The Full Story
About
Jen grew up in the small town of Orwigsburg, Pennsylvania. Lined with rolling hills, and beautiful seasons, Orwigsburg is tucked away in the southern part of the anthracite coal region. The 3,000 + people here are as tough as the anthracite coal itself; including Muhammad Ali, who in the seventies and early eighties, had his training camp here in Deer Lake.
Childhood - Overcoming Dyslexia
Orwigsburg is where Jen’s passion for climbing trees, running through the woods, sledding, and playing baseball all began. She was actually the first girl to make the town’s Little League all-star baseball team - playing second base.
Her supportive family and motivational middle school science teacher/volleyball coach/basketball coach, inspired her to pursue her athletic goals. The classroom was a tough place for Jen, having undiagnosed dyslexia, but the court, track, or field always felt like a place she could excel with hard work.
High School - 3 Sport Athlete
In high school, Jen continued her competitive athletic career pursuing three-sports: volleyball, basketball, and track & field. Jen was a setter for the Eagles volleyball team and 'three guard' for the Eagles basketball team.
In track & field, Jen ran the 4 x 100 and 4x 400 relays, long-jumped, and threw javelin. Her senior year, Jen was fortunate to qualify for states in basketball and javelin, placing ninth in Pennsylvania for javelin.
Despite being 5'1" her real passion was volleyball. She was determined to continue playing volleyball in college. Eventually, her sports career at Blue Mountain High School earned her a 2006 induction into both the Blue Mountain Sports Hall of Fame and then the ARC Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame.
You're Too Short To Play Volleyball? No Way!
At 5’1”, following her passion and not her height, she pursued her dream of playing Division I college volleyball. Growing up watching Penn State volleyball games with her family, she always wanted to play on the team she idolized. In 1992, Penn State just joined the Big Ten, and the following year, in 1993, Jen had an opportunity to walk onto the Penn State Women’s Volleyball Team.
The transition to Penn State was tough without having big club volleyball experience like the other players. Her red-shirt, freshman, and sophomore years, consisted of having to sit on the sidelines to watch while building fundamental skills in practice, gaining confidence, and learning a new position. With Fab 50 players, and players with major club volleyball experience, Jen had a long road ahead of her in gaining the volleyball skills needed to transition from a small town high school setter, to a division I college defensive specialist.
Russ Rose, The winningest college volleyball coach with seven National Championships, expected nothing but the best effort from his student-athletes every moment on the court and everyday in the classroom. With lots of hard work, it was at Penn State where Jen earned All-Academic Awards every season.
The team was very competitive winning three Big Ten volleyball championships, making three Final Four appearances, and losing the national championship in five games, her senior year, to Kerri Walsh’s Stanford team. Penn State won their first national title the following year, followed by six others, in Coach Rose’s successful forty-five years of coaching.
My Teacher is a Ninja Warrior!
After college, Jen traveled from the East Coast to the West Coast to become an elementary school teacher. As a second grade teacher, Jen started training Brazilian jiujitsu, sometimes twice a day, and earned her blue belt.
She trained for over two years, but ended up dislocating then tearing her shoulder in a few places during a competition. Surgery was needed, and she was told she’d never be competitive in any sport again.
Jen continued her education earning a Master’s degree from San Diego State University, in reading and writing curriculum instruction, and another forty units beyond. Jen taught elementary school for twenty years - fifth to eighth graders.
While teaching, Jen had her first opportunity to run the Season 6 American Ninja Warrior Course in Venice Beach, CA and then Season 7 the following year. It was a life-changing, humbling experience, meeting a variety of diverse athletes, with inspiring stories, drive, determination, and incredible skills.
TV Time! Bright Lights & Big Obstacles
Jen was able to share this experience by promoting health and wellness among teachers, students, and families. Jen's fourth grade class was very active and healthy taking 'movement brain breaks' during transitions, eating healthy snacks, drinking water every hour from a reusable water bottle, participating in lunch clubs, and meeting up as a class trying new physical activities outside of school.
Jen learned just as much, if not more, from the failures versus success. She became even more passionate about learning how to train differently, think differently, and develop the skills to overcome whatever new obstacles may appear.
Right after Season 7 of American Ninja Warrior, Jen tore her left Achilles running up a wall in parkour. It was a three quarter tear. With the Doctor's advice, Jen opted to cast it, boot it, and move on crutches for many months while nature took its course before learning how to walk again. The recovery was two years in patience.
This healing time allowed Jen to concentrate on building educational relationships, lead health & fitness challenge for teachers, take educator mindfulness classes, and become a positive voice in expressing the benefits of health and wellness in schools.
Becoming an Author and Speaker
Jen was honored to be nominated for the San Diego County Office of Education and NBC Inspirational Teacher of the Month Award for promoting health and wellness among teachers, students, and families. Jen also was presented with The Rancho Santa Fe Faculty Association's Ovation Award for improving learning through health awareness and physical exercise. Sept. 2018.
Jen started getting asked to do keynote speaking for Cal State Northridge, Penn State University, local schools and even Zoom presentations for teams such as the Yale Women's Volleyball Team to help individuals perform at their best daily.
The Jump Into Jen Burdis Fitness Training
When gyms were shut down in 2020, Jen's friends started calling her and asking her to train them online. Jen already had years of experience both training from home and building online workout videos and programs for clients of all ages and abilities.
Word spread quickly and 5 days a week she trained individuals and small group classes. She thought when gyms opened up again people would go back, but they didn't. Instead they found that motivating bond, the ease of not having to drive somewhere, and the results.
Jen trains elite athletes, to weekend warriors, to people looking to get effective workouts in their own homes. She loves taking her teaching and training skills to the next level by building relationships and getting results.
Athletic Longevity > Anti Aging
People ask Jen how she can still play beach volleyball at 50 and do workouts with all her clients daily. It's not because she trains harder. It's because she trains smarter, recovers better, so she can travel, and live life more fully.
At 50, when many people slow down, Jen is back playing the sport she loved as a kid. This time she's playing in the sand vs. the asphalt playground courts or on the indoor wooden floors.
Playing beach volleyball doubles compared to indoor 6's, as a former defensive specialist, requires much more strength, stamina, and overall explosive strength.
She's ready for the new challenge. Fortunately, with all of the strength and conditioning she's been doing with clients, she's ready to specialize her training and level up her game with her teammate.
Becoming a Healthy Aging Advocate
Jen helps women and men stay athletic, strong, and competitive for life.
She wants people to say, "I want to be like Jen when I'm 50." And the reality is - She wants to be like her clients who are older than her doing 100 chair squats in a workout, traveling every weekend somewhere new. A common reason she believes based on what her clients tell her is "because we are building functional strength, balance, and mobility together while having fun."
If you need help with achieving a strong and active lifestyle, please fill out the contact form and follow Jen on Facebook and Instagram for more aging athletically strategies and inspiration.