EXERCISE HAS BEEN MY SAVING GRACE! Back in the 50’s ADHD and learning disabilities were not as readily recognized and treated as they are today. I was born with both problems. I had more energy than I knew what to do with so I started walking at a very young age. I walked everywhere. I was like the “Forest Gump” of the 60’s. I truly believe that is what saved my life!

School was very difficult for me. I was painfully shy and struggle with my education. Due to the stress of my social and educational problems, I developed a serious eating disorder.

At the age of 18 I started working in the fitness industry. In my small town, Yakima WA, we had a LADIES ONLY exercise gym called Elaine Powers. I worked at that gym for a short time. That experience stuck with me. At that time, my dream was to be an actress. That was a pretty crazy dream for a girl as shy as I was. I had never even been on a stage but I had done quite a bit of modeling in my small town and was crowned the Queen of my town…Miss Yakima. My father had STRONGLY encouraged me to try out for the pageant. I believe he was trying to help me break out of my shell.

Whatever my father’s purpose was, it was brilliant. I started to try to be part of the world after my rein as Miss Yakima. I began training in singing, dancing and acting. I started my career in acting while I was living in Arizona. I had married and was now Lynn Hancock. I was discovered by a movie producer while auditioning for a part in a Western. I did not get that job but the producer, Jim Byrnes, brought me to HOLLYWOOD!

Boy was that culture SHOCK…Jim Byrnes put me in two of his movies for television: Wild Times and Kenny Rodgers as the Gambler. I went on to do small roles in other TV movies and did several TV commercials. I finally got a regular role in a pilot for a TV series called NASHVILLE PALACE. I was MISS BOOTS. The same folks that produced HEE HAW produced Nashville Palace. We filmed the show in Nashville with the regular Hee Haw cast. It aired at the same time as the very popular show LOVE BOAT. Needless to say, we did not last long.

I went on to do a comedy series on cable TV that was also short lived. From that series I was chosen to do a small role in my first feature film… Goodbye Cruel World. Evil Speak was the first movie in which I co-starred. I got A LOT of attention from that movie. I was on several talk shows introduced as one of the new Hollywood STARLETS. I then was given a press agent who wanted me to do a celebrity layout in PLAY BOY…I was offered every B movie being produced! THAT WAS NOT MY DREAM!

I turned down the Play Boy offer and many other similar offers…I decided to take time out to rethink all of this. I LOVED acting but other than some non-equity plays … I was not being given roles that required ACTING. My body was all that seemed of interest to HOLLYWOOD.

While I was pursuing my acting career I also worked for Office Aerobics. Office Aerobics provided aerobic workouts for companies. They provided us with EXCELLENT training! We were trained at the Beverly Hills Sports medicine clinic. I became SUPER FOCUSED on how the body functioned. I wanted to go back to school and get a degree in exercise physiology but the unrelated courses terrified me and I knew my way of learning was not conducive to a formal school setting. I did face my eating disorder. I was hospitalized in 1984…It was tough but I learned a lot and have never gone back to that behavior.

Soon I had started my own business called Proper Form. I had contracts with several companies, including the Navy. I worked with the over weight sailors program. I learned a GREAT deal from that experience. I developed a high/ low impact program that I planned on producing videos of to share with the public.

My first marriage had ended. I was lucky enough to have a second chance… I married my currant husband, Eric Hahn. Since we were both now in our mid 30’s, we decided to try to have a baby right away…Five months after our wedding day we found out WE were pregnant! Unfortunately, I had a great deal of problems with the pregnancy and had to put my dream of producing the fitness videos on a HALT! After giving birth to my son I lost the desire to work PERIOD! I just wanted to raise my son and be with my new and much loved husband.

My son, Will and I began training in the martial arts together when he was very small. I was HOOKED! Never had I gotten such a great workout! The training helped me with my ADHD and my learning disabilities. After receiving our Black Belts, Will and I started a school at our local community center teaching martial arts. I specialize in teaching self-defense courses and coaching women, children (and some men) for tournament fighting. I provide self-defense programs for the city of Tacoma and various businesses.

I returned to teaching fitness …but now I had a certification from the American Council of Exercise and a Black Belt. I combined the martial art movements with all of my other training and developed amazing fitness programs. The programs were a HIT! My students LOVED them and encouraged me to provide them to the public.

I listened to my students and now I am offering those programs to YOU. The fun part is that my son, who put a halt to my first attempt, is doing it WITH ME.