About Coach Jenny Hayes

Jenny grew up as a self-proclaimed tomboy getting dirty and running around the streets of her neighborhood in Chicago, Illinois. She became involved in sports at a young age by playing tennis. She continued to play a variety of sports, especially tennis, through high school and was even one of the top ranked tennis players in the Illinois State Championships. It was in high school that Jenny also discovered yoga and regularly attended night classes at her local gym.

After high school, Jenny lost her focus with sports and developed an eating disorder bad enough that her parents almost pulled her out of college. Struggling to recover from an eating disorder and to regain control of her mind and body, Jenny decided to sign up for a sprint triathlon. She had no formal training and wasn’t quite prepared for her first triathlon, but she loved it! Over the next few years, Jenny worked to improve her skills in the sports of the triathlon, increasing her distances with every year. Through triathlon, Jenny learned how to treat her body well and gained self-confidence. She learned to take care of her body properly and overcame her eating disorder struggles.

In 2011, Jenny completed her first Ironman. She loved the feeling of achieving the goal she had set for herself and the hard work it took to achieve that goal. The feeling of self-confidence and accomplishment was something she couldn’t wait to share with other athletes, so she set out to become a coach.

Yoga has always been an important cross-training component to Jenny’s love of sports and has played an even bigger part in her participation of triathlons. She finds that yoga perfectly balances her love of sports, giving her a chance to heal and improve her mind, body and soul. Not only does yoga keep Jenny strong and flexible, which keeps her in shape as an athlete herself, but it helps her to maintain a mentally clear and peaceful state of mind. In 2009, Jenny took her love of yoga to the next level when she completed a 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training Program. Teaching yoga allows Jenny to share with others what yoga has brought her in a physical, emotional and spiritual sense.

Jenny has attained USAT Level 1 and 2 Endurance Coaching Certifications, a 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Certification, and regularly attends yoga conferences, workshops, and classes. She is currently working on a 40-Hour yoga apprenticeship with Sara Strother in Chicago and attending group coaching and workshops with Gabrielle Bernstein.

The combination of triathlon and yoga creates happiness, gratitude, and balance with Jenny’s competitive nature. Triathlon and yoga led Jenny to a recovery from her eating disorders, and transformed her into a strong athlete and the independent woman she is today.