Podcasts Sports Running Ali on the Run Show 120. Bree Branker, NYC Trainer & Fitness Model

120. Bree Branker, NYC Trainer & Fitness Model

Published: Feb. 21, 2019, 12:27 a.m.

"I said I want to be the best. But at what?" \u2014Bree Branker

Baby Bree Branker dreamed about growing up and becoming a professional dancer. By 19, after attending a performing arts high school, she'd made that happen, as a Rockette and on Broadway in West\xa0Side\xa0Story, Spamalot, Memphis, and Big\xa0Fish. But by her early twenties, everything changed. Bree finally accepted the nagging hip dysplasia that had been plaguing her body for years \u2014 even getting her fired from her dream job at Cirque du Soleil \u2014 and found fitness instead. On this episode, Bree, now one of New York City's top trainers and a Wilhelmina model, opens up about the mental side of injury, the state of the fitness industry, and what it's like navigating the New York City boutique fitness scene. She talks about her Instagram pet peeves, luck, determination, a cross-country move, and why she was "a terrible Rockette." Plus, she shares why she got turned down for a SoulCycle audition, what terrified her as a Flywheel instructor, and why she's currently training for a half marathon.

Thank you to AfterShokz for sponsoring this episode of the Ali on the Run Show! CLICK HERE for $50 off your wireless headphone endurance bundle!

\xa0

What you\u2019ll get on this episode:

  • Bree\u2019s road to becoming a professional dancer (2:45)
  • Why Bree got fired from her dream job at Cirque du Soleil, and the injury that ended her dance career (14:15)
  • How Bree finally hit her dance career-ending breaking point (26:50)
  • How Bree broke into the fitness industry (28:00)
  • Bree\u2019s take on the current state of the fitness industry, on Instagram and in real life (38:15)
  • Why Bree felt like a fraud in the fitness world, and the a-ha moment that made her realize she\u2019d made it (42:00)
  • How Bree got into modeling \u2014 and met her now-fiance along the way (47:30)
  • How and why Bree learned to \u201cchill out\u201d about fitness (51:30)
  • Why Bree is training for a half marathon (59:30)

What we mention on this episode:

University of North Carolina School of the Arts

Broadway Dance Center

Walnut Street Theatre

Akin Akman

Kira Stokes

Patrick Frost

"Influence vs. Expertise: The Dangerous Rise of the Fitness Influencer" via The\xa0Sweat\xa0Life

CJ Koegel

"An Injury Left Me in a Dark Place \u2014 Until Working Out Got Me Out of It" via Women\u2019s Health

SHAPE Women\u2019s Half Marathon

FitOn app (use code BREE50 for 50% off)

Follow\xa0Bree:

Follow Ali:

Listen & Subscribe:

SUPPORT the Ali on the Run Show!\xa0If you\u2019re enjoying the show, please\xa0subscribe and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. Spread the run love. And if you liked this episode, share it with your friends!