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Q and A with Nina, New York City, New York

“Getting up and facing the challenges will sometimes seem insurmountable, and you’d rather stay in bed. Get up. Keep asking questions and pushing limits and know that even if you fall, you’re going to learn something, something really valuable, and that bit of feedback will propel you further forward.”

Q: What are you passionate about? 

A: What am I passionate about? I’ve given this a lot of thought, especially during this pandemic when much of my industry as a Pilates trainer and swim instructor is on hiatus. My “WHY” is to inspire everyone to push out of their comfort zone so that we can experience life with more gusto and do the things we never thought possible. Whether as a Pilates instructor or swim instructor or someone who trains the senior population, it is always inspiring and literally moves me to tears when I watch them accomplish things they never thought possible—from an eight-year-old swimmer who can swim 100 meters and never thought she could do it to a client in a Pilates studio doing a walk over to one of my wonderful seniors picking up a heavier weight because what she’s been using she has decided is too light for her.

Q: What were your younger years like?

A: I am a native New Yorker, born here in Manhattan. I grew up on Long Island, went to New York University, and got a job in Corporate America. I’m very good at moving paper from one part of my desk to another, but that was never terribly fulfilling. I started to teach group fitness part time and realized I loved it and didn’t want to work in an office anymore. That sounds really simplistic; the transition took a lot longer and, at times, was really painful. But every day, I embrace this choice and I know it was worth it. I think my dad influenced me the most in that he knew and always encouraged me to be someone who never gave up—to pick myself back up even when I felt frustrated or defeated and try things again. He fostered a resilience that I have needed more than ever, especially in the last few months.

Q: What is something valuable you’d like others to know?

A: Something valuable I’ve learned that is something other people might want to take away from my personal story is not to give up. Things are going to be stinking hard some days. Getting up and facing the challenges will sometimes seem insurmountable, and you’d rather stay in bed. Get up. Keep asking questions and pushing limits and know that even if you fall, you’re going to learn something, something really valuable, and that bit of feedback will propel you further forward.

Q: What does feminism mean to you? 

A: Feminism means standing up for yourself. It’s more than equal pay for equal work, which I believe in. It’s about every little thing in the world that you encounter—as a woman—that tries to knock you down. To stand up for yourself as a woman. For so long, I brushed a lot of things off that really bothered me because I didn’t think speaking up would be meaningful. Now, I’m a little older, and hopefully, a little wiser, and I don’t have a problem when things are unfair in saying something. Feminism is about the courage to buck the system and demand to be treated equally and with dignity and respect—to be spoken to in a civil way at all times and to be able to walk away from every situation with your whole self intact.

Thank you for reading!

Connect with me here: http://www.ninacarras.com/

I’d love to connect with you!

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