Hello friendly faces! It’s a new Chicago North Shore Moms spotlight brought to you in part by Mary Gifford of Gifford Law.
We have a very special Meet a Mom / Meet a Grandma for you, a local celebrity in her own right, the fabulous and hilarious story teller and infinitely strong Riverwoods grandmother of four, Paula Kooperman! Paula first came into my life during the pandemic when I was looking for online fitness classes. I came across “Towels and Tush” and “PB & J” (pilates, barre, journey) and was forever hooked! PSK4LIFE classes have remained relevant four years later and you can count on a dose of local humor mixed with a really, really great workout in the comfort of your own home. But don’t just take my word for it, try it for yourself! Paula is offering a free one-month trial for all of our readers – you got nothing to lose sisters! Welcome, Paula!
Please introduce yourself. Where are you from originally? What city do you live in now? What brought you here?
I grew up in Skokie and loved raising our two children in Deerfield/Riverwoods! My husband and I met when I was 17 and he was 20 and have always loved living on the North Shore!
We are blessed to have two grown fabulous sons, two amazing daughter-in-laws (also both from Chicago) and four of the cutest and brightest grandchildren! Ages 11 (almost 12), 10, 7 and 4( almost 5). The girls are the bookends and the boys are in the middle!
What are one or two fun facts to know about you?
Movement has always been my medicine. I had always hoped to ski at a high level (college level or maybe the Olympics!) and finding group fitness 50 years ago, this has always been my happy place!
What are your favorite North Shore places, spaces and eats to frequent?
I’m a self-proclaimed, obsessed pickleball player! I love all the outdoor parks to play: Danny Cuniff, Shepherd Middle School, or any of the other great ones! And I love playing indoor at my home courts, Sky Fitness!
My favorite dining establishments Wildfire, Pomeroy, Duffers for pizza, Buttermilk for brunch and all the Once Upons!
What are you reading and watching?
PSK4LIFE started a book club and we read about 6-8 books a year. Through Zoom and in-person we have great, fun discussions! Right now we’re reading Goddess of Warsaw, written by Lisa Barr from Deerfield!!
For TV shows, I just finished watching Disclaimer, Man on the Inside, Shrinking and Bad Sisters!
Your mantra?
Live life to the fullest every damn day! Family first, travel every chance you can and only surround yourself with people who bring you joy!
Let’s get down to business. Please introduce PSK4LIFE. What is it, why should we become a peep?
As a 40+ year group fitness instructor, the energy and smiles from a class has always been my high! Covid changed how we can be a part of a class!
So… March 20, 2020 I decided to try teaching a Facebook live group fitness class. I had a handful of people on with me and within a week, over 100 Peeps joined in the fun!!
By August of that year, PSK4LIFE was born!! It’s a virtual health club that offered fitness that fits into your life! Take a class live or pick one of thousands of classes from our library! We have other amazing instructors so whether you want strength, cardio, barre, yoga or Pilates…we have it all!
But the best part is the community we created virtually! Cooking classes, book clubs, guest speakers and so much more!
Paula, what is your fitness background?
I knew that I always wanted to “move” for a living. I thought about being a PE teacher or coach. Finding group fitness and combining that with my management background gave me my “why”. While I taught Jazzercise, I became a district manager, then when I ventured into other forms of group fitness I became a Group Fitness Coordinator and eventually a Fitness Director at a large health club on the North Shore! Still going strong teaching 7-10 classes a week!
How do you find the energy to teach all of these classes?
I love what I do!! The day I don’t… I won’t! I have gotten smarter and take time off and give my body a chance to recover. Also, because we have a library with hundreds of my classes, I’m still there for our Peeps anytime they need me!
You travel often. First off, where do you love to go? Do you teach your virtual classes when you travel?
I love to travel anywhere!!!!! My favorite trip was Africa. Our last trip was a biking trip in the Dolomites! We have been blessed to travel the world and as long as I can see new things, meet new people, hike and/or bike… I’m happy!
I’m blessed to have a home also in Steamboat Springs, and I do teach somewhat from there, when I’m not skiing or hiking!!
What are people saying about PSK4LIFE and how unique the virtual club is?
Many say they couldn’t live without it!! They feel stronger and more balanced with their fitness level then ever before! We offer such a variety of formats, with varying lengths of classes and they can be done when they fit into anyone’s busy lives!!!
Are there any in-person class options?
At my GS (garage studio) we love to have people join us! Most would rather stay home and stay fit but our doors are always open!
Are you offering any discounts at the moment?
Always happy to give anyone a free month to get them started! Annual rate is normally $350 but, happy to offer $300!
Is there anything else you’d like us to know about PSK4LIFE?
We would love to share our enthusiasm for smiling and sweating with anyone who would like to try us out! Once you do, we know you would feel better and stronger than ever before!
Where can we connect with you?
Check out the full line up of classes on our website. Contact me at [email protected] to set up your free one month trial.
About our Meet of Mom Sponsor
A very heartfelt thank you to CNSMoms’ Meet a Mom sponsor, Lake Forest mom of three and owner of Gifford Law, a solo Estate Planning Firm (wills and trusts). Mary, we appreciate your support of local moms in our North Shore communities! Learn more about Mary by visiting her Meet a Mom spotlight here! Contact Mary directly here: [email protected].
