10/21/2026
The Story Behind Sirius Transformations — My Why
I started Sirius Transformations in 2023, but the truth is, this journey started long before that.
I have always felt a calling deep within me to help others. I just never knew exactly what that would look like or where life would take me.
When it came time to choose what I wanted to do after high school, I enrolled at a local community college to study health science. I considered nursing, but I hated needles. I thought about EMS, but I get terribly carsick. I even considered psychology and becoming a therapist, but at the time, I questioned how I could help others work through their struggles when I was still working through my own. Eventually, a friend suggested occupational therapy, a field with so many different opportunities to make a difference in people's lives.
After two years at community college, I continued my education at a four-year college and earned my degree in Occupational Health Science. I went on to work as a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA), and I quickly discovered how much I loved working with older adults. I started in home care and nursing home settings, where I saw firsthand how much of a difference compassionate, individualized care could make.
But the healthcare field wasn't what I had imagined.
I witnessed patients whose health concerns were overlooked, limited nutrition education, and far too little movement and exercise. Even when staff members were doing everything they could, understaffing and exhausting schedules made it incredibly difficult to provide the level of care people deserved. It was heartbreaking to realize how much the system itself could stand in the way of helping people truly thrive.
Despite how much I cared about the people I worked with, I began to burn out, right around the time the pandemic hit.
I needed a change, so I returned to home care as an aide, working more closely with individuals and their families. During that time, I also entered hospice care, which became one of the most meaningful and challenging experiences of my life. I became a death doula, supporting people at the end of their lives and helping them navigate their final journey with dignity, peace, and respect for their wishes.
That work changed me in ways I will always carry with me. But over time, the weight of so much loss became heavy, and I realized I needed to bring more light back into my life.
That is what eventually led me to personal training.
In many ways, it felt like coming full circle. I was still using so much of what I had learned through occupational therapy: understanding how the body moves, helping people build strength, improving function, and supporting independence in everyday life. But now, I had the opportunity to do it in a way that allowed me to build meaningful relationships with clients, work more independently, and create something of my own.
I started with a few clients, worked in different gyms, learned along the way, and continued to grow. And through those experiences, I began to see something that I couldn't ignore.
Women needed something different.
I wanted to create a space where women could feel comfortable asking questions, learning new things, making mistakes, and challenging themselves without feeling judged or intimidated. A place where fitness wasn't about chasing a certain number on a scale or trying to look a certain way, but about building strength, confidence, mobility, and longevity.
I wanted women to feel empowered in their own bodies. To understand how to care for themselves, to recognize what their bodies are capable of, and to build the strength they need not just for today, but for the years ahead.
And that is what Sirius Transformations has grown to represent.
Today, I am preparing for the next chapter. I'm growing into my own space, working toward expanding group classes, bringing in other trainers who share the same passion for helping people, and creating more opportunities to support women in our community.
I am incredibly grateful for the support system I have around me and for the people in my life who share this vision and understand the challenges that come with trying to build something meaningful. This journey has not been easy. There have been obstacles, doubts, difficult emotions, unexpected turns, and plenty of moments when I questioned myself.
But I keep coming back to that feeling I had all those years ago: that deep desire to help others.
I believe life is a lot like an ocean. There will always be waves. Some are gentle, and others crash into us when we least expect them. We cannot control every wave that comes our way, but we can learn to stand strong through them. Like rocks shaped by the ocean, we are changed by what we face, but we can become stronger because of it.
I wanted to share a little more of my story because Sirius is about so much more than fitness. It is built from my experiences, the people I've cared for, the things I've witnessed, the lessons I've learned, and the kind of difference I hope to make.
My vision is to create a space rooted in safety, privacy, comfort, education, and growth. A space where women can feel supported through the uncomfortable parts of becoming stronger, both physically and mentally. A place where we can learn from one another, build each other up, and recognize that we are all works in progress.
Sirius Transformations began in 2023, but its purpose has been building within me for much longer.
And this is only the beginning.
Thank you to everyone who has supported me, encouraged me, believed in me, and been part of this journey so far. I am so excited to see what we can build together and to bring something meaningful, empowering, and much-needed to our community.
With gratitude,
Diana
Founder, Sirius Transformations
