Today we’d like to introduce you to Eliza Katoa.
Hi Eliza, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My journey began as a collegiate volleyball player at the University of Utah. Playing Division I volleyball on a full-ride scholarship had been a dream of mine, and I was incredibly grateful for the opportunity. During my freshman season, I was working hard to earn my place on the court when I had a breakthrough weekend against USC and UCLA—two matches I still remember because I was competing against some of the best athletes I had ever faced. Afterward, I was named Pac-12 Freshman of the Week.
The following week, everything changed.
During a match against Washington State in the Huntsman Center, I went up to hit a volleyball, landed incorrectly, and tore my ACL. Our team qualified for the NCAA Tournament, but instead of traveling with them, I stayed home to undergo reconstructive surgery and begin rehabilitation.
I went from competing at the highest level and feeling like I was in peak physical condition to lying in bed, devastated, and then learning how to straighten my knee again. It was one of the most difficult experiences of my life, but it also became one of the most formative.
I was fortunate to have an incredible team surrounding me at the University of Utah, including physical therapists, athletic trainers, strength coaches, sports scientists, dietitians, and a sports psychologist. For the next seven months, I poured myself into healing and rebuilding. I focused on what I could control each day: rehabilitating my knee, strengthening the rest of my body, fueling myself well, and working on my mindset.
That season taught me how to trust the process. When the end goal felt far away, I learned to focus on the small choices I could make that day and to simply keep showing up. Those lessons became the foundation of how I now coach and encourage other women.
Through rehabilitation, I fell in love with the process of transformation—but I also realized that real transformation is never only physical. Rebuilding my body challenged me mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. I began to recognize how powerful it is to help someone move from a place where they may feel discouraged, unhealthy, or disconnected from themselves to a place where they feel strong, confident, and capable. I knew that was something I wanted to help others experience.
I returned to the court for my sophomore season and went on to play two more seasons of indoor volleyball, followed by one season of beach volleyball during the University of Utah’s inaugural year for the program. After graduating, I became a certified personal trainer and began working at two different gyms. I quickly fell in love with coaching—especially group training—and eventually took the leap to build Katoa Fitness.
For years, I led my own in-person group training and had the privilege of watching my clients become stronger and healthier. What I loved most was seeing how the confidence and discipline they developed through training carried into other areas of their lives. I also had the opportunity to work as an iFIT trainer, leading live treadmill workouts for people around the world while gyms were closed during the pandemic. That experience showed me how meaningful connection and community could still be created through virtual fitness.
Around that same time, I became a mother and began transitioning my business online. I had already developed a passion for helping women train safely and confidently through pregnancy and postpartum, but experiencing those seasons myself gave my work an even deeper purpose. I have now had three children in six years, and every pregnancy and postpartum experience has expanded my understanding of what strength can look like during different seasons of a woman’s life.
Today, I run the Katoa Fitness app, where I have the opportunity to coach thousands of women through structured workout programs, fitness challenges, and practical nutrition guidance. Although I no longer train clients in person, I am able to reach and serve more women than I ever imagined—especially mothers who want to prioritize their health, rebuild their strength, and feel like athletes again without believing they have to do everything perfectly.
Alongside my business, I have also worked as a fitness and lifestyle model for nearly a decade. I was unexpectedly invited to begin modeling shortly after college, and since then I have worked with a variety of companies on fitness, wellness, lifestyle, and commercial campaigns. It has complemented my work as a trainer in such a fun and natural way and has opened the door to many experiences I never anticipated.
When I look back, there has not been one perfectly straight path to where I am today. It has been a series of opportunities, setbacks, transitions, and seasons of rebuilding. But the message running through all of it has remained the same: trust the process, keep showing up, and never underestimate what you are capable of becoming. That is the heart behind Katoa Fitness and the community of strong women I feel so grateful to serve.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It definitely has not been a completely smooth road, but some of the most difficult moments have ultimately created the greatest opportunities for growth.
One of the biggest turning points came during COVID. At the time, much of my business centered around in-person group training, so when gyms closed, I had to temporarily shut that part of my business down. I remember wondering what I was going to do and how I was going to continue serving my clients.
Before the pandemic, I had already started exploring online training and had released my first digital product—an eight-week workout program delivered as a PDF. I knew I eventually wanted to create an online subscription, but COVID forced me to move into that space much sooner than I had planned. What initially felt like a major setback became the push I needed to take the next step. It led to opportunities like coaching live treadmill workouts for iFIT and eventually building the online fitness business and app I have today. Looking back, I am incredibly grateful for that redirection, even though it felt uncertain and overwhelming at the time.
Another significant challenge came when I first attempted to develop my fitness app. I invested tens of thousands of dollars and countless hours working with a company that ultimately overpromised and severely underdelivered. The app did not become what I had been promised, and I lost a tremendous amount of time, money, and energy in the process. There were plenty of tears and moments when I questioned what to do next.
However, that experience eventually led me to a much better partnership and the platform I use today. It taught me to ask better questions, trust my instincts, advocate for my vision, and keep moving forward even when something does not unfold the way I hoped it would.
I’ve tried some different ventures and they didn’t go as planned. Some completely failed but I truly don’t believe in failure. I believe that we can learn and grow from every choice we make. It’s just guiding us in a different direction.
