FORMER NBA DANCER, NFL CHEERLEADER, & OWNER OF FINNISH STRONG FITNESS
THE Kelsey Finocchiaro!
For this week’s edition of MTP we are exclusively featuring…
Kelsey Finocchiaro
FORMER NBA DANCER, NFL CHEERLEADER, & OWNER OF FINNISH STRONG FITNESS
1. Talk us through the dance journey of Kelsey and how you got to where you are today!
I started dancing at the age of three and truly was not the biggest fan. Growing up with two older brothers, all I wanted to do was play sports and the thought of putting on a leotard was traumatizing - so I went to dance class in shorts and a t-shirt. While I continued to dance and as I got older, I enjoyed the challenge more and more and became passionate.
It was in 8th grade when I knew I wanted dance to be a part of my life forever. I continued to compete through high school and then went off to college at LSU where I became a NFL Cheerleader for the New Orleans Saints.
After 4 years with the Saints, I decided to go from the field to the court and became a NBA Dancer for the New Orleans Pelicans for 5 years where I served as the captain.
2. With your experiences as both an NBA dancer and NFL cheerleader, what is something about each team that you genuinely loved?
Being both an NFL cheerleader and an NBA dancer, they both had their unique differences.
As a Saints cheerleader, the Superdome has such an energy to it that you can’t find anywhere else. The Fanbase is extremely engaged and there is nothing quite like cheering on the sidelines to a sold out Superdome on a Sunday.
As a Pelicans dancer, I loved the fast-pace game environment and loved the hard work and dedication it took to be able to perform 2 dances on the court for 41+ home games.
The common denominator that I loved about both is all of my teammates I got to share the journey with that have become lifelong friends.
3. What inspired you to create FINNish Strong Fitness - tell us more about it! What kind of impact are you seeing in young and/or professional cheerleaders/dancers from your program?
At the end of my rookie year as a NBA dancer, I tore my ACL/MCL/meniscus - giving me the opportunity of a comeback story that inspired people through adversity and perseverance.
It was at this time I knew my positive mindset needed to be used to help others. I started off FINNish Strong training dancers who were getting ready for professional dance team tryouts - not just helping them with their fitness and nutrition, but also helping them be the most confident form of themself they can be when they show up at tryouts.
From here, it took off, and I embraced that while helping people obtain their fitness goal is important, helping others feel their best and have confidence in themself was the formula that made my business continue to grow. I now train close to 100 dancers a week - helping with injury prevention, body awareness, strength and endurance, and most of all true confidence.
4. Looking back on your journey, did you always have these goals for yourself? What key factors helped you achieve and remain at the highest level of cheer and dance?
While I have wanted to dance professionally since 8th grade, I never imagined my dance career to turn into what it is. It has been such a special journey that has given me some really neat experiences, some amazing friends, and has set me up to give back and be involved with the youth in a way that ignites my internal fire every day. I was able to dance professionally for 9 years out of pure joy and passion - and it was the genuine love for the journey that kept me at a high level.
My goal is now focused on helping young dancers and athletes find what lights their fire, and help them embrace their true selves with confidence, and that is a goal far greater than any goal I could have set for myself 10 years ago.
HUGE thank you to Kelsey for taking time out of her busy schedule to share with the MTP fam! I hope this her story inspires you to challenge yourself, go after what you’re passionate about, and encourage the younger generation to do the same.
Thanks for reading and for being a subscriber! Until next time…