“Through Nichole’s animated, supportive, unassuming style, you will leave your first encounter empowered. You will have confidence in the process and the inspiration to put in the energy and effort it takes. She listens and guides based on where you are today. She identified and helped me overcome obstacles that I wasn’t aware of, as I traveled toward sustainable change and self-improvement. I was challenged, but not overwhelmed by the process. I wanted to achieve more from my life. She helped me do that.”
- Katie Lobel, LMHC Healing Journey Counseling www.healingjourneycounseling.org
“I have been enjoying Nichole's amazing yoga class for some time now. It's one of my favorites and I consider myself pretty picky about yoga.Her vinyasa flow style is challenging and engages my mind which encourages me to be fully present. Beyond the class, it is what Nichole says in her mantra and her messages that resonate well off the yoga mat for me. Her enthusiasm and friendliness make her very approachable and continuously draws me happily back to her yoga class every week. I participated in her spin class for the first time and it was excellent. The music was awesome and the profile kept me moving the entire class. It went by so quickly! Nichole never disappoints me! I think she can do anything. :-)”
- Carol Tagliaferri
“Nichole has a warm, reasonable, "meets you where you are" approach to teaching and coaching. She takes into consideration your current lifestyle and future health goals, while making the work you do with her realistic. Nichole's energy and enthusiasm for self-care is beyond infectious!”
- Danielle Cogliano
“Nichole is exactly what I was looking for - knowledgeable, welcoming, and challenging. Mindfulness is at the center of her approach. From yoga to strength classes she's thoughtful about the movement and creates really impactful programs. I've been impressed with how quickly she has created community. Nichole is a rare find!”
-Rachel Lawton
“I had the opportunity (more like privilege) to meet Nichole as I was gearing up to train for the 2019 Boston Marathon with Tufts Medical Center and the Marathon Coalition. When I first met her, it was from afar. She was introduced and we were told she was a wealth of knowledge and she would be vital in our training (mentally and physically). Little did I know I would benefit from both during and after the Marathon (still to this day).Training began and to say that Nichole would be vital was a tremendous understatement. You know how it is. You’re part of a large group of people, you have the same goal, everyone is friendly and says hello from a far but it’s weird. I introduced myself to Nichole before a training run and was instantly drawn to her welcoming demeanor. She asked me questions about my training like she genuinely cared. She told me that if I had any questions or needed help to please ask her. (You could tell she wasn’t just saying that to be polite, either).
A few weeks went by and after we friended each other on Facebook, I noticed something. This woman is in incredible shape. She later posted her age (and subsequently on her birthday ran that many miles. I won’t give it away but when I saw her journey that day, all I could think of was a. I thought she was at most a year or two older than me b. how is she running that many miles in a day?! c. she must take good care of herself if she is able to train all week, work as an instructor in various capacities, run a significant distance on one day and still not miss a beat. I swear she’s a machine!)
Training continued and we were getting up there (or so it seemed) in miles. I was in pain and unsure if I was realistically going to be able to train, let alone run 26.2 miles. I asked Nichole what I should do as it was still relatively early in training and unsure if the strain I was going to put on my body would be permanent. She immediately got to work with me. Gave me exercises, stretches and tips. She encouraged me and told me that if I was careful, listened to my body and followed her advice, I’d make it. Boy am I glad I did.
Nichole has a way of connecting with you no matter your ability. She’d run extra miles (see: I am a much slower runner than she is so on our training routes, she’d always run to the turnaround point and on her way back see me to only turn around and run with me). During our time she’d check in “How are you feeling? Have you been stretching? What about those exercise we talked about? Have you been doing the band work? Make sure you come and see me when you’re finished.” From there she’d turn around and I’d see her back at the finish.
Sure enough I would see her and she’d want to get in-depth with me as to where the pain was and correct my form during a stretch or exercise. She is kind, gentle, patient. If it wasn’t for Nichole’s support before, during and after a training run (she even came to my fundraiser! How cool is that?!) I’d have had a much harder time finishing the Marathon. (She was one of the first people I saw after finishing and I’ll never forget how proud she was. You could see it. You could feel it. She cared then and she cares now).
It has been several months since completing the marathon and we touch base on a regular basis. We discuss yoga poses, classes, personal training ideas and ideas / techniques to maintain mental health as well. As I said earlier, I am lucky to have met and become so close to Nichole. She is a person I want to keep in my life for a long, long time.
