Danielle is a celebrity trainer, internationally published fitness model, speaker, mental health advocate, and the founder of Train Like A Gymnast.


dporch.jpg

Raised in the beachside community of Manhattan Beach, Calif. by a single mother, Danielle's primary focus as a child was being a kid. Though she now thrives in front of the camera, she once shied away from audition opportunities, resisting the encouragement of both her mother and classmates. Playdates, playing with Barbies, Hot Wheels, GameBoys, Nintendo64, and her mom’s camcorder were her go-to sources for entertainment. Being naturally athletic, she took to gymnastics at four years old and quickly progressed through the class program and began competing on the Junior Olympic team. She trained and competed averaging 20 hours a week until she was 15 years old when she retired as a Junior Olympic gymnast. It was after her retirement that she began exploring her interests in acting, dance, and photography.

After a few years, she realized how much she missed the sport. She reconnected with the world of gymnastics by becoming a judge and coaching for the gym at which she used to train.

Photo by Elie Hutchinson

Photo by Elie Hutchinson

She went on to earn her B.A. in Public Relations with a minor in Consumer Behavior from the University of Southern California. She dedicated units per semester to PE classes to stay active with a busy schedule. Two things most athletes lose when they retire from their sport are structure and accountability. PE classes at USC ranged from yoga, to stress management, to self-defense and MMA, to physical conditioning and weight training. During her junior year, she discovered the world of pole dance and aerial arts. This allowed her to develop more upper body strength, which she lacked as a competitive gymnast. She competed in pole fitness for the first time in 2015, placed at both regional and national competitions, and earned the opportunity to become a professional division athlete in the sport.

After graduation and working two years at an online marketing agency, she decided to dive head first into the fitness industry because she would “rather fall flat on [her] face than go another 20-40 years and wonder, ‘what if?’” In the summer of 2016, Danielle left the security of her stable desk job to pursue personal training and fitness modeling full time.

Photo by Jesse DeYoung

In the modeling world, after booking her first major national campaign in December 2016 for Lorna Jane, Danielle signed with one of the most elite modeling agencies in the world, Wilhelmina Models, and was with them for five years before branching out to new markets with different representation. She has worked with notable brands such as Nike, UnderArmour, Hoka, Fabletics, Popsugar, Reebok, Microsoft, Meta, Equinox, NBCUniversal, and more.

As a NASM certified personal trainer, Danielle has cultivated a diverse client roster, working with celebrities, executives, former athletes, seniors, children, and young professionals. Her certifications in kettlebells, strength & flexibility, corrective exercise, and women's fitness demonstrate her commitment to providing holistic fitness solutions.

In conjunction to her work as a personal trainer, Danielle founded Train Like A Gymnast, a minority-owned small business that offers an online and in-person health & wellness community, a fitness app, nutritional education, destination retreats, workshops, challenges, and private coaching. Her business has helped hundreds of women since 2016, embodying her goal of building others’ confidence and enjoyment in fitness by showing them how capable they are.

Photo by Lindsay Rosenberg

Danielle's passion for fitness is complemented by her work as an internationally published fitness model and on-camera host.

Looking to the future, Danielle aims to continue growing Train Like A Gymnast and expand its impact to help even more individuals achieve their fitness goals. She also aspires to motivate others through her speaking engagements by sharing her mental health journey and personal development expertise to inspire and uplift audiences worldwide.


Personal Trainer Certifications

  • Functional Bodyweight Specialist

  • Women’s Fitness Specialist

  • Youth Exercise Specialist

  • Corrective Exercise Specialist

  • Adult & Child CPR & AED Certified

  • NASM Certified Personal Trainer

  • Precision Nutrition L1 Certified

  • Former T3+ Equinox Trainer

  • Kettlebell L1 & 2 Certified

  • Pre & Post-Natal Certified