Local Gym Owner Named America's 'Next Fitness Star'

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Women's Health Magazine went in search of the next "it" trainer, and they found her right here in the Twin Cities.

Stacie Clark, of Plymouth, Minn., was just named America's "Next Fitness Star."

After receiving thousands of submissions, the competition was narrowed down to Clark and four other finalists. The quintet was featured on the cover of Women's Health last month.

Clark co-founded the Minneapolis gym Tiger Athletics with her husband. Women's Health recently spotlighted Tiger Athletics as the city's best fitness center.

"My philosophy is very simple. I believe in training the body the way it's meant to move," Clark said. "It's really back to the basics of functional body weight training. Everybody has a body -- use it, move it."

Students at Tiger Athletics have praised the Clarks for their level of energy and commitment.

"One of my mottoes is burn calories, not time," Clark said. "At Tiger, you can burn anywhere from 600 to 1,000 calories in 60 minutes for just showing up and being here."

With the title, Clark wins her own DVD series and a feature in "Women's Health."

The four other women nominated for the honor were Jam Murphy, of Ashtabula, Ohio; Kit Rich, of Los Angeles; MC Barao, of Houston; and Tarrah Lee, of Aurora, Colo.