At Lighthouse Fitness Studio, we value a community that motivates and challenges each other to reach new levels of fitness every day.
Chelsey Fonua
Lighthouse Fitness Studio Owner
Meet Chelsey Fonua, founder of Lighthouse Fitness Studio. she is a resident of St. Joseph with her husband and three kids. she absolutely loves where they live: the beach, schools, parks, community, and would like to contribute to their town by standing alongside people on their fitness journey and helping them reach their goals!
she grew up as an athlete and a dancer so physical fitness has always been a part of her life. she feels her best when she’s active and challenging herself to go out of her comfort zone. she is passionate about helping others feel their best in their own skin, be confident, strong and free to enjoy life!
she has many years of experience in group fitness training, dance and personal training. she holds certifications from the american council on exercise, the american sports & Fitness Association, zumba, and barre Above.
Meet Tara, a certified personal trainer and group fitness instructor with over ten years of experience working with a wide variety of clients. She holds certifications from the American Council on Exercise, which have taught her how to build client-specific programs that address achievable goals without compromising safety or fun. Her specialties include pre- and post-natal fitness, high intensity interval training, TRX training, PIYO Live and circuit-based strength training. In her group fitness classes, Tara’s main goal is to create an environment where everyone feels welcome and comfortable. Tara is also a certified distance running coach, and an avid runner herself.
Meet Erin Ferragut, a group fitness instructor with over 15 years of experience in teaching a variety of classes, such as step, kickboxing, weight training, and Zumba, just to name a few. In addition to her group fitness certification from American Council on Exercise, she also holds certifications in Zumba, WERQ, and Les Mills Bodypump. Erin is passionate about helping others find joy in the journey towards greater health and fitness. Whether it's specialty training in active aging, yoga/pilates training, or a master class in African rhythms, Erin is always looking for ways that she can "level up" her ability to serve her students.
Erin has been married for 36 years to an amazing man who is her best friend. They are now empty nesters, with 2 dogs keeping the house lively. As a mother of 5, ages 21 - 35, and grandmother of 2, ages 2 & 3, Erin understands the challenges of trying to juggle the needs of a growing family and the important task of self-care. Having moved to Saint Joseph from Iowa when 4 of her kids were still relatively young, she also knows the loneliness that can come from lack of community. She strives to make sure every person who walks into her class feels welcomed, and feels that class is a 100% judgement-free zone. It is her goal that no one ever feels like a stranger in her classes.
Meet Sara, a group fitness instructor with certifications from the American Sports and Fitness Association. She specializes in circuit-based strength training, which became her passion as a lifelong athlete and former collegiate volleyball player. However, she is passionate about the benefits of strength training for everybody in everyday life, not just athletes.
Sara is pursuing an education and career in nursing and finds purpose in helping others. Her goal in her group fitness classes is to create a positive environment with exercises that can be performed by individuals of all fitness levels, while offering options to increase or decrease intensity.
Sara is from Southwest Michigan and currently resides in St. Joseph. She loves living in the St. Joseph and Benton Harbor area and being so close to Lake Michigan, where she enjoys playing beach volleyball in her spare time. She’s happy to be able to give back to the community by helping others create and reach their physical fitness goals.
Meet Shannin Vander Ark. Shannin lives in St Joe with her husband and five children. Together they love to hike, go to the beach, and hang out with friends. She joined Lighthouse Fitness Studio as a member and loves how welcoming the group is and how the trainers are committed to each individual's fitness journey.
Shannin is now part of the lighthouse fitness team. She plays a vital role in administration and daily business of the studio and continues to participate in the early morning workouts.