"Throughout the centuries there
were men who took first steps down
new roads armed with nothing but their own vision"
- Ayn Rand
My journey began as a little girl with a true passion and love for life and helping others, and this passion continues to flow through me today. Two essential elements of my life and passion are fitness and food. They are linked and related, and are core to the Tonique lifestyle.
I was a little girl with a big dreams growing up in communist Poland. My parents provided me many opportunities to travel and experience a variety of cultures, helped me obtain an excellent education, and taught me to respect people. For over nine years, I pursued competitive artistic gymnastics, dance and track on school teams. I always paid close attention to food and nutrition despite that it was limited throughout my childhood due to Communism. My travels abroad provided exposure to new flavors and ingredients, and most of all people.
I withdrew from gymnastics and as my parents wished, pursued an education. I chose to study in Australia and the U.S. at the University of Notre Dame, and in Siena, Italy as well. After graduation, I worked in advertising, and then for an international investment bank and a brokerage firm. During this time, I never forgot my passion for movement and fitness, and of course for great food, and these passions continued to shape my experiences throughout my journey. Living in Australia I fed my passions as it offered both a fabulous outdoor lifestyle filled with unlimited ways to use both land and the water – running, rollerblading, training on the beach, swimming, waterskiing, kayaking etc., and great fresh food as well. I was exposed to a variety of seafood, rare fruits and vegetables, and everywhere where I went I was able to get fresh unprocessed food. Influenced by the Australian cultural love for BBQ and my extensive travels to Asia, I explored new ways to cook and new flavors to spice up my life. While studying in Italy, I had a rare opportunity to learn how to cook the Italian way, simple yet delicious. I moved to London to take my first serious job, and travelled a lot within Europe. I was thrown immediately into a world of ultra chic dining, meeting world renowned chefs, eating multi course meals of miniature mouth watering dishes at their private tables, all created with precision and passion. Their passion for cooking, for being surrounded by food and flames, by the heat and smell of many foods at once, fueled my passion for food, but more so my passion for fitness as the two are inextricably linked. It is the passion that became my obsession, and my instrument, and my tool to help others.
I later moved to New York City from London, and shortly thereafter quit my job. I saw it as a positive step towards what I love to do the most. I found happiness and satisfaction in that each day there was always someone that I could help, and inspire. I became a mother of two beautiful children, and it took me a few years of unpaid work to create and test my moves on many women who today stand for what Tonique is --- superb fitness, a fabulous body and self-confidence through hard work. In New York, I also discovered many fantastic farms and local organic produce stores. I moved even further away from foods that have been processed even in a minimal way…I became focused on Tonique and eating very “clean,” including a full spectrum of nutrition and colors that are derived from nature. I stopped eating meat, but my focus remained on enriching my diet in iron that comes from greens and superfoods - such as mulberries or cashews. I have educated many women on both fitness and nutrition, cooking for them and redirecting their lifestyles onto a fitter path of cleaner eating. To this day, I am obsessed with visiting farms or farmer’s markets, am constantly searching for new cheeses, unusual grains, and greens, new spices etc. I love to feel, touch and smell fruits and vegetables, and often the smells bring me back to my childhood and my travels. I believe food should never be our enemy, and we should never diet but eat in respect to our bodies.
I often repeat myself, saying that nothing is easy in life…being a mother, maintaining a wonderful and exciting marriage, keeping friendships, all require a lot of effort. Being fit and feeling fit requires a lifetime commitment to movement, to never give up but believe in the impossible, to push yourself further each day, and with each step. There is no quick fix that lasts.
I had a dream to live free and passionately, and with hard work I now am finally able to say that there is nothing more satisfying than knowing that I am part of many women’s lives and that I can push them towards their dreams. My journey as a Tonique woman began a long time ago and will continue forever, and it is my promise to create workouts and offer lifestyle guidance that will forever inspire, empower and motivate women, and give them what they want without promising anything, but challenging and rewarding lives.
