Group Fitness Instructors

Carmen teaches indoor cycle, cycle boot camp, strength & TRX. She believes that music is what sets the tone for your workout. It motivates you to ride, move, work through your challenges, and it strengthens the soul! Carmen puts time and effort into every playlist, and her songs will keep you moving, singing, and sweating. She wants you leaving her class feeling that your workout was both a ton of fun, and inspiring too, so you’ll want to come back time and time again. Carmen brings over 22 years of group fitness & cycling experience to her class! She found her love of fitness in College (Ball State… Chirp, Chirp… Go Cards!). She helped develop their Group Fitness program while getting her Bachelor’s degree and has been teaching ever since. If you are looking for a class with great music, high energy, and lots of themes, Carmen’s your gal! When she isn’t in the studio rockin’ it out on the bike, she is staying busy with her three Carmel Clay School kids and her husband.

In addition to being a mom and a 2nd grade teacher for Woodbrook Elementary, Leane Bintrim has been practicing yoga for about 10 years. She attended a class through the CCS wellness program when it first began and immediately fell in love with this discipline.

She decided in 2016 that she wanted to become an instructor and after 6 months of intense classes and training, she received her certification from Indiana Yoga Studio in Lebanon, Indiana. Leane loves to share her practice with others so that all can reap the benefits of a relaxing and rejuvenating yoga practice. Namaste!

As a recently retired teacher, Angela understands how teaching is an all-consuming profession allowing very little time for self-care.  She first began to practice yoga for physical benefits and stress relief as she was teaching and raising two boys. She soon discovered that a mental shift was also taking place. Yoga created a sacred space to focus on herself, to go deeper or modify, without judgement or expectation.  For a short period, she allowed her practice to fizzle.  What brought her back to the practice was a tragic loss.  Through the combination of a dynamic vinyasa style, the breath, and heat, a gateway opened, and she began to find peace and healing. 

 The practice of yoga starts with loving kindness toward yourself, but eventually radiates out to those in your world.   Angela believes that it is a gift to share this practice with others, to see the power of the simple, but profound, practice of mindfulness.  Every practice provides a new opportunity to go deeper, to shine a bit brighter. 

 Angela completed her 200-hour yoga teacher training in 2019 at The Yoga Studio, where she also taught. Additionally, she taught yoga to both students and staff at Fishers Junior High after school until she retired from teaching Spanish in 2021. She currently teaches for Indy Yoga Movement.  She and her husband live in Carmel. Their son resides in the Denver area.

A part of the fitness industry for over 24 years, Monica is a graduate of Butler University, the Wellness Coordinator for Carmel Clay Schools, an ACE-Certified Personal Trainer and ACE-Certified Group Fitness Instructor. She has enjoyed a personal training career working with individuals of every fitness level and age seeking a variety of results including weight loss, post-baby body, injury rehabilitation, paraplegic fitness, increased athletic performance, and maintenance of general physical fitness and overall health. In the group fitness world, Monica carries 7 additional certifications including TRX, Ballet Barre, Tabata, Mat Pilates, Pilates Reformer and more. She has taught classes for the past 13 years for the employees of Carmel Clay Schools.

Monica and her husband, Mike, have two boys, Oscar (CHS class of 2020) and Joseph (CHS class of 2022) and one dog, Lucy. When not training or working out, she enjoys spending time cooking healthy meals, hiking, traveling and spending as much time as possible with her family.

Mary has been happily instructing fitness for over 20 years. She is a certified group fitness instructor and personal trainer. She teaches Strength, Boot Camp, Barre Blend, Tabata, and Zumba. Over the years she has led fitness in many venues, including Relay for Life, Indiana State Fair, and performed in a Pacer’s halftime show with her Zumba colleagues. Zumba continues to be her favorite format because “it brings people back into the gym. No equipment or experience necessary. Just dance and burn calories!”

Mary has four grown children and has been married for many years to her husband, Jim. She is excited to be a part of the CCS Fitness Center team.

Kara Goodwin had felt a pull towards the discipline of meditation for many years. She had attempted to learn it on her own, mainly through books, but felt she was never really “getting anywhere” with her practice. She felt she was missing something key in the understanding that she needed to let her thoughts pass and clear her mind. When living overseas for a stint, she luckily found the master teacher she needed to give her precise techniques to facilitate her meditation and start her on a truly wonderful journey of self-discovery. Kara moved back to the area after four years of living in Italy, during which time she became a certified meditation teacher. She is passionate about making meditation practical for all, using step-by-step instructions and sharing the science behind meditation to give her students an enriching and educational foundation.

Kara has two children, who attend CCS schools. She loves spending her free time with them, her husband, and her dog and cat.

