Meet Sarah Magner! She's been with FIT4MOM for 8 years! You will regularly find her teaching Saturday 8am Strides 360 and leading book club. She's also a true team player, regularly subbing for other classes when needed. She is also the reason I even found FIT4MOM 6 years ago while doomscrolling on Facebook trying to get a baby to sleep. I found her posts on mom Facebook groups, and I'm so glad I did! We're so lucky to have her. 🌸
- Tell us a little about your family--who's in your crew and what stage of mom life are you in right now?
- My husband, Dan, and I started dating as students at OPRF and have been married for 12 years this month. Our son, JT, is 8, and our daughter, Taylor, just turned 6. We’re in what feels like our favorite stage of parenting so far—still slightly hectic, but with a little more independence and a lot more fun. We love doing activities together as a family and watching the kids discover new interests. We also have a cat and are currently debating whether a dog should join the crew.
- What do you love doing outside of teaching/working for FIT4MOM—work, hobbies, passions, anything that fills your cup?
- Some days it feels like I do a little bit of everything! I work full-time at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, where I lead an IT Delivery team. I also volunteer with Riverside Junior Woman’s Charity, Big Shoulders Fund, and the Hephzibah Clothing Sale.
- This season I’m coaching JT’s rec soccer team and captaining a co-ed adult soccer team through PDOP. (If you, your spouse, or your 18+ child are looking for a fun fall league, let me know!) JT has recently discovered a passion for helping stock food pantries, so we’ve become regular volunteers at Share Love Share Food in Brookfield.
- I also enjoy reading (and leading our FIT4MOM book club), seeing live theatre, and traveling!
- Why did you join FIT4MOM?
- I was one of the first in my friend group to have a baby and was desperate to connect with other moms (or honestly, just other adults!) while on maternity leave with JT during the winter. I started teaching Fit4Baby in 2018 because there weren’t many working-mom-friendly class options in our franchise, and I wanted to stay involved with the village I’d found after returning to work full-time.
- What's one thing you wish every mom knew about taking time for herself?
- It makes you a better mom—period.
- What's your go-to mom hack that actually saves your sanity?
- I start every day alone and have a parenting “cut-off” time at night. Most mornings, I’m up between 5:15 and 6:00 a.m. for a workout, walk, or reading before anyone else wakes up. That quiet time helps me show up as a more patient mom, employee, volunteer, coach, and human. (To be clear, this became possible when my kids got older—not when I was up nursing a baby every night!)
- Tell us something fun or surprising about your family or mom life.
- I have a reputation at work for being the “not fun mom”—something about disliking puppet shows and magicians, and scheduling JT’s dentist and orthodontist appointments on the same day. But the truth is, I make an extensive seasonal family fun list every few months, and we usually complete about 75% of it. If you’re ever looking for family activity ideas, feel free to friend me on Facebook—I always share my lists at the start of each season!