Lillian Drahos | Personal Trainer | Albemarle Family YMCA

Hi. My name is Lillian. I have been active and have enjoyed sports for as long as I can remember…swimming for fun and track and tennis team while in middle school and high school. I took my first “aerobics class” while in college and taught my first class a few years later. I also started weight training around that time. I graduated with a BS in Medical Technology. I received my Group Exercise certification through AFAA in 1985 (yes, that was ages ago), my Spin certification through Mad Dogg Athletics (Johnny G) in 1997, and my Personal Training certification through AFAA in 2012. I have been a Fitness Instructor at the Y for the last 15 years and I also taught for College of the Albemarle and Albemarle Hospital for many years. It was because of spinning classes that I got interested in outdoor cycling which I love (I’m always looking for people to ride with). I also enjoy reading and gardening. One of the reasons I made the decision to try and stay active and strong was watching my parents deal with their back problems which I had hoped to avoid. I was also influenced by a co-worker who, at the time, had just turned 50 when I was in my early 30’s. She was teaching “High Impact Aerobics” and I thought, “I want to be able to still do that when I turn 50”. At the time there weren’t as many active older adults in the gym. I decided that I wanted to be a role model and encourage others to try to do things that they didn’t think they could. My goal is to help others get to and stay functionally strong to be able to do the things they enjoy doing.