Hi! I’m Alana, proud mama to Makenna and Silas and wife to my husband, Marcel, for 13 years. I was born and raised in San Diego, CA, where I grew up watching military families come and go. I always swore I’d never marry someone in the military because I never wanted to leave home…and then at 18, I met my now husband, who was serving in the Coast Guard. Life clearly had other plans for me.

Over the years, the Coast Guard took us from San Diego to Santa Rosa and eventually allowed us to travel the world throughout our twenties. While I originally feared the constant moving, it ended up giving us so many unforgettable experiences and shaping the life we’ve built together.

Before becoming a mom, I worked as a hairstylist, something I truly loved because it allowed me to connect with people and help them feel confident and beautiful. I briefly returned to hairstyling after having my son, Silas, but motherhood quickly became the role that captured my heart most.

One of our biggest adventures came when my husband received orders to Hawaii while I was seven months pregnant…in the middle of a pandemic. Moving to an island while very pregnant, far from family and familiarity, was overwhelming in ways I could have never anticipated. After having my daughter, I found myself craving support, connection, and community. A coworker of my husband’s happened to own the local FIT4MOM franchise and encouraged me to come to a class. Six months postpartum, I finally worked up the courage to go, and from the moment I joined, I knew I had found something special.

FIT4MOM became such a foundational part of motherhood for me. It gave me support during a season where I truly needed it, introduced me to incredible women, and reminded me that moms are never meant to do this alone. Eventually, I became an instructor myself and had the privilege of teaching such an amazing community of mamas in Hawaii.

Later, the Coast Guard moved us again. This time to Florida (again, never say never) while I was pregnant with Silas. I immediately searched for that same sense of community, but unfortunately there wasn’t a FIT4MOM nearby. I tried other groups, but nothing ever quite compared to the support, encouragement, and friendships I had experienced before.

When my husband retired from the Coast Guard, we made the decision to come back home to San Diego. This time as parents. Returning home felt extra special knowing FIT4MOM started here, and I was so excited to reconnect with this incredible community again. We’ve actually never lived in San Diego with kids before, so having this village of moms to learn, grow, and navigate motherhood alongside has meant everything to me.

You can usually find me at the Point Loma classes, and always at the Sea World class!