Throwing punches and sweating bullets in front of a room of people is the last place Kim Broadus ever thought she’d be.

But these days, that’s right where she is. And she wouldn’t have it any other way.

A personal trainer and group fitness instructor for 10 years, Broadus got her start as a student in a step aerobics class. Several family members were overweight and suffering from a myriad of health issues, and she was determined not to follow in their footsteps. She struggled at first but was mesmerized by the instructor’s energy and skill. Once she got her feet wet, she fell in love.

“I was like, wow … I want to do that.”

That cathartic moment transformed a shy corporate drudge into a vivacious returning college student, successful business owner and fiercely independent mother who does it all. “Anything is possible,” she said.

Broadus was raising her young daughter, now 7, while working full time as a quality assurance analyst at Harland Clarke in Decatur. She also was managing her business, Keep It In Motion, which she started in 2012.

“For me, there is no excuse,” she said. “To the woman who tells me, ‘I had a Caesarean a year ago’ – I was teaching two weeks before I had my daughter. To the woman who says ‘I don’t want to mess up my hair’ – you have time for your hair appointment, you can make time to get your nails done, you can make time to work on your body.”

Broadus works on more than 150 bodies in 11 classes every week using boot camp, Pilates, step and body sculpting. But when she developed heel spurs in 2006, she wanted to teach a class that was low impact.

That’s when she discovered Piloxing, which she will demonstrate on Jan. 26 at the Mall at Stonecrest as she competes against seven other fitness instructors in the 2013 Fitness FaceOff at 1 p.m. during CrossRoadsNews’ Health, Wellness & Beauty Expo.

For more information, e-mail kimbtrainer@gmail.com or call 404-399-8006.