Victress Coaching Mission Statement
Our mission is to inspire our athletes to be their fittest and strongest selves. We set our athletes up for success by meeting you where you are and empowering you to believe that you are capable of reaching higher and taking ownership of your goals. With specific training, motivational support, and expert guidance we aim to help you experience the joy that comes from every achievement.
Victress Coaching Philosophy
We believe that everyone-no matter their age and fitness level-has the potential to discover and unleash their inner athlete. Exploring where you’ve been, where you are, and where you want to go on your fitness and running journey will determine your individualized plan created by Coach Rhonda. Whether you are new to fitness, an ex-collegiate athlete, or someone who is in a fitness rut, when you embrace the process you make progress. The joy that comes from every achievement is the motivation to push through the challenges. Victress Coaching athletes are individuals who set fitness related goals approach training with a positive attitude and work within their means to achieve those goals. Balancing school, work, family, and training is a challenge that Coach Rhonda understands and accommodates.
Victress Progress Highlights and Testimonials
I hired Coach Rhonda to help me obtain the toughest running goal of my life, running my first marathon at age 55. I have now been training with Coach Rhonda for almost two years and continue to reach goals I never thought were obtainable. She writes a plan that suits your individual running goals with the mindset of pushing your body further than you ever thought possible. Her words of encouragement coupled with her customized running plan have given me the confidence to PR in every distance since beginning my training with Coach Rhonda. My first goal before the Wrightsville Beach Marathon was to PR and run a sub 2-hour Battleship Half Marathon. I obtained the sub 2-hour time and PR’d by 5 minutes after not having run a half marathon in over 4 years. During my training I have also PR’d the Tri Span 10K which is one of the toughest races in Wilmington as well as a 15K PR and 5K PR. Running my first full marathon was by far the highlight of my running experience. Coach Rhonda was there every step of the way with words of wisdom, encouragement, and friendship. She has come to every race and is there to cheer me on. She puts her heart and soul into coaching. She cares so much about her clients. I just can’t say enough about my amazing coach. I knew when I hired her it was going to be the right decision. I am now training for my second full marathon The Anthem Richmond Marathon, with the ultimate goal being to run the Boston Marathon some day in the future! ~Lauren
Working with Coach Rhonda has helped me get back into competitive running shape and develop strength and fitness after having three kids and taking several years away from running. She is very knowledgeable with her training and coaching plans, building up the novice athlete to fine tuning training for the more competitive runner. Before we started working together, I had difficulty finishing a mile without walking. With her coaching guidance, I met the qualifying time to run the NYC marathon for 2019! Together we work on developing my training goals, race strategies, and developing an overall well rounded strength and fitness program. Rhonda’s coaching style is very supportive and motivating, building strength and confidence for women athletes. ~Melinda
Not only is Rhonda an accomplished runner, but I’ve seen significant growth in the athletes that she coaches. About 6 months ago, I reached out to her to help me get faster for my next marathon. The plan that she set up for me was thoughtful, yet challenging. Some days I could sneak in easy miles with my dogs, while others were quicker paced than I thought I could handle. Rhonda knows best and knows what I’m capable of - even when I don’t. She was thoroughly involved in my progress, commenting on Garmin Connect and was always available for pep talks, strategic ideas and a laugh. This was my 8th marathon and I’ve never gone into a race feeling as confident as this one. I ended up with a 6-minute PR and pretty much smiled throughout the entire 26.2 miles. We’re all capable of more, sometimes it just takes a carefully laid-out plan that is customized for your goal. I’m already thinking about what Rhonda can help me accomplish next! ~Amanda
I began working with Rhonda 2.5 years ago, at a time when despite working out at a gym with some regularity and eating what I thought was a balanced diet, my fitness was elusively slipping farther away. A mutual friend introduced me to Rhonda and I joined her 5:30 am group fitness class. I was immediately struck by her ability to reach women of all abilities. She was able to meet me where I was in a state of deconditioning and challenge me to see myself in a different light, as an athlete. I was inspired to run some local races and Rhonda’s thoughtfully designed custom run plans kept me on track. Her insights and direction have always been on target with current goals, capabilities and commitment. She understands the conflicts of a working mother and is able to design a program that complements my busy schedule. Through our one-on-one in-home personal training sessions, I have not only grown physically stronger but have also developed a personal relationship that has been essential to reaching my goals. I feel supported and championed in all my efforts. Having Rhonda as my accountability partner has kept me focused and improved my self-awareness and discipline. Her honesty and expertise have been key in targeting potential pitfalls and developing a solid foundation for injury prevention. In 2.5 years of working with Rhonda, I have gone from being 20+ lbs. overweight and feeling hopeless about my physical limitations to seeing myself as a strong, mentally tough athlete. With her help, I have qualified and run the Boston Marathon as well as won age group awards in various races. Although the sweat is mine, I solely credit Rhonda with the inspiration and the strategy to take me to the next level of fitness. ~Heather
As a coach, Rhonda is attentive, flexible, and encouraging, yet also demanding and capable of getting more out of me than I thought I had to give. She understands that life gets in the way – kids, colds, travel, work – and she designs workout plans seamlessly around each athlete’s individual schedule and preferences. Before joining the Victress team, I was convinced my running days were over, or at least on the wane. In addition to a busy life schedule, I had some nagging injuries that kept me from ramping up my training, and I was dissatisfied with the little bit of running I was able to do. Rhonda coaxed me back toward running with purpose and goals, helping me to make little changes to my strength and nutrition habits that have me feeling healthy and confident once again! ~Sarah
Over the past four years I’ve run track and cross country under Coach Rhonda. I have also had the pleasure of participating in her off season strength programs. She is an amazing coach and an excellent role model who dedicates so much of her time to helping others. Through my strength training, I’ve improved my physical fitness so much thanks to Coach Rhonda pushing me to set goals and work hard. She takes the time to get to know all of her athletes and she listens to each and every runner’s concerns. There have been many occasions where I’ve come to practice feeling tired and down on myself, but Coach Rhonda never fails to lift my spirits with her great energy and passion for fitness. I would recommend training with Coach Rhonda if your goal is to improve your fitness and reach the height of your abilities. ~Skylar