Donna’s instructional journey began several years ago as an AFAA certified group fitness instructor teaching indoor cycling classes, cardio boot camps, and a variety of Pilates and other aerobic fitness classes. Finding a connection with Yoga, she then completed her 200-hour yoga certification and yoga instruction is now her primary focus. Donna is currently an instructor at The Yoga Studio in Indianapolis and she is also affiliated with Indy Yoga Movement. Yoga is her passion, as it can be a supportive foundation for every fitness activity and assists in keeping the body strong and flexible while also helping to keep the mind calm and centered.

When not practicing Yoga, Donna can be found with her family—she is married with 2 kids and enjoys all activities involving the beach, water and sunshine!

Heather has always enjoyed being active in sports and fitness. She played baseball and soccer as a youth, and went on to play soccer for Purdue Women’s Soccer Team/Club in her undergraduate years. After graduating, she participated in triathlons, running and biking events, and Okinawan karate.

After several injuries, Heather had to stop running and needed to find a new passion. She stayed active attending various group fitness classes, but it was the first time she experienced a Turbo Kick Live class, she knew she was hooked. This was the class she had been looking for to keep herself fit. In 2017, Heather earned her certification as a Turbo Kick Live instructor. When not teaching Turbo Kick classes, she frequents other Turbo Kick Live classes in town as a participant, and thrives on the energy that the class brings. Her teaching goals are to make participants feel energized during sessions and leave the class with a renewed sense of accomplishment and satisfaction.

Heather is an alumnus of Purdue University and Indiana University, working in the corporate world for more than 20 years. Although a proud Hoosier, her birthroots are in Alabama. She is a big fan of the University of Alabama football team, and loves attending football-watching parties with her husband, two daughters, parents and siblings.

Steve has been in the fitness industry for the past 23 years. He graduated from Indiana State University with a degree in Exercise Science and is a certified personal trainer. Over his many years in fitness he has taught and is certified in a variety of group fitness classes ranging from strength to TRX to cycle to yoga.

When he is not teaching, training, or working out he enjoys working on house remodeling projects and spending time with his wife Leslie and three kids–Anna, Nathan and Kaleb. Join him in class and feel free to bring your health and fitness questions!

Dawn is a mother to a son, Conner, who is a very active teenager. Dawn and her husband Gene have been married for over 28 years. Dawn has had her own personal training business since 2001 and also her own Arbonne International business since 2014.

Dawn has a passion for health, wellness, and physical fitness and really enjoys helping family, friends, clients, students, and business partners pursue their healthiest and best life. When not teaching or working out, she loves to spend time with family, friends, and teammates. She finds happiness in volunteering at her church and giving back through various other charities in the community. Dawn believes you should love what you do, serve well, and love others. When you do that, everything else falls into place.

Kathy is an ACE certified group fitness instructor that has long specialized in strength, increased movement, balance and stamina—all while having a great time.

Kathy’s gracious and energetic personality shines through as she creates challenging, ever-changing classes for her students, such as her popular Mindful Movement class here at CCS. Teaching fitness has become a true passion of Kathy’s over the years and the dedication of her students proves her worth. Originally from New Albany, IN, she has her degree from IU and currently lives in Carmel with her husband, Dave.

After a lifetime of athletics (gymnastics, cheerleading, tennis, IM sports), Jenny began her fitness career at Korea Tae Kwon Do Academy in 2008. While participating in the Cardio Kickboxing program she was encouraged to train as an instructor and began to teach classes. This led to her certification in Group Exercise through YUSA. She expanded her classes to include Strength & Endurance, Cardio Fit, Boot Camp, Treadmill Training, and Stretch Class, to name just a few!

While lifeguarding through the YMCA, she discovered aquatic fitness and obtained her Water Fitness certification in 2012. This led to teaching Deep Water, Shallow Water, Aqua Cardio, Aqua Boot Camp, and Aqua Kickboxing classes.

Jenny also received her Certification for Personal Training through the American College of Sports Medicine in 2014. She is passionate about fitness and loves coaching clients through their fitness journeys! Jenny also has a BA in Psychology and an MS in Counseling, both of which help her connect to participants and motivate them to meet their goals.

Jenny is married with one daughter and two cats. When not in a gym, she enjoys traveling the world with her daughter!

Courtney grew up in Carmel, Indiana and graduated from Indiana University. After finishing school in Bloomington, she moved out of state for a few years. Upon moving back to Carmel in 2010, she started practicing yoga at a local studio. Her love for the practice grew quickly and became a constant in her everyday life. Yoga provides not only a physical practice, but it allows space for emotional and spiritual growth, as well as stress relief and self-care – helping to continue the development of yoga, gratitude, and compassion.

After 5 years of daily practice, Courtney took the yoga plunge and became a 200-hour certified RYT and has been teaching since 2016. She is currently in continued training working towards her 500-hour RYT certification. Courtney loves to provide an atmosphere for people to come as they are, wherever they are at. Our bodies and minds change every day so she will always provide modifications and a safe space for students to both explore and soften their edge.

