As told to Taylor Colby

Marie Merritt is the founder of Momentum Fit and is a National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach and Personal Trainer with 20 plus years of experience. She works hard to help her clients pursue overall health and wellness by focusing on strengthening the pillars that sustain performance.

Tell us about Momentum Fit and what inspired you to start it.

Momentum Fit is a private personal training and wellness studio built on relationships, education and long-term care. It is not a high-volume gym or a one-size-fits-all model. Everything we do is intentional, individualized and rooted in helping people feel stronger, more capable and more confident in their bodies over time.

The studio offers one-on-one personal training, semi-private and small group training, youth athletic development, massage and recovery services and integrated health coaching. What sets Momentum apart is the level of education and experience within our team, as well as the emphasis we place on understanding the whole person. We look beyond workouts to factors like stress, sleep, nutrition, lifestyle demands and life stage, because those things directly influence results.

Momentum Fit was created out of both experience and frustration. Early in my career, I saw how flawed many health and fitness systems were. People were overwhelmed by conflicting advice, quick fixes and approaches that failed to consider the individual. On a personal level, watching my mom struggle with her health despite genuinely trying to do the right things made those gaps even more visible. I wanted to create a space where people felt supported, educated and guided rather than judged or confused.

Momentum exists to bridge the gap between exercise and true health. It is about preventative care, sustainable progress and building trust over time. The goal is not just to help people move better in the gym, but to support their health in a way that carries into their daily lives. Momentum has been part of this community since 2005, and my mission is to continue serving it with integrity, care and the highest standards possible.

Tell us about your background, especially as it applies to your career.

I began college on a pre-med track, but I quickly realized I wanted to help people in a different way. As an athlete, movement had always been a central part of my life, and I was working as a trainer at the time to help pay for school. During that period, I worked with a client who began making meaningful lifestyle changes by becoming more active and intentional with her health. Watching how those changes positively impacted her confidence and well-being was a turning point for me.

That experience shifted my path and helped me see exercise science and training as a form of preventative medicine. I believe movement is most powerful when it is paired with intentional eating, nutrient-dense food, quality sleep, stress management and more activity built into daily life, not just structured workouts in a gym.

I have been a certified personal trainer for over 20 years and have continued to pursue advanced education throughout my career. My specialty certifications range from working with individuals undergoing cancer treatment and those with multiple sclerosis, to general population nutrition, sports nutrition, endurance athletes and everything in between.

I love learning, and one of the most meaningful milestones in my career was earning my National Board Certification in Health & Wellness Coaching. I also hold behavior-change certifications that give me the tools to help clients navigate some of the most challenging patterns around health, including sleep and stress.

Tell us about your experience as a wellness coach.

My work as a wellness coach grew directly out of the gaps I saw during my years as a trainer. I realized that while I could guide people for the hour they were with me in the gym, much of their success depended on what happened the rest of the time. Outside of our sessions, they were left to navigate an overwhelming amount of information from social media, fad diets and influencers, often with little context or support.

I wanted a better way to help people with the behaviors that happen outside the gym. That led me to pursue advanced education in health and wellness coaching, complete an extensive mentorship and sit for and pass the national boards. Since then, I’ve fully integrated health and wellness coaching into my day-to-day work, both with individual clients and by teaching my team how to connect a person’s goals to their daily behaviors and personal values.

Most people are so overwhelmed by everything they think they should be doing that they don’t know where to begin. My role is to help identify the behaviors someone already has in place, clarify which behaviors are needed to support their goals and then work from there in a realistic and sustainable way. Health coaching is a partnership. It’s not about telling people what to do, but about helping them build clarity, ownership and confidence in their choices.

I often bridge the gap when a doctor tells a patient they need to lose weight, start exercising or eat healthier to improve their bloodwork. I work with high-functioning executives, physicians and everyday individuals to help them manage stress, sleep, eating behaviors, nutrition and overall lifestyle demands. I also work with people who struggle with significant anxiety and help them establish behaviors they can rely on when things feel overwhelming.

