Emma Spies - LoMonaco

My name is Emma and I am trainer at Mom in Balance Rotterdam. I moved from the US to the Netherlands in 2022. Before becoming pregnant with my daughter Eleanor, you could usually find me playing soccer, sometimes up to five times a week! But because soccer is a contact sport, pregnancy brought this part of my life to a halt. Although I continued to work out during this new chapter, I missed the sense of community that comes with being part of a team sport. When I discovered MIB during my postpartum, I not only found the community I was missing, but also gained the valuable knowledge about my changing body and new role as a mama. This made me take the next step and become a trainer at MIB!

Alongside my work as a trainer, I am also a researcher at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam studying children and youth with disabilities. This curiosity to learn and understand human behavior also translates into my role as a trainer. I believe every person brings something valuable in a group setting, whether through their experiences, challenges, strengths or perspective. When we can learn to see the world and people around us in that way, we all benefit and grow.