Michelle VanderPlaat’s yoga journey started in 2010 when she enrolled in a 30-day yoga challenge. She was emotionally depleted and exhausted, feeling confused and overwhelmed as a stay-at-home mom. She was seeking purpose and meaning in her life and wondered how to ignite strong positive energy again. She had no idea what a huge emotional impact these 30 days would be. Yoga challenged Michelle to be present, breathe deeply and love herself. Michelle’s completed a RYT-200 Yoga teacher training the summer of 2019. She spent 15 days immersed in training at the Heartwood Yoga Retreat Center in Bradenton, Florida. She loved this experience and learned that her passion is in connecting my mind, body and spirit. The profound changes she feels when actively participating in self-care (meditation, yoga, joyful movement, nutrition and relationships) are what she aspires to help others feel!

Off the mat—Michelle is a wife and a mother of 3 kids. She teaches Physical Education at St. Matthew Catholic School. She has lived in Carmel most of her life and is a graduate of CHS and Purdue University.

Jeriann started in the fitness and coaching industry 18 years ago. She was overweight and “had no clue what I was doing,” but decided to try working out anyway. After finding her fitness stride, one day an instructor asked if she would be interested in teaching. At first she was reluctant, but she gave it a go and was completely hooked. She developed a passion for group workouts and strength classes. The creativity of coming up with new workouts, providing a motivational atmosphere and helping others is what drives Jeriann, and she wants people to feel comfortable and have fun in her classes. “When class starts, we are a team: motivating and high fiving each other along the journey.”

Jeriann has been married to Doug for 15 years and they have 2 dogs and a cat. She loves the warm weather, being outside and cooking. When not teaching she is usually trying new classes out. Her other favorite pastime? Animals! For 10 years, she has been a volunteer dog walker at the Hamilton Humane Society where she has made some very close friends. She always feels good about helping animals, plus it’s great exercise and a stress reliever.

Angie has been a member and advocate for the YMCA joining the Jordan Y in 2008. It was there that she attended her first yoga class and was hooked. While working in their preschool and Child Watch area, she found a great need to increase the children’s wellness activities. After earning her Group Fitness Certification in 2010, she began teaching children’s and adult classes. As her love and commitment to yoga grew, she trained for and received her YTT 200-hour certification from Peace Through Yoga in September of 2014.

Angie worked for Carmel Clay Schools in the EduCare Department for several years, where she co-taught Toddlers through Pre-K. Angie used yoga as a teaching tool to assist with transitions and coping skills, helping the children to regulate their breath, bodies and manage their emotions. A mother of two amazing girls, Angie enjoys hiking and spending time outdoors with her family.

Enjoying the crazy journey of life through connection, adventure, and purpose is her passion. She has always had a vast interest in health and movement. Besides being a 200 YTT with an additional 200 hours of advanced conscious alignment training, Alexa is a Kinesiologist with a degree in exercise science.

Traveling, being in the great outdoors, and her Australian Shepherd, Moki, fill up the spare time of this free spirit. Alexa is honored to work and connect with people every day through yoga and movement.

After being sidelined with an injury several years ago Lyndsey found indoor cycling. The energy of the music and group atmosphere made her fall in love with it immediately! She has been teaching cycle and group fitness classes for the last 4 years and in her opinion, cycling is all about the music. It is what inspires everyone to go farther and harder. Lyndsey’s class will energize you and leave you feeling pumped and ready to take on your day!

She is a NASM certified Personal Trainer and also keeps certifications in TRX, Group Fitness, Senior Fitness, Aqua and Kettlebell Training.

In her free time, she loves to cook, walk, dance, read and enjoys spending time with friends and family.`

What brings tremendous joy in Lara’s life is spending time with family and teaching/practicing yoga. Lara attended her first yoga class in 1999 in her senior year at Indiana University. She was looking for an elective to balance out her academic coursework and her mother was the one who suggested yoga. She read the class description and decided it was worth a try. After her first class she was hooked. She loved the physical challenge, the work into flexibility and strength… and then many years later in her teacher training program, she added growth to entail the spirituality side that yoga can bring.

She completed her yoga teacher training locally at The Yoga Studio in 2016 and immediately began teaching at TYS. She has also enjoyed teaching in local preschool, elementary and high schools, as well as other fitness studios.

Lara has been married to Tom for 18 years and they have two kids, Ethan (15) and Macy (12). They enjoy the outdoor life when the weather cooperates and like to take their camper to Indiana state parks and across the country. She hopes to help others find their own connection with the yoga practice in an inviting, accessible way and has tremendous gratitude to share this opportunity with the CCS community!

Jon Cole, known to everyone as JC, has been a Personal Trainer for over 35 years in the area. He is a 1986 Graduate from The University of Toledo. He has a host of certifications that include, Personal Training, Johnny G Spinning, TRX and Group Fitness. An avid golfer himself, he has also helped many improve their overall golf game with targeted physical training techniques.

Jon’s passion is teaching clients how to be strong, flexible and in their best shape physically, mentally and emotionally. He looks forward to helping each individual person attain their goals here at Carmel Clay Schools.