Andrea Tarrant, owner of Fierce Fitness workout studio in East Wareham, was named the New England Trainer of the Year by the American Aerobic Association International last Saturday.

Hundreds of applicants from all over New England competed for this honor, which was narrowed down to seven finalists. The AAAI was founded in 1980 and is one of the largest fitness certification associations in the world, with over 180,000 members.

An interview session was held on Friday, Aug. 21 with a panel of judges to determine the final winner. One question that was asked of Tarrant was “What is the biggest challenge you see facing the fitness industry?”

Tarrant’s response was "intimidation." She said she strongly feels that no one should ever feel any intimidation when they walk through the doors of her fitness studio.

Fierce Fitness, located at 3065 Cranberry Highway, was opened two years ago, and has nearly 100 members. Tarrant said her model focuses on shorter classes that work the entire body so that you can "get in, get out, get results." She said her studio also has a no intimidation atmosphere where anyone, regardless of fitness level, is immediately welcomed.

Tarrant started her personal fitness journey in 2007 when a co-worker took a picture of a group of people and she didn’t recognize herself in the photo. She weighed 278 pounds. The next day she embarked on a fitness and wellness journey and has turned her passion into a career.