Shawnee Harkins came from the humblest of beginnings in Dallas, Texas, before moving to California at 17. Wanting to find a place where Shawnee’s true self could surface, California was the natural choice. Adjustment to California did not come without some major obstacles and sacrifice, including an almost fatal car wreck that molded Shawnee into the person she is today. After that tragedy Shawnee gave back to her community for some time as both as a Firefighter and EMT before finding her true calling.
Shawnee’s passion for physical fitness surfaced from both her time in the medical field as a Firefighter/EMT and her own physical recovery after the car accident. Combined with her entrepreneurial heart, Shawnee fell in love with fitness training and decided to make it her career. After gaining significant experience during her employment at Gold’s Gym, Shawnee took her skills and business sense to the streets opening her own private studio, Toned Fitness.
Shawnee has always felt a desire and responsibility to be an active voice in The LGBT Community as much as possible, which quickly brought her to the attention of several major publications including Playboy Magazine. After an article surfaced on Playboy’s website about Shawnee, a new and riveting entrepreneurial-based international reality show titled “The Hydra Executives” called, asking Shawnee to come on board as one of only 8 Americans and 8 British contestants to be involved with the show. Shawnee took this opportunity to be an international voice for the LGBT community, taking the responsibility very seriously. In addition to raising LGBT community awareness, Shawnee’s passion to raise the level of physical fitness is always her highest priority, as her role on the show is demonstrated on Showtime International, and other international television networks.
Shawnee’s outspoken role of raising both physical fitness and LGBT community awareness has recently expanded to The Dr. Phil Show, where Shawnee travels the country as one of Dr. Phil’s celebrity trainers helping get America fit. Weekly, starting in Nov 2008, Shawnee can be seen traveling the country, helping two ordinary individuals to exceed at the extraordinary by accomplishing a new level of physical fitness and weight loss. This program is another milestone in an already impressive year as Shawnee continues to be an outspoken role model for the modern lesbian woman, gay rights, and physical fitness.
Her most recent accomplishments include signing on with fitness company, Custom Built Personal Training, as their National Spokes model. Shawnee has partnered with CBPT to develop their first national campaign including developing their Online Personal Training Program, commercial(s) and supplement line. Harkins’ continues to educate all of America about the benefits of one on one attention from fitness professionals. She has expanded her voice as a top fitness professional to supplement line, Supplement RX, as their Spokes Model, both partnered with Custom Built Personal Training.
Harkins also lends her expertise to Tribune Co.’s, KTLA Morning News as their fitness guru, educating Los Angeles and the rest of the nation on Celebrity Fitness tips!
Shawnee has taken on the torch in leading our lesbian community to health and fitness while on vacation in signing with Sweet as their exclusive fitness consultant. Sweet is a lesbian women’s travel company.
She has also joined GLAAD on a media level along with Women On a Roll, as a Board Advisor, where she continues to raise health awareness and education to the LGBT Community.
You can also watch her weekly web series, “Fat to Fab” and “Fab Tips” on Shewired.com. Watch her transform, Senior Editor Tracy Gilchrist, mind, body and soul.
Her most recent project, is a national/international web series, “Empower Me in 6”, featured on Bodybuilding.com, where she takes one very special person, shares their personal story with the viewer and gives them their starter kit to fitness in just 6 weeks!
She’s is also writing her first book, a memoir of her personal story, of how obstacles can be overcome and even empower you.
She is now in talks with several television networks for future projects that will be announced midsummer.
Recent features and interviews of Shawnee have appeared in Curve Magazine, Blade Magazine, Playboy Magazine’s website, The Advocate Magazine, Clout Magazine, She Magazine, Bodybuilding.com, Frontiers Magazine and several overseas publications, not to mention radio interviews!
Tags: Shawnee Harkins, Sweet Sweat Bootcamp
