Dawn is a health and fitness professional with more than 30 years of industry experience. For the past 15 years, she’s resided in Aspen, where she’s shared her passion for healthy living and helped numerous clients achieve their fitness goals. Before arriving in Aspen, Dawn was a group fitness manager for Virgin Active in the United Kingdom and director of disease management programs for the WellBridge Company in Boston. She’s a certified Foundation Training instructor and certified personal trainer and has a certificate in plant-based nutrition from Cornell University. Dawn enjoys speaking to groups about health and fitness and has presented at a variety of events, including the 2016 Aspen Sports Summit, the Aspen Business Luncheon and Aspen Women to Women business meetings. She’s also has been a featured guest on radio and television and has been interviewed for local and national print publications.
Dawn loves the Aspen lifestyle and spends as much time as she can hiking, biking and skiing. Her philosophy is “get up and get out there.” A perfect day finds her at the base of Ajax by 7:30 a.m., ready to skin up to the top of the mountain. Once there, she likes chatting with friends by the Sundeck fireplace or stopping for breakfast at Bonnie’s before skiing down. Next, she enjoys hitting the market then heading home to cook something delicious and healthy. Afterward, she does Foundation Training or another restorative practice. (On days when her busy schedule doesn’t permit all that fun, she still makes sure to fit in a powerwalk on the Rio Grande Trail or a lunchtime bike ride!)
In addition to all the outdoor opportunities in Aspen, Dawn loves its small-town feel and being able to walk into any local restaurant and know people there. She’s also a big fan of Aspen’s world-class cultural events, from the Music Festival to Theatre Aspen to the Film Fest. Serving and supporting the Aspen community is important to Dawn. She passionate about animal welfare and serves on the board of Lucky Day Animal Rescue. Dawn and her husband, Randy Gold, a partner in the Aspen Appraisal Group, are the proud “parents” of two rescue dogs, Maile and Tanner.
“It is on the rare occasion where all the compelling characteristics of a quality trainer, (for that matter individual) are found in one person. Dawn is that person. Educated in the most cutting-edge workout disciplines, she is conscious of your injuries (she has sat in on my physical therapy sessions), motivating, attentive and well prepared (the workout is designed prior to the session). Dawn represents the perfect blend of experience, state-of-the-art training knowledge and an upbeat personality, making my workout experience fun and rewarding. I would recommend Dawn to professional athletes and result-oriented amateurs alike.”
“Simply put, Dawn Shepard is one of the best personal trainers in Aspen. Dawn is extremely knowledgeable about not only personal training but nutrition, overall health issues and LIFE. She is constantly educating herself about new methods and techniques to help her clients. Her in-depth skills have helped me to manage physical, mental and perhaps most importantly emotional issues that allow me to get more out of my personal and professional activities. Our relationship over the past 7 years has ultimately helped me to become a better version of myself than I could have ever imagined. Even on my worst day, Dawn makes me feel better. Her beautiful smile is infectious but don’t be fooled! She is tough down to the core and uncompromising about getting the best results for each individual client.”
“I highly recommend Dawn's Foundation Training class for anyone focused on back health, protection and resilience. In a surprisingly short time the results of the technique are noticeable - even feeling "on the spot" relief from low back stress by practices during driving. Dawn made the information easy to learn and use.”
“Dawn provided an excellent introduction to Foundation Training and I would highly recommend her class to anyone who suffers from back pain or wants to improve their posture. Dawn's training was easy to understand and follow and the exercises have made me more aware of my posture and how I move. I now have some tips that I can incorporate into my everyday life to alleviate back pain.”
“I just finished the Foundation Training course with Dawn and can already feel the relief in my lower back. I definitely feel more spacious, more mobile and more flexible. It has been easy to integrate in my daily life.”
“Last year I was diagnosed with ostepenia at a relatively young age and on doctors orders finally started weight training to improve my bone density. Dawn is professional, innovative, patient and fun to train with, and has given me the encouragement and strength, literally, to turn this condition around. I am stronger than ever and the convenience of personal training in the home is a huge bonus to a mother of young children. I cannot recommend her enough.”
“I am a 58-year-old woman who has been involved in intense exercise and fitness programs for 30 years. I take my health and fitness very seriously. I live in numerous locations and work with trainers regularly two times a week in all of those locations.
I feel very fortunate to be working with Dawn Shepard. She is a true professional and incredibly knowledgeable in her field. Her workout sessions are always new and keep me very excited, yet she is always focused on my form and making sure that I get the most out of every single move. I particularly like that she incorporates many body parts into a single move.
My husband also works with Dawn on a weekly basis and he is in a completely different situation. He is also very serious about fitness and exercise; however, he has had two spine surgeries so every move has to be right for him…no mistakes can be made. Dawn is very concerned about his restrictions and he has wonderful sessions with Dawn and has improved his overall fitness level and strength because of her expertise.
I would recommend Dawn for anyone who is interested in building or maintaining a level of strength, balance, and overall good health and fitness. ”