Melissa outside
by Cynthia Marone
While growing up in Ringoes, N.J., Melissa Kendter dreamed big. She knew she wanted to help people be the best they could be and that she wanted to do it on a global scale. It was a tall order, but by the time she graduated Delaware Valley University in Doylestown, the “how” of it became crystal clear. “I didn't want to give up moving my body. I loved how it made me feel, and I wanted others to feel that way. At that time, too, there were health issues with family members and close friends. I wanted to understand the human body more,” said the seven-year Bedminster Township resident. “I wanted to help people move better and feel better and move often for their health and well-being.”
Melissa’s idea of turning physical fitness into her life’s work took shape and, more than a decade later, her skills, positivity and enthusiasm caught the eye of the fast-growing global fitness community, EvolveYou. This month, Melissa celebrates her year anniversary with the app as its personal trainer, advanced functional training specialist and running coach. “My style of training was a bit different. They wanted to bring on someone with a more hybrid style of training and endurance with muscular strength as well as running,” said Melissa, who shares her home near Perkasie with husband of 11 years Justin and their cat Mika. “What EvolveYou stands for aligns with what I stand for — trying to help others become the best versions of themselves.”
Prior to this perfect mesh of mind and muscle, Melissa created the Commit Program through her Melissa Kendter Fitness. According to Melissa, this unique hybrid training program simultaneously maximizes several modes of fitness to improve overall muscle strength, endurance, core stability and performance. It is now available in home, gym and low-impact versions exclusively through EvolveYou. Melissa, who is certified by the American Council on Exercise as a personal trainer and the United Endurance Sports Coaching Academy as a running coach, also helms several of the app’s on-demand classes. This summer, she and EvolveYou plan to expand her Commit Programs and add a new challenge, which is a short-term specific workout.
Melissa’s love of getting up and going began with her family, who embraced the outdoors at their cabin in upstate Pennsylvania. This translated easily to the soccer field when she was five with her parents signing her up for all manner of healthy outlets, including basketball, softball and dance. Soccer stuck through college, where she played defense for the DelVal Aggies. “It was the mental and the physical challenging aspect. The mental toughness you would get from playing, competing with yourself,” said Melissa, who was particularly inspired by Olympic gold medalist Mia Hamm with a highlight seeing the now-retired professional soccer player crush it in the opening match of the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup in New Jersey. “I loved Mia Hamm’s determination, drive and skill, and I wanted to have that same impact on women and others globally.”
Melissa had others encouraging her along the way too. Her travel soccer coach invited her to teach the game to kids at summer camp throughout her time as a student at Hunterdon Central Regional High School and DelVal. She volunteered with the Special Olympics New Jersey, which had a huge impact on her as Melissa said she loved helping the young athletes “find enjoyment, empowerment and resilience through movement.” She even found motivation while watching New Jersey Devils goalie Martin Brodeur at games with her family. “I have a Mia Hamm book and a Martin Brodeur book. I remember having posters of them on my walls. They were inspiring. I loved how they were driven, and they both started young and made it until they were like 40, which is awesome in sports, and had families,” said Melissa, who has athletic partnerships as well as sponsorships with PEScience supplement company and TFL Apparel premium gym wear. “Their personalities were amazing. You aspired to be like them, but you never thought it could actually happen. I never thought it would be, could be, something attainable.”
It never dawned on Melissa to make physical fitness her career until her 20s. She started self-styled journeywork to become a personal trainer after she graduated in 2010 with her Bachelor of Arts degree in Media and Communication. She pursued specialized training and her certifications but also connected with a sports chiropractor, worked at the now-shuttered Doylestown Fitness Center then Revolve Fitness in New Britain and began one-on-one personal training at her home gym, but she knew the world was out there and her mission to make everyone in it healthier was just starting. “It was sort of like a little snowball effect. I was like ‘there's a whole online community. I'm going to start my Instagram business so I can show people in the area or even reach people because they want inspiration or to learn the science behind health and wellness.’” Melissa, who still trains clients in person through Melissa Kendter Fitness, said. “People started reaching out, and they wanted online help. I created my first online PDF program, Commit, then I started doing Zoom classes online.”
As the snowball grew with the addition of clients from coast to coast, EvolveYou, which went through a rebrand in the spring from its original Tone & Sculpt moniker, came knocking in 2020. As the two got to know each other, it became clear it was the beginning of a healthy relationship. “Being a trainer on the app has been awesome because you can reach even more people and try to help as many people as possible move their bodies in a way that is good for them,” said Melissa, who moved to Bucks County while attending DelVal and lived in Doylestown prior to settling near Perkasie.
Melissa doesn’t pay lip service to an active lifestyle; it is her lifestyle. She’s crossed the finish line on four full marathons and dozens of half-marathons. She recently wrapped up a duathlon with her husband and is set to participate in two triathlons this summer. An avid runner who took up the sport in her teens, she never misses a step—even during vacations at Long Beach Island, N.J. When home, she takes to the trail at Lake Galena in New Britain’s Peace Valley Park or hits the back roads of Upper Bucks County. So, when Melissa tells her students and clients “it’s a beautiful day to move our bodies,” she means it. “It doesn't mean a workout where you're lifting heavy weights. It could mean going for a walk or climbing the stairs,” Melissa said. “It's a beautiful day to move our bodies because every day you should want to move, even if it's on a small scale compared to someone else or a large scale compared to someone else. Our bodies want to move, crave to move, and each day move it in a way that feels best for you.”
Melissa’s mantra is reaching people far and wide through EvolveYou, but, for her, globetrotting isn’t just through the app. She has traveled to the Caribbean, Europe, Mexico, Thailand, Sri Lanka and Cambodia with her husband. When she was a teenager, she would visit Bucks County with friends, particularly New Hope (where years later Justin would propose with the Delaware River as his backdrop) and, when she was even younger than that, the Bucks County Playhouse to see shows such as Annie. While at DelVal, she embraced the beauty around her with hikes at High Rock Vista at Ralph Stover State Park in Pipersville or walks at Nockamixon State Park in Quakertown.
For Melissa, physical exercise began as a child with her parents’ encouragement. It grew into a teenage pastime, then a college student’s passion, then a career. Today, it is her calling. “My mission is trying to show people fitness is so much more than aesthetics. Fitness encompasses our entire well-being and can pull us out of the darkest places,” she said. “I want to help people commit to themselves and show that, with patience and consistency, your body and mind are so much stronger than you think, and you can reach those goals you once thought were unattainable.”
For more information about or to contact Melissa Kendter, visit www.trainmk.com,
www.instagram.com/melissa_kendte or evolveyou.app/trainers/melissa-kendter.
Cynthia Marone is a freelance writer who lives in Philadelphia.