Influential Woman · Personal Training, Nutrition Coaching, Education

Thuraya Sheikh El Balad

Certified Personal Trainer, Certified Nutrition Coach, Teacher, Coah

Drexel Hill, PA

Certifications · Degrees · Memberships

Degree Bachelor's Degree in English Literature and Linguistics Cert National Academy of Sports Medicine Certified Personal Trainer Cert National Academy of Sports Medicine Certified Nutrition Coach

Her Story

About Thuraya

I wake up early every morning to help my six kids get ready for school, then I go to work as a teacher. Before my kids come back from school, I prepare lunch from scratch every day to make sure I feed myself and my kids healthy meals. Later, I go to the gym or work with my clients online. I've been teaching for 20 years and have helped so many kids go from illiteracy to literacy, working with special cases who began the school year unable to read or perform at their grade level, and by the end they were excelling, with some even performing above their grade level. I've been working out for almost 20 years, and recently became a certified personal trainer and certified nutrition coach through the National Academy of Sports Medicine. As an immigrant from Lebanon and now a U.S. citizen, I'm a pioneer in the personal training and nutrition coaching field within my community. I help women like me learn how to take care of their health and become the best version of themselves. I share training and nutrition advice through my social media accounts, and I've changed all the old traditional recipes into healthier recipes that contribute to better health instead of stopping people from achieving their fitness goals.

Her Interview

Ten minutes with Thuraya

01What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?

The best career advice I ever received was from my dad. He told me that things are not supposed to be perfect all the time, but you have to try all the time. Never stop trying, even if you feel it's not going to be perfect, because the more you try, the closer you'll get to perfection. This advice has stayed with me throughout my career and reminds me to keep pushing forward regardless of whether everything is perfect.

02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?

If I could say one thing to all women, it's that you are enough. Don't listen to any other person who says otherwise. If you want to improve yourself, you improve yourself for yourself, and not for anyone else. Always compete against yourself. Don't ever care about comparing yourself to others. This is the most important message I want women entering the coaching world to understand.

03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?

The opportunity I see is that since I'm an immigrant, and in my community, I am a pioneer in the field of personal training and nutrition coaching. Many women in my immigrant community haven't seen someone like them who is in this field. So this is an opportunity for me to teach people that are like me about how to take care of their health, how to take care of their bodies, and how to become the best version of themselves. The challenges I face are that there are too many people in this industry, and we are competing against each other. The most important thing is to be original and to come up with new ideas so that I can stand out.

04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?

In my work, the most important value is to look at each person, whether it's a client or a student, as a unique individual that comes with their own ideas, opinions, and things of the like. I should not generalize, or deal with each person like any other person. I always try to understand where they come from, what they believe in, and then build on that. On a personal level, family comes first, my kids come first. I try to plant this value too in my kids and in all people around me.

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