My Story

Heather “Trainer Heather” Sutherland, is a Los Angeles native, who was born in Brooklyn, New York and raised in Belize City until she was 8 years old. As a child living in Belize, her love for sport grew when she discovered basketball. After relocating to Los Angeles in 1994, her continued love for all things sport sparked her desire to further her knowledge about sport. She studied Kinesiology in college and became a physical education teacher 2 months after graduation. Due to budget cuts, she was laid off. During her time off, she frequented gyms and soon realized that her passion for sport could translate into fitness and allow her to impact lives through this. She started her personal training journey in 2010 with 24 hour fitness in Lancaster, Ca. Soon after, she became nationally certified through the National Academy of Sports medicine and holds multiple certifications that qualify her to teach anything from water aerobics to spin class. In 2018, Heather started Empire Training Academy to bring wellness to meet you where you are. She desires to bridge the gap between accessibility and cost. Her ultimate goal is to create experiences through fitness. Experiences such as Trap Boot Camp, Betty Boot Camp and Los Angeles Fitness Festival, where music, culture, and fitness collide. Her philosophy is to live a life of purpose that is seen, not heard. As such, she educates and inspires her clients through action.