Tanya Merryman

Merryman, 38, was the first “mom” to win the Ms. Fitness America title in 1998 and has continued her reputation as one of the top fitness models and figure competitors in the world for more than a decade. She has been a cover model for Oxygen Magazine and featured in most of the leading fitness magazines including Flex, Iron Man, Fit, Shape, and (Muscle & Fitness) Hers and was a fitness competitor/model for the 1998 and 2008 Flex swimsuit editions.

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Tanya was the primary host for ESPN’s American Muscle Magazine from 2000-2002 and was a top five finalist in other televised events such as the Fitness Universe, Sport-Aerobics of the USA, Bikini America, Bikini Universe, NPC Fitness Nationals. She has been an IFBB professional fitness and figure competitor since 2007.

A graduate of Los Gatos High School in the Bay Area, Tanya participated in ballet, jazz, tap, competitive ice skating, and gymnastics as a youngster. “Believe it or not, I was very insecure about my body in high school and afraid to join the local health club,” she remembers. “I didn’t realize that I was an athlete with a strong build and amazing shape but, due to my muscle mass, the scale made me feel overweight. When I finally had the courage to set foot in a health club and join a fitness class, I knew right away that I found my new home. I realized I had a body type that needed to be pushed and that muscle is acceptable for women.”

At 18, Tanya earned her certification by the American Fitness & Aerobics Association (AFAA) and the American Council on Exercise (ACE) as a fitness professional and began working in various health clubs while coaching gymnastics at West Valley Gymnastics School. She also earned degreesin Economics and Fashion Design at West Valley College and in Dance and Kinesiology at De Anza College .

For the past 15 years she has worked as an independent trainer and coach for Female competitors in Sport-aerobic , Ms.Fitness contests, Bikini, and Figure competitions. She has also spearheaded group exercise programs for such clubs as Gold’s Gym, The Right Stuff/Express Fitness, Los Gatos Athletic Club, Los Gatos Swim and Racquet Club, Courtside/Decathlon-WAC Clubs , Crunch San Francisco, UFC gym, and Pole Fitness Dancing at Sedusa Studios.

“It is my passion to teach, and I enjoy helping other instructors find their niche and stay cutting- edge