At its core, my approach as a wellness coach is about simplifying health and making it sustainable. I work with clients on stress management, sleep, nutrition, movement and mindset, always within the context of real life. Most people are not failing because they lack motivation or discipline, but because the systems they are trying to follow are unrealistic or disconnected from their daily demands. Coaching allows me to help clients build awareness, confidence and behaviors that actually fit into their lives, with a focus on long-term health rather than short-term results.

What do you like best about what you do?

What I love most is helping people reconnect with their bodies and their capacity. Watching someone move from feeling frustrated or overwhelmed to feeling strong, confident and informed is incredibly meaningful. This work is personal, and being trusted during someone’s health journey is something I never take lightly. The relationships that are built over time are one of the most rewarding parts of what I do.

I also deeply enjoy mentoring and leading my team. Being able to develop coaches who truly care about the people they work with and who take pride in doing things the right way matters to me. I want to put better trainers out into the world and raise the standard of care in this industry.

There is something especially meaningful about supporting younger professionals as they enter this field. I want them to have a positive, educational and values-driven experience so they can move through the rest of their careers knowing that this can be a purposeful, fulfilling profession. Contributing to the health of our community while also investing in the future of the industry is something I take great pride in.

What is a typical day like for you?

I tend to wake up early. My body usually wakes me up between 4:30 and 5:30 each morning. I start my day quietly, which allows me to focus, reflect and set intentions before things get busy. I always eat breakfast. Fueling my body helps me show up as the best version of myself for my clients and my team, and no one needs to see me hangry.

Before heading out the door, I spend a little time with my animals and wish my partner a great day. Most of my workday is centered around leading and mentoring my team so we can continue delivering the highest level of care to our community. I work with health coaching clients, meet with businesses we want to partner with and stay closely involved in the day-to-day operations of Momentum Fit.

I also prioritize my own training, and I have my team train me. I enjoy not having to make decisions for one hour of the day, and I trust them implicitly with my training and health. I believe strongly in modeling what I coach. I am not perfect, but I consistently do my best.

Are you from this area originally, or did you settle here from somewhere else? If the latter, what brought you to this community?

I’m not originally from Ponte Vedra Beach. I was born in St. Augustine and grew up in Middleburg, Florida. I initially started college in Tampa, and when I transferred to the University of North Florida, I discovered Ponte Vedra Beach through a job I took out here. I quickly fell in love with the sense of peace and balance the area offered.

Not long after, I started Momentum Fit, and this community has been my home since 2005. I am deeply invested in Ponte Vedra Beach and committed to making a long-term impact here by continuing to serve this community with the best I have to offer every day.

What do you like best about living here?

What I love most about living here is the beach and being surrounded by nature. There is a sense of calm that comes from that environment. The people have also been incredible, and I’ve built relationships that I truly value.

I appreciate the balance of an active lifestyle and a strong sense of community. People here care about their health, their families and meaningful connections. It’s a place where relationships matter, and that aligns deeply with how I approach both my work and my life.

How do you like to spend your free time?

Free time is a funny question. Between running my business, taking care of my dogs and sharing time outside of work with my partner, there isn’t a lot of it. When I do have it, I tend to recharge alone or mostly alone.

I love being outside, especially at the beach, where you’ll often find me looking for sharks’ teeth, biking or going for walks with friends. Connecting with people who keep me grounded is invaluable to me. I believe in watering the grass where it’s growing. If someone nurtures my soul, I want to give back to them in kind.

I also love to cook. It’s a creative outlet and a way for me to slow down. I value quiet time for reflection and learning, and taking care of my own health and nervous system is essential, especially in the work that I do.

What’s next for you and your business?

What’s next is continued growth with intention. I want to keep addressing the gaps I see in the health system by expanding education, leadership development and integrated wellness services within Momentum Fit. I’m also focused on growing my health coaching, speaking and writing work so I can reach more people who feel overwhelmed by their health and help them find clarity, confidence and momentum.

I would love to expand Momentum Fit, whether that means building another location or stepping in to help turn around a training studio that is struggling and bringing it into the Momentum model. Expanding our reach allows us to serve more communities while maintaining our standards and values.

At the core of it all, I feel a strong calling to provide meaningful, sustainable careers in this industry. I believe deeply in what we are doing, and I want to make the biggest and most meaningful impact possible, for both the people we serve and the professionals who choose this path.