COSHOCTON − A Coshocton native pushed by her own health issues and weight problems to become a wellness coach is also an award-winning bodybuilder and powerlifter.
Shea Nolan Fayard is a 2007 graduate of Coshocton High School who lives in Biloxi, Mississippi. Fayard and her husband, Sean, operate Empire Built, a health and strength coaching business. They have about 62 clients around the world as they have an online platform for virtual coaching and do weekly check-ins.
Fayard also won first place in 2022 in the women’s novice physique category for the NPC Battle of the Gulf Coast. Recently, she participated in IPL World Championships for powerlifting in the 148 pound women’s division in Eugene, Oregon. She finished fifth.
Despite all her personal accomplishments, Fayard said what gives her the most satisfaction is when she helps a client reach their fitness goals. She focuses on health, nutrition, weight training and self-love. She has certifications in training, nutrition and sports medicine.
“It’s more fulfilling for me to see clients reach goals they’ve struggled with for years than it is to reach my own. Just knowing that you helped someone show up for themselves and see there is better, it fills your heart with joy,” Fayard said.
She said many think fitness coaches have always been in great shape, but that’s not the case with she and her husband.
Fayard suffers from Graves disease and had her thyroid removed at 19. That took a toll on her weight and mental well-being. She fought through depression, severe social anxiety and persistent panic attacks. After years of seeing various doctors and taking different prescribed medications, Fayard found she could heal herself by focusing on her own physical fitness.
At her heaviest, Fayard was 210 pounds. Now she’s 135 to 145 pounds, depending on what competitions she might be training for.
“Weight is not a number to me now. It’s how I feel in my body … The focus is on being healthy,” she said. “We like to show not every trainer you meet, not every coach you meet has always been in shape. We have gone through the trials and tribulations they’re going through and we’re here to help guide them.”
Fayard moved to the south to be closer to her brother. When she met her husband about six years ago, Fayard said his goal was to be the best personal trainer on the Gulf Coast.
In July, Fayard was named one of the 100 successful women to know on the Gulf Coast by Gulf Coast Woman Magazine. There were more than 400 nominations.
“I was shocked when I got the email I had been nominated. I thought, “I’m not from here. I’m definitely not a southern belle in any way. I don’t have any old family money ties here.’ I was super grateful and honored, but I didn’t think I’d be chosen,” she said on earning the selection.
Fayard and her husband visit family a couple times of year and they’d like to relocate to Ohio and open their own studio gym at some point, probably around Columbus. Fayard said she’d also like to start a charitable organization to work with women and children who have been through tough times, like domestic abuse and surviving suicide.
She feels growing up in Coshocton set a good foundation for where she is now through the strong sense of community she had in sports. She was a cheerleader, played softball, ran track and kept wrestling statistics while in school.
“There was always a sense of community and pushing the kids to be their best and go on to do more. I feel like if I hadn’t come from a community with such a base like that, I don’t know if I would have had the strength to step up in my athleticism as an adult,” Fayard said.
Leonard Hayhurst is a community content coordinator and general news reporter for the Coshocton Tribune with more than 15 years of local journalism experience and multiple awards from the Ohio Associated Press. He can be reached at 740-295-3417 or llhayhur@coshoctontribune.com. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @llhayhurst.
This article originally appeared on Coshocton Tribune: Coshocton native has a passion for bodybuilding and powerlifting
