s dinner table would be chock full of veggies and other nutritious foods.
Thanks to her family’s healthy lifestyle, Sheryl never struggled with weight as a child. After having children, her weight crept up. And as the years passed, caring for herself gradually slipped down Sheryl’s growing list of priorities.
In 2006, Sheryl was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect and underwent open-heart surgery. Her recovery came alongside depression and weight gain and Sheryl soon realized she had to make a lifestyle change. That spring, she went to a live-in fitness boot camp. With newfound strength and motivation, she returned home determined to share this same transformative experience with others. That passion, energy and determination was the foundation for creating Fitness North.
"Losing weight and becoming active changed my life profoundly, and created change in the world, as well, because it led to the founding of Fitness North. There is no way to exaggerate the difference that sustainable weight loss can make in an individual’s health, in how a person feels and what a person can accomplish."
Along with her husband, Eric, Sheryl lives on a farm in Northern Minnesota. Her sons, Mark and Harry, live close by. Her granddaughter, Savannah, provides a daily source of joy and motivation, as does helping others reach their weight-loss and fitness goals.
Jill Lepisto
Trainer
Jill Lepisto is a NETA (National Exercise Trainers Association) certified personal trainer and group exercise instructor. Jill was born and raised in Duluth, MN and has deep family roots in the Northland Community. From a young age Jill has been involved in gymnastics, competitive dance, sports, and weight training. Throughout her life she has always set high goals for herself and worked hard to attain them. This includes but is not limited to competing in dance at local and state levels, completing the William A. Irvin 5K run, Gary Bjorklund Half Marathon, and several NorthShore Inline Marathons. Her enthusiasms in personal fitness lead to opportunities of teaching dance and fitness classes as a young adult. This in turn evolved into her passion of inspiring others to achieve their fitness, nutritional, and wellness goals and enjoying the journey.
Jill has been involved in helping others enjoy fitness and attain personal fitness, nutritional and wellness goals throughout her life and has taught classes in the community at a local dance studios, marital arts studios, YMCA, and Indian Health Services. She has experience in teaching both children and adults. In 2006 she took her knowledge, education and experience in fitness, nutrition and wellness to the next level and became the co-founder and co-owner of The Fitness Edge of Minnesota. She recently accomplished another personal goal and opened her own fitness studio, 4 U Fitness, in June 2009 as the sole owner and founder. Since opening 4 U Fitness she created many opportunities for herself and began focusing on additional aspects of fitness, nutrition and wellness. She has recently been recognized by the local fitness, nutrition, and wellness community and given the opportunity to work with and choreographing for local women bodybuilding, figure, and fitness competitors at the local, state, national level in which she takes great pride.
In addition to her fitness, nutrition, and wellness background Jill has also followed in a family tradition and is educated, knowledgeable, and experienced in the medical field with an emphasis in Pharmacy.
Jill believes fitness is a journey as well as a destination that should be looked as a shared adventure of education, application, and dedication. It is a journey which should be enjoyable, challenging and diverse. It is not a journey with an end but should be continued throughout life.
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