Shoutout Socal /// Meet Nicole Zapoli | Athlete, Coach, & Business Owner

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[Social impact: how does your business help the community or the world?]

Published article by Shoutout SoCal: December 6, 2022

We had the good fortune of connecting with Nicole Zapoli and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Nicole, can you talk to us a bit about the social impact of your business?
My mobile gym and digital online fitness business helps the community and the world by offering more convenient solutions for busy, ambitious, health conscious individuals who have full lives and schedules, but still highly value their health and fitness as well as overall quality of life and longevity.

My business is designed to bring health and fitness to my clients in the convenience of their own homes, gym of choice, outdoor location (park/beach), and also while traveling.

My program is designed to build strength, overall work capacity, and increase lean body mass so that my clients have the ability to live their strongest, healthiest, happiest lives possible.

My mission is to support, guide, educate, inspire, both physically and mentally.

My goal is to create as strong, healthy, happy, consistent, and committed clients as possible. In addition to this initial task at hand I desire to create culture within the community that centers around lifelong wellness and a high quality of life. I continue to passionately work on providing a sustainable system that can be implemented by anyone regardless of current fitness levels for the duration of their life.

My top priority is creating a training protocol that revolves around safety via optimal body mechanics, technique, and building a solid movement foundation. I want my clients progressing across all domains as they continue building their base strength and overall conditioning.

My program design is derived from over 30+ years of experience in coaching and training including artistic and rhythmic gymnastics, CrossFit Gymnastics, OPEX Fitness, Conjugate Tactical, Westside Barbell (powerlifting), Waxman’s Gym (Olympic weightlifting), and US Olympic strength and conditioning training and coaching methodologies.

I offer several gymnastics, strength and conditioning, home, adaptive, tactical programs, and more, all available on my websites well as monthly custom program design with remote coaching, private training, and affiliate programming.

What should our readers know about your business?
I began my lifelong fitness journey with dance at the age of two, gymnastics at four, and was competing in artistic gymnastics by the age of six. I later switched to rhythmic gymnastics. By the age of fourteen I had received the opportunity to train at the United States Olympic Training Center and was a 4-time Texas State Champion in rhythmic gymnastics, 4-time Junior Olympian, and a member of the US Junior Olympic Academic Team.

Following rhythmic gymnastics I cheered competitively for three years becoming a three time All American cheerleader. I went on to dance and cheer professionally for the NFL Houston Texans and the NBA Houston Rockets along with various other professional dance companies specializing in modern/contemporary and hip hop/street jazz.

I have also studied, trained, and competed in various sports such as Fitness America, CrossFit, USAW (weightlifting), and USPA (powerlifting). I won Fitness America Texas in 2006 and Fitness America California in 2011 along with receiving the opportunity to be a contestant on American Ninja Warrior in 2013. I am the 2015 USPA California State Champion (48kg) and bench press record holder. Most recently, I placed in the top 10% fittest ladies in North America in the 2021 CrossFit Games Open and the top 10% fittest ladies in the world in my age group advancing me into the Quarterfinals and the worldwide age group online qualifiers.

I have 20+ years coaching experience and hold multiple coach, trainer, and specialty certifications under NASM, CrossFit, OPEX, The Cooper Institute, Movement RX Physical Therapy, and more.

From as early as eight years old I knew I wanted to own my own gym, be a coach, entrepreneur, and most importantly, I knew I wanted to help people when I grew up.

My passion and purpose in life is to help empower others onto living their strongest, healthiest, happiest lives possible.

I am the proud mom to an awesome young lady and enjoy training, adventuring, traveling, painting, playing in the ocean, gymnastics, dancing, yoga, and anything outdoors that is challenging mentally and physically.

I started my first business when I was 19 years old, a mobile gym business, offering in-home personal training as well as cheer, dance, and gymnastics coaching programs at private schools, day cares, and after school community programs.

A few years later I was introduced to CrossFit and soon decided to become a CrossFit Trainer as well as a CrossFit Gymnastics Trainer. Soon after I was invited to intern and eventually join the CrossFit Gymnastics Seminar Team. For the past 12 years I have had the opportunity to travel the world and teach gymnastics in the functional fitness and CrossFit world both as part of CFG as well as within my own business and brand, NZ Fitness.

I have had the opportunity to be part of so many fitness community events worldwide representing several fitness companies as an athlete, ambassador, business owner, seminar coach, etc.

I eventually opened my own CrossFit affiliate when I was 29 years old and was brought on as a co-owner of another already established CrossFit affiliate when I was 34 years old.

In 2016 I also started another fitness business venture, NZ Fitness, LLC, offering remote coaching + custom programming, personal training, gymnastics workshops, mobile fitness app, etc. – in home, outdoor, virtual, and at multiple locations (at a resort gym, CrossFit, and a boutique gym).

My lifelong fitness journey has allowed and continues to allow me endless opportunities to create, grow, learn, build, and evolve as a person, mom, athlete, business owner, and entrepreneur while also providing for myself and my daughter. I am forever grateful for the many people, experiences, adventures, and beyond that have shaped me into who I am today.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
My favorite spots in my area:

Super chill beach days, workouts, and surfing in Cardiff by the Sea, Del Mar, Solana Beach, Leucadia
Dinner at sunset in Del Mar at Monarch Ocean Pub, Ki’s in Cardiff, Pacific Coast Grill in Cardiff, Waverly in Cardiff
Lunches at Fish 101 in Cardiff and Leucadia, Con Pane at Liberty Station
Breakfasts at Pipes in Cardiff, Ki’s in Cardiff, Fig Tree Cafe in Pacific Beach
Spa and health day and/or staycation at Rancho Valencia Resort and Spa in Rancho Santa Fe
Kayaking, jet skiing, paddle boarding in the Carlsbad Lagoon, Mission Bay, San Diego Bay
Beach walks and/or hiking in Torrey Pines, Cabrillo, Mt. Woodson
Sunset beach yoga on Sunset Cliffs in Point Loma
Bike rides through Coronado
SeaWorld, The Zoo, Birch Aquarium, Balboa Park

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
SO many people, athletes, coaches, and business owners/entrepreneurs, throughout the entire gymnastics, cheer, dance, CrossFit, weightlifting, powerlifting, tactical, strength and conditioning, and financial business worlds have supported, inspired, and encouraged me to continue to follow my dreams and goals, to continue to dream new dreams and set new goals, and to continue to push on, rise above, and overcome adversity while remaining steadfast and consistent through grit, resiliency, joyfulness, and gratitude.

Website: www.nicolezapoli.com

Instagram: @nicolezapoli + @_nz_fitness

Facebook: www.facebook.com/nicolezapoli/

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/nicole-zapoli-fitness-cardiff-2

Youtube: www.youtube.com/c/nicolezapoli

Image Credits
Michael Frazier Jeremy Aguirre Simply Perfection Photography Hank Ford Kurtis Frasier Ray Fernandez Barbell Shrugged