Solaris Club Trainer Tones Body, Mind and Spirit
Clients of Tracie Burton say they joined the popular Solaris Sports Clubs fitness trainer’s classes to get in shape, but found themselves a mentor, life coach, and friend as well.
Retired NYPD officer Marie Shea of Yorktown said she first learned about Burton from people at her old gym, who raved about her classes, as did strangers at the supermarket and even people who worked at her hair salon.
“I just kept on hearing about her,” said Shea. “Then when I finally joined, I saw grown women get excited about her. People love her here. She is more than just a trainer, she’s a therapist.”
Burton works seven days a week at Solaris and teaches a variety of classes, including Body Pump, Kick Boxing, Cardio Challenge and Total Body. Her classes are frequently packed and attendees range in age from 15 to 75.
Shea said when she first started training with Burton, she had retired from the NYPD and recently ended a 30-year relationship.
“She just made me feel fantastic about myself. She made me feel that no matter how old I am, I’m still strong, vibrant and can still contribute,” said Shea, who noted it’s not unusual for Burton to reach out to her clients with a phone call or a friendly text if they are out sick or miss classes for whatever reason.
That sentiment was echoed by 19-year old Alyssa Booch, who was first introduced to Burton’s classes through her mother while she was a junior in high school. She is currently a sophomore at High PointUniversity in North Carolina and still takes classes when she comes home during school breaks,
“Tracie is just an awesome person. She goes above and beyond what her job is and takes a real interest in our lives,” Booch said. “I went through some really hard personal times and she was there to help me succeed. She’s like an older sister to me.”
Burton said she went to college for marketing, but admitted she’s “Never done a day of marketing” in her life. Her passion for fitness began in college after she took a required aerobics class in gym and as part of her final grade, had to teach aerobics to the rest of the class. She then studied under a trainer and became certified to teach aerobics in October 1995. After taking kickboxing in 1999, she decided to become certified in that.
Burton said over the years, her classes took on new importance, “People felt they could just talk to me about anything. They’d talk about their day, tell me about their problems, and before you know it, they are working out, sweating and de-stressed,” said Burton. “I love that I have that effect on people.”
Married 14 years, Burton has two young boys ages 6 and 9. The nearly life-long Yorktown resident said her clients are comfortable sharing everything from marital problems, cancer struggles and even eating disorders.
“We feed off of each other, said Burton, “I could come here in a bad mood, but when I see my class is excited, I get excited to be here.”
Patti Pfister, a Yorktown resident, has worked out at the gym since 2001. “Tracie is my favorite instructor in the whole world,” she said. “There is a core group of us. Her class is like a little family. When she was out on maternity leave we begged her to just come in anyway and shout out instructions.”
Said Burton, “I love that people wake up in the morning or after a long day at work say, I have to get to Tracie’s class. I have the best job in the world.”
Adam has worked in the local news industry for the past two decades in Westchester County and the broader Hudson Valley. Read more from Adam’s author bio here.
