Meet Laura Ghiacy

We had the good fortune of connecting with Laura Ghiacy and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Laura, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Prior to Covid I was working in multiple gyms all over the West side, when they closed due to Covid I had lots of clients looking for training but no where to go. Luckily we had converted our garage to a gym in Feb 2020 so I was able to start my online personal training business and then migrate to in-person training when it was safe to do so,

What should our readers know about your business?
At the heart of my business is a simple but powerful belief: there are 99 reasons to move your body, and weight loss doesn’t have to be one of them.

I’m a personal trainer who celebrates all bodies, all abilities, and all reasons for wanting to feel more connected to movement. Whether it’s for strength, stress relief, joy, energy, community, or simply the pleasure of discovering what your body can do… you’re welcome here, just as you are.

What sets me apart is that my work is rooted in body respect, autonomy, and inclusivity. I reject the toxic messaging of diet culture and instead offer a compassionate, weight-neutral space where people can explore movement without shame, pressure, or before-and-after comparisons. I don’t promise quick fixes or transformations. I offer something better: sustainable support, radical acceptance, and a reminder that your worth is never tied to your weight.

Getting to this point wasn’t easy. In fact, much of my journey was about unlearning everything the fitness industry taught me. I had to carve out a different path – one where people could feel seen, safe, and supported in their bodies without being told they need to shrink. That meant doing deep inner work, setting boundaries with harmful narratives, and constantly advocating for more inclusive, accessible wellness spaces. It also meant building trust in a system where so many have been hurt by fatphobia, ableism, and body shaming.

The biggest lessons I’ve learned? Healing isn’t linear. Fitness doesn’t look one way. And movement is a birthright, not a punishment.

What I want the world to know is this: you don’t have to change your body to take up space in the fitness world. You already belong.

This business is my love letter to every person who’s ever felt like fitness wasn’t “for them.” It is. And I’m here to help you reclaim it, on your terms.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Day 1:
We’d kick things off with coffee and a bite from Hi-Fi Espresso in Hermosa but for me it’s not about the steps but about letting the ocean reset your nervous system.

Day 2:
One of my favourite places in LA is Wi Spa – we’d head there for the day and truly relax then just before dinner head to Silver Lake to take the swan pedalows out followed by dinner at Bacari in Silver Lake… I just did this exact day for my birthday!

Day 3:
For some sightseeing we’d head to DTLA for a walking food tour – again not about getting steps in! – but we did this when we first moved to LA and it was a great way to understand all the cultures that make up this amazing city and see an area of the city we weren’t familiar with.

Day 4:
You can’t come to LA and not do a hike – our favourite is the Hollywood sign hike followed by another LA staple, Urth cafe!

Day 5:
Something I’ve fallen in love with since being here in paddleboarding – we’d head out early in the morning when it’s quiet and watch the sea lions in Marina Del Rey.

Day 6:
On Saturdays we’d to head to the free workout that my friend Claudine hosts at the SoFi stadium – I have never felt so much love from a community than in that workout. Everyone is welcome regardless of ability or age and it really is a celebration of what your body can do. We’d then walk over to the Inglewood Farmer’s market to grab some amazing dips, fresh produce and snack on that in the garden that day followed by ordering tacos from Loqui’s… so so good!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
What I want the world to know is this: my work is about movement, but it’s also about liberation.

I create inclusive, weight-neutral fitness spaces where people can reconnect with their bodies without shame, pressure, or the expectation of weight loss. My approach is grounded in body autonomy, joyful movement, and the belief that fitness should be accessible and welcoming to everyone.

Reading Dr. Sabrina Strings’ Fearing the Black Body was a turning point for me. It exposed the racist roots of fatphobia and made clear how deeply anti-Blackness and white supremacy have shaped our cultural ideas of health and beauty. That knowledge changed everything about how I show up in this work and why I do it.

This business wasn’t built on before-and-after photos. It was built on a desire to challenge harmful norms and offer something radically different: a space where all bodies are respected, and movement is an act of self-care, not self-correction.

The biggest lesson I’ve learned? Fitness doesn’t have to be about changing your body. It can be about coming home to it.

Website: https://www.LauraGhiacy.com

Instagram: @Laura_Ghiacy

Other: TikTok: @LauraGhiacy