Incorporating Passion, Education, and Profession
Written By Asia Howe
“I am my own walking business card.” — Alayna Machacek
UH Hilo junior and Kinesiology and Exercise Science major, Alayna Machacek on stage at High Intensity II, which took place on March 28, 2015. Photo courtesy of Alayna Machecek.
University of Hawaii at Hilo (UHH) junior and Kinesiology and Exercise Science major, Alayna Machacek wants others to consistently feel their best. The field of study she entered, kinesiology courses she currently takes, and even her physique convey this. She can, of course, act upon that want as the field she is in, being about how the body reacts to various environments and stimuli, informs students how the body performs its best with particular behaviors and lifestyles. “When people describe the ways their body is performing less than optimally,” the junior affirms, “I can brainstorm with them reasons why it might be [so] and, most times, all it takes is behavior change to improve.”
Machacek is much more than a student, however: she has been National Council on Strength and Fitness (NCSF) personal trainer certified and has competed in the Bikini class of High Intensity II, a Hilo bodybuilding competition. Her passion for the kinesiology field stems from a desire to help individuals realize that they are never trapped in or at the mercy of their body. “Because of my studies,” she asserts, “I understand the body in a way most people never will.” A segment of her understanding comes from the class she took last year, Kinesiology 309: Preparation For Personal Training Certificate (KES 309), which assisted with her NCSF certification. Currently, the junior takes Kinesiology 394: NCSF Sports Nutrition Specialist Certification (KES 394).
The requirements for each certification course includes 10 hours of internship work training and coaching actual clients under Professor Stephanie Basso. “With these certifications, internship experience, and my B.A. in Kinesiology and Exercise Science,” Machacek announces, “I feel confident that I can go out into the workforce and become a successful trainer.” Her aspirations after college include utilizing her personal trainer certification and fashioning a personal trainer business. As for her bodybuilding hobby, it provides her a deeper comprehension of physiology, anatomy, nutrition, and exercise — subjects which are the focus of many KES courses. “It’s a … phenomenal experience watching your body change and knowing why and that it’s a result of all your hard work,” the junior explains.
Alayna Machacek (right), Stephanie Basso (middle), and another KES major
who trained under Basso (left). Photo courtesy of Alayna Machacek.
Not only does Machacek get to enhance her understanding of course concepts via her hobby, but she gets to implement nutrition, supplementation, weightlifting, and cardio practices explored in her courses. She perceives her ability to apply these practices validation of their efficacy. At the same time she employs what she learns from her courses to bodybuilding, she employs what she learns from bodybuilding to her courses. In Kinesiology 334: Advanced Care and Prevention of Athletic Injury (KES 334), for example, students fashioned a 6 to 8 week program for 2 or more individuals which would improve their health or fitness. “For my project I designed a six week weight training, cardio, and meal plan intervention for two twenty-year old females,” the junior concedes. “My goal was to illustrate that the combination of weights, cardio, and a sound meal plan is effective in improving body composition in women.”
When Machacek competed in High Intensity II, she placed third in the Bikini division, a status that qualifies her for a national-level competition within the next year. She would like to thank Professor Basso, one of the many kinesiology professors who are an asset to the department, for her mentorship. The junior concludes, “All of them [the kinesiology professors] are focused on getting their students the skills they need to get the job they want after graduation.”
UHH students interested in the kinesiology program can peruse its B.A. requirements, courses, and fall 2015 courses.
