As she entered high school, Kiersten Johnston, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’15, knew she had to find her niche, but like most freshmen, struggled to find her identity. Johnson would realize through team sports what she wanted most of all was to be fit.

Johnston’s love for fitness, actually began before high school when her mother bought her a gym membership to a local gym in her hometown of Wayne, NJ. When she started attending on a regular basis, Johnston realized the importance of challenging herself. “There’s so much more to being fit than just running around,” Johnston said.

Johnston’s new mantra, “challenge yourself,” led her to try out for her volleyball team. In order to ensure her success, she trained with the girls soccer team to get used to constant physical activity. This training paid off, as she made the freshman team, and it also kept in her peak shape for the four-month season.

Following the volleyball season, Johnston expressed interest in trying out for the basketball team, even though she had no prior experience. She trained  by running short sprints every day to get used to the strain of running up and down a basketball court. Her initiative paid off and she made the basketball team as the small forward. “I loved the fast pace of the game, but I was still unfamiliar with it so I taught myself,” Johnston said. “It’s one thing when the coach is yelling at you to do better, but when you tell yourself it’s much more gratifying.”

Johnston found success on the basketball team, but after the season Johnston tried a shot at theater. However, after a year in the theater department, she left to return to sports. “I tried acting but I had so much energy and I wanted to move around more, not just on stage.”

While she did theater Johnston remained active, but not as active as she would have been if she was playing sports. Unhappy with this predicament, she began training for the lacrosse team, another sport she had never played. However, Johnston’s prior sports experience allowed her an advantage. This was furthered by her determination to train at every opportunity, regardless of if she was on a team or not. “I trained with the wrestling team and I learned how to push myself further to the point that I could run five miles without stopping,” Johnston said.

Lacrosse was Johnston’s true calling and she played during her final two years in high school before heading to Fordham, where she would have to restart the process of finding her identity again. However, her athletic high school history allowed Johnston to have no problem finding her fitness niche. Johnston doesn’t play on any team sports at Lincoln Center or Rose Hill, but she has taken the time to devise her own workout which she does seven days a week, which includes a 45-minute run with speeds of up to 10 miles per hour, 30 minutes of weight lifting and 15 minutes of abdominal workouts, usually entailing up to 800 crunches. While this may seem a little extreme for most students, Johnston considers this a great workout.

On top of keeping herself in peak physical condition, Johnston has also been assisting another Fordham student in her own physical fitness quest by acting as her personal trainer. Instead of just telling her the exercises, Johnston does them with her and keeps her motivated as they continue. Johnston has even helped with nutrition and dieting, “I don’t believe in a restrictive diet; instead I just tell her to find healthy alternatives to her usual cravings,” Johnston said.

There was a time in Kiersten Johnston’s life when she didn’t have a place where she belonged, but it is clear she has filled that void with her dedication to athletics and personal fitness. Through her experience in high school sports, Johnston has retained her very active lifestyle, she’s helped others begin their own and she couldn’t be happier. “Fitness is just who I am; It’s a part of my life.”