I got into bodybuilding because I was driving home one day and could feel my belly hanging over my pants and jiggling with every bump in the road.”Kelley Burgess, Personal Trainer
CULLMAN – Kelley Burgess has overcome some pretty hard times growing up. As a child, she suffered a horrific accident that has left her with issues that she has had to deal with her whole life. Amazingly, she has never let her childhood injury slow her down, and, as a result, she has grown into an incredible force that’s all her own.
“I burned my leg in a 3-wheeler accident when I was seven,” she explained. “I flipped it and was trapped under it for over 30 minutes while the muffler and crank case burned through my right ankle, tendons and muscles. I had seven surgeries, in those I had my Latissimus Doris muscle from my back transplanted into my leg; I had multiple skin grafts and my ankle fused at 90 degrees. Doctors said I would never walk normal or wear heels and that I would have severe arthritis, boy, they were right about the arthritis,” she grinned. I spent 33 days in Children's Hospital and came out with what I now call my ‘chicken leg,'” she smiled, showing off her small, scarred leg.
“This past September I had a complete ankle replacement, tendon transfer, and a rod put in my fibula due to my ankle turning over at a 45 degree lateral shift and the pain was getting unbearable,” she continued. “We hoped this would give me more movement in this joint (it has a little) and help with the pain; however, I now have pain with every step and walk with a limp.
“Dr. Kirchner wants to do surgery again as soon as possible to fuse the foot in two spots and clean up scar tissue around the ankle and Achilles tendon. It will be another 6-8 weeks in a cast and 4 weeks flat on my back with my ankle propped above nose level and only get to get up to go to restroom and bathe,” she paused then grinned, with a twinkle in her eyes. “I will not let this stop me from attaining my dream of being an International Federation of Bodybuilders pro bodybuilder. Fear can stop you in your tracks, and I choose to not live in fear. My motto is ‘unstoppable.’”
Unstoppable is an understatement. Kelley married Adam Burgess, also known as Mr. Plumber. They have three children: 8-year-old Addyson and 4-year-old twins, Canaan and Lakyn. She is the owner of Team Kelley Fitness where she works as a personal trainer and bodybuilding coach. She is also an avid National Physique Committee bikini competitor. Kelley has never been considered overweight, but after giving birth to her twins, she decided to make a few changes in her life.
“I got into bodybuilding because I was driving home one day and could feel my belly hanging over my pants and jiggling with every bump in the road,” she said. “I decided that on January 1 [of that year] I would start exercising and eating better. Next, I started exercising five days a week, eating clean, and hired a personal trainer. One month in, I realized how much better I felt and how much more energy I had.”
The most important thing is to try to inspire people so that they may be great in whatever they do.
Posted by Team Kelley Fitness on Wednesday, June 3, 2015
During her time at the gym, Kelley met bikini competitors and knew if they could do it, so could she.
She then chose to participate in the Alabama State Body Building Show where she won the Masters Bikini Class and from there she was hooked. Now she is the two-time State Champ in Masters Bikini.
It was not long before she earned her personal trainer certification and opened a gym at her home for personal training called Team Kelley Fitness. Now, she coaches people for competitions and helps them with their meal plans.
“I feel as though I am changing this world, one body at a time,” she beamed. “The feeling I get when I see the excitement in my client’s eyes when they are not only changing their body, but their entire life is more than addictive!”
“If you want to drop body fat, you must start with a clean meal plan. Worried about eating clean while eating out? No problem! Rumors Deli now has a TKF sandwich,” Kelley giggled. “The owner, Annette Harris, came to me for meal guidance and together we came up with a clean lunch. People think I starve myself, but I eat six meals a day. It is way more food than I have ever eaten. Stick with it for the long haul. If you have a bad day, just get right back at it.”
Kelley is an inspiration to everyone around her. Even though her ‘chicken leg’ has given her fits throughout her lifetime, she has never let it control her.
For more information about Team Kelley Fitness, find her on Facebook at Facebook.com/TeamKelleyFitness.
