Currently a student of the performing arts at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Emma Russek has been acting since the age of 8 when she played Marika in a local theater production of The Miracle on 34th Street. Now 20, she is on her way to get her undergraduate degree in theatre with a minor in communications. Always seeking to grow as an individual, Emma also recently began her journey to become certified as a group fitness trainer.

Having moved around all her life, Emma attended three different high schools, the most notable of which was in the city of London, England. During her time at The International Community School of London, Emma also attended the youth program at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in northern London. It was due to her experience here that she knew being an actor and an entertainer was truly what she wanted to do with her life. Upon returning to school in America, Emma won ‘Best Actress’ at her school’s film festival two years in a row and was deeply involved in the local theater scene.

Emma Russek did not discover her passion till fitness later on. After her four year struggle with an eating disorder, Emma decided to join her schools rowing team on a whim. During practice, she realized in order to be a good teammate, she needed to have energy and start taking care of her body. It was her desire to help her peers and be part of a team that turned her life around. Since that moment, Emma has picked up boxing, crossfit, and running, but she also has been struggling with an autoimmune condition, which has made her even more determined to teach others a healthy relationship with their bodies. She hopes once she achieves her certification that she can use it to help foster the idea that exercise should not be treated as a chore or a punishment for eating, but a celebration of all the amazing things your body can do if you love it for what it is.