Sharon Khabbaz

I started off young involved in competitive cheerleading and dance. When I moved out of Miami to Palm Beach, FL, I got into different sports like basketball and flag football, which I played for 5 years. During a basketball, I dislocated my shoulder and left sports completely! I felt down and not like myself so I got into weightlifting to get my strength back up. Once I finished high school, I knew that olympic weightlifting was something that I wanted to truly pursue, so I joined Victory Mode Weightlifting as an athlete. Training and competing increased my passion and desire for knowledge, so I went on to the University of Miami to further my education through my minors, where I am now. The intricate mechanisms and physiology of the human body, along with how it adapts to pressure in training continue to amaze me as I further my studies. As well as receiving a formal education, I went on to get certified as a Personal Trainer and am now in the works of obtaining my USAW certifications!

I think I am my own worst enemy. I’ve caught myself multiple times comparing my progress or my strength to that of others, when our journeys are individual and something that cannot be replicated. Having to overcome setbacks, whether that’s injury or illness, has brought me to times where I think that I am not qualified as an athlete to continue to do what I’m doing in the face of so many other people who I’ve deemed “better than me”. Being able to recognize this fault in my mentality has been my turning point. Comparison is the thief of joy, and it will take your confidence too if you let it. I’ve learned to continue to push and train and show up for yourself, because little by little, that progress starts adding up!

Coaching for me has proven itself to be an extension of what I consider my happy place, in conjunction with training. I love seeing the look on someone’s face when a certain technique finally “clicks” in their head, or when they’re able to move weight that once seemed impossible to them. Guiding people through their journey with proper knowledge and education, and showing them that they are stronger than what they think is what gives me my spark. It excites me to be able to apply what I learn through my own experience and education into coaching, and even into my own training. I find myself to be motivated by a desire that drives me to improve and grow in what I love, and my goal is to be able share that passion with others through coaching.