Thank you for all that you do, Nichole! Keep up the awesome work!”
-Casey DiBenedetto, Boston Marathon Finisher, Team Tufts Fundraiser
"I had the absolute pleasure of working with Coach Nichole during the 2019 Boston Marathon training cycle, preparing for my second marathon. It goes without say that Boston is basically every runners’ dream, but unfortunately I got injured very early in the training cycle and worried I wouldn’t be able to keep up with training enough to toe the line on Marathon Monday. Thankfully, Coach Nichole calmly evaluated the situation and not only had the expertise to provide strengthening exercises to help my body recover while still actively training, but also, and arguably more importantly, provided the wisdom and guidance I so desperately needed to maintain mental focus and a positive mindset while working through the injury.
Coach Nichole truly took a holistic approach to coaching and was interested in all her runners as complete people. She didn’t just assign exercises and move on, she took the time to learn about me and what was going on in my life outside of running. When I inevitably had a setback, things just weren’t improving as quickly as I hoped or I found myself spiraling into negativity, she was there in her uniquely energetic yet soothing manner to offer solutions and reframe the situation to highlight the positives, always expanding the scoop of the situation from run-focused to life-focused in a way that was completely without judgement.
I’m proud to say with Coach Nichole’s help I didn’t just finish the 2019 Boston Marathon, I got a 28 minute PR over my first marathon time. Though circumstances have prevented me from continuing to work directly with Coach Nichole currently, we remain in touch and I very much look forward to working with her again in the future.
- Kate Nelson, Boston Marathon Finisher & Boston Firefighters Fundraiser
“As the mother of four beautiful children, it has always been my hope to pass on my love of sports to each of them. I developed a love of running at a young age. I was never particularly fast, but I had endurance. Prior to having children, I completed my first Boston Marathon. It was an incredible milestone for me and something I was always proud of. Three years ago, and fourteen years after my first marathon, I set out to tackle Boston again. It was of great importance to me that my children see me cross that finish line; to show them what you can achieve when you set your mind to it. As you can imagine, training for a marathon was a bit more challenging than it had been prior to children. I struggled with aches and pains and with my body not bouncing back, after training, like it use to. I was chasing that “runner’s high” but always coming up short. .. then I met Coach Nichole.
I met Nichole as one of our coaches for the Marathon Coalition. Nichole would meet with our charity teams every Saturday prior to training on our long distance runs. Time to in part wisdom and motivation was limited on those mornings, but Nichole always found a way to give us some great insight prior to heading out on the course. I was both impressed and intimidated by Nichole’s achievements. I am someone that struggles asking for help; I like to believe I can figure things out for myself. Nichole is one of the most approachable and helpful people I have ever met .. so one day I decided to go up and ask her a question. Thank goodness I did because it changed everything for me! Nichole not only answered my question, but she took notice. She remembered my name and would check in on me out on the course. Nichole’s encouragement and motivation helped me to ask more questions. Soon after I attended one of her strength training sessions. I was in awe at how easily she was able to break down the exercises. Her energy, throughout the training session, kept everyone motivated. Her excitement is contagious and I trusted her expertise and guidance.
Nichole’s coaching helped me to improve my running form, strengthen my body and improve my recovery. The tools she gave me helped me to better strategize during my runs and feel stronger at the end. I have that “runner’s high” again and it feels incredible! I completed the 2019 Marathon and one of my favorite memories was hugging Coach Nichole after crossing the finish line. She will never know just how much she has done for me. I am now training for Boston 2020 and you better believe I will be looking to Nichole for as much advice as possible. Nichole is nothing short of amazing and what she has to offer as a coach ..well it’s a game changer!”
-Julie Acevedo, Boston Marathon Finisher & Team Tufts Fundraiser
"Nichole always brings a fresh perspective to each yoga experience. She sets the tone with thoughts on the practice for the day, which helps to get you focused and engaged in your practice. Combined with a well-planned progression of poses, she provides both an active and mindful yoga experience. I always feel stretched, refreshed and centered after one of Nicole’s classes. It’s clear that she loves what she does and enjoys sharing her knowledge with her followers. Time with Nicole is time well spent!”
-Anne Estabrook