Learning to be an entrepreneur while also becoming a mother has been another ongoing challenge and also the greatest privledge. As our family has grown—I have had three children in six years—I have had to continually reevaluate how I use my time and energy. I am still learning how to grow a business, be present with my family, and care for my own health without expecting myself to do everything perfectly.
At the same time, motherhood has been one of the greatest blessings in both my life and my business. My own experience of prioritizing my health through pregnancy, postpartum, sleepless nights, and the demands of raising a family has helped me better understand the women I serve. I am not coaching from a place of believing life has to be perfectly organized before you can take care of yourself. I am living many of the same challenges and learning how to keep showing up in whatever capacity I can.
Again and again, the obstacles that felt like setbacks have become opportunities to learn, grow, and ultimately serve women better. They have taught me that success is rarely a straight line. Sometimes the moments that force us to change direction are the very moments that lead us where we were meant to go.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Katoa Fitness?
Katoa Fitness is an online fitness and wellness brand built to help women become stronger, healthier, and more confident through every season of life. I am a certified personal trainer, certified nutritionist, Women’s Fitness Specialist, former Division I athlete, and mother of three, and I bring all of those experiences into the way I coach.
Through the Katoa Fitness app, I provide structured strength-training programs, home and gym workouts, fitness challenges, nutrition guidance, mobility, core training, conditioning, and an encouraging community of women working toward their goals together. My programs serve women across a wide range of fitness levels—from beginners who may feel intimidated by strength training to experienced athletes who want thoughtful programming that continues to challenge them.
I specialize in women’s strength training, with a particular passion for pregnancy, postpartum, and motherhood. I have created comprehensive prenatal and postpartum programs to help women feel supported through seasons when their bodies and lives are changing significantly. These include my Prenatal Training Program, 12-Week Postpartum Rebuild, and 27-Week Strong as a Mother programs, which are available in complete home and gym versions. I want women to have a clear, trusted path rather than feeling like they have to piece together conflicting information on their own.
What sets Katoa Fitness apart is that my approach is both evidence-based and realistic. I believe in progressive strength training, properly fueling the body, building sustainable habits, and mastering the basics. I do not believe health needs to be rooted in extremes, fear, punishment, or perfection. It should enhance your life—not consume it.
As a mother and business owner, I understand that many women are balancing careers, children, relationships, responsibilities, and unpredictable schedules. I never want someone to believe that if she cannot do everything, there is no value in doing something. A full workout is wonderful, but ten intentional minutes still matter. The goal is to build strength and habits that can support you for life.
My background as an athlete also shapes my philosophy. I love helping women reconnect with the athlete inside them, even if they have never considered themselves athletic before. There is something incredibly powerful about watching a woman lift a weight she once thought was impossible, complete a challenging workout, or realize that her body is capable of more than she believed. That confidence often carries far beyond the gym.
I am most proud of the community Katoa Fitness has become. It is made up of women and mothers with different backgrounds, bodies, goals, and life circumstances who encourage one another and keep showing up together. My message has never been about trying to “get your body back” after motherhood. Motherhood does not take away who you are, and it does not have to end your goals or dreams. It can expand and deepen them.
At the heart of everything I create is the belief that strong looks different in every season. Some seasons allow you to push toward exciting performance goals, while others require you to slow down, heal, rebuild, or simply do what you can. All of those seasons matter.
Ultimately, I want women to know that they are capable of becoming strong without sacrificing everything else that makes their lives meaningful. Katoa Fitness gives them a plan they can trust, guidance they can understand, and a community that reminds them they do not have to do it alone. Our mission is simple: strength for every season.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
There are so many ways to connect with and support Katoa Fitness!
The best way to train with me is through the Katoa Fitness app, where you can access my ongoing workout subscription, follow structured home or gym programming, participate in community challenges, and choose from programs designed for different fitness levels and seasons of life. I also offer comprehensive one-time-purchase programs for pregnancy, postpartum recovery, and rebuilding strength through motherhood. Whether you are taking your first step or training toward a big goal, there is a place for you in this community.
You can also follow along on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Pinterest, where I share workouts, training and nutrition education, practical wellness tips, motherhood, and an honest look at how I continue pursuing my own goals. Following, engaging with, or sharing my content with another woman who may need it is always such a meaningful way to support my work.
For those who live in Utah, I love hosting in-person community workouts and events. Fitness has an incredible way of bringing people together, and it is always special to take a community that often connects online and give women the opportunity to meet, move, and encourage one another in person.
I am also open to collaborating with businesses and organizations whose values align with mine in health, fitness, wellness, motherhood, and family. This may include brand partnerships, fitness and lifestyle modeling, speaking engagements, podcast interviews, educational events, community workouts, and opportunities to work with athletes, teams, or women’s groups.
More than anything, I want Katoa Fitness to be a place where women feel welcomed, supported, and reminded of what they are capable of. Whether you train with me, attend an event, collaborate with me, or simply join the conversation online, I would love to have you as part of the community.
Pricing:
- Katoa Fitness App Monthly Membership — $21.99/month with a 7-day free trial
- Katoa Fitness App Annual Membership — $199/year with a 7-day free trial
- Prenatal, Postpartum Rebuild, Strong as a Mother, and motherhood bundles — available as one-time purchases
Contact Info:
- Website: https://elizakatoa.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elizakatoa_fit
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elizakatoafit/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@elizakatoa_fit
- Other: https://my.playbookapp.io/eliza-katoa
