Page 81 - Demo

www.MOSTmag.com || FITNESS MAG A ZINE || 81Trainer, Coach & Fitness Modelwww.amberdawnorton.comOST Fitness had the great pleasure of getting to know a host of talented individuals who work within the fitness community. The highly educated, articulate, physically fierce Amber Dawn Fokken is no exception. We talked with the fitness model and personal trainer about all things health and her uncanny ability to inspire. Amber is from Wasilla, Alaska but moved to Oregon when she was seven. She spent 20 years there and now resides in Sioux Falls, South Dakota with her husband, Brandan Fokken.Her brother Aaron Orton, an NPC Body Builder and owner of Genuine Fitness, LLC, saw potential in her and persuaded her to compete after graduating college. Aaron and Amber have always had a good relationship. %u201cWithout his push and his seeing potential and believing in me, I would have never ended up in the position I am now.%u201d He had a huge impact on the direction Amber%u2019s life would take, and she will always be incredibly thankful for his influence and support.Growing up they had a typical brother-sister relationship. %u201cSome days we loved each other, some days we hated each other.%u201d They were very much alike in the fact that they both played a variety of team sports, including soccer and basketball. %u201cI think we were both competitive from a young age and it made me a tougher female.%u201d Aaron joined the Marine Corps rright out of high school, which she believes was a pivotal point for him. When he was finished with his two tours in Iraq, he moved in with Amber. %u201cI think his discipline and passion for health and fitness at that point definitely impacted me and I am grateful for the way he rubbed off on me.%u201d MOST Fitness thanks Aaron for his sacrifice and service in the United States Marine Corps.We spoke to Amber about her competitive nature and where she got her internal fight. Her parents were always very active in their lives. Some of her earliest memories are of her mother working out at the Golds Gym in Alaska. %u201cShe would take us to the daycare center in the gym and an active lifestyle became the %u2018norm%u2019 for us kids.%u201d Growing up with two older brothers made Amber more of a tomboy with an interest in competitive sports from a very young age. %u201cI was always trying to %u2018win%u2019 some type of war with my brothers, whether it was over who could eat the most or who could jump the highest.%u201dAmber can barely remember how she got involved in pageants, but she thinks someone along the way mentioned a Hawaiian Tropic regional pageant that she should enter. %u201cI knew nothing about pageants, but I had some modeling experience and figured I would give it a shot.%u201d Her By Denise Smith>>>