Fitness Staff

Ernie Everhart, Water Aerobics Instructor

Ernie earned her Bachelor's degree from Blue Mountain College in Mississippi. She taught school for 37 years in Knoxville, Memphis, and Chattanooga. She has worked in marketing and accounting for 10 years. She has served as an Aquatic Group Fitness Instructor here at Jump Start since 2005.

She and her husband spent several years traveling the U.S. She enjoys spending time with her son and 3 grandchildren. Her favorite past time is water aerobics.

Kim Goetze, Water Aerobics Instructor

After graduating cum laude from University of Tennessee and earning a Master's degree in Education, Kim worked with a wide variety of multiple deficit clients both privately and as a traveling special teacher for Knox County Schools.

Kim is certified through the National Academy of Sports Medicine, the Arthritis Foundation, and the Aquatic Exercise Association. She has taught strength, flexibility and water aerobic classes since 1995.

Special capabilities include implementation of physical therapy prescriptions and design of individual programs to meet specific physiological requirements of her clients. Special interests include corrective exercises and functional personal training.

Kim and her husband, Jim, have three children and five grandchildren. She enjoys all aspects of physical fitness, exercise nutrition and especially assisting clients, family and friends reach their personal goals.

Laurann Whetham, Water Aerobics Instructor, Swim Instructor and Tai Chi Instructor

Laurann has always enjoyed and appreciated the positive effects of healthy exercise. From biking, playing softball, basketball, and tennis in her youth to swimming and Tai Chi as a senior adult, physical activity has enriched her lifestyle and allowed her to deal with the side effects of serious illness and the effects of aging, such as arthritis. As an endurance swimmer, Laurann was recruited into an aquatics career with the YMCA in 1996, where she served as Aquatics Coordinator and became a trainer in the Arthritis Foundation's Aquatic Program, a Swim Instructor Trainer, and an Aquatic Exercise Association Fitness Instructor. In 1999, Laurann was offered a position as instructor at St. Mary's Health & Fitness Center (later Tennova Health & Fitness), where she helped to create the aquatics education program, teaching water fitness classes and swimming to students of all ages. In 2006, Laurann became certified as an instructor in the Tai Chi for Health program.

Laurann and her husband have been married 45 years and have two grown children. They enjoy exercise, reading, and travel, which includes teaching water exercise and Tai Chi on cruise ships, accompanied by many of her awesome aquatic and Tai Chi students.

Sandy Larson, Yoga Instructor

Sandy is a lifelong professional dancer, choreographer and teacher. She was voted Knoxville's best female yoga teacher in 2015. She owns a private Dance and Yoga studio. She has 2 sons and 2 grandchildren.

Jessica Lynn, Aerobics Instructor

Jessica Lynn is one of our newest aerobics instructors. Her love for fitness began as an 8-year-old running around the bases of the softball field. Jessica is married to her high school sweetheart and is Mom to four beautiful girls. She enjoys cooking, singing, and spending time with family and friends.

Jessie Richardson, AAAI Certified Personal Trainer and Aquatics Instructor

Jessie's journey towards personal training began with being a coxswain for the Lady Vol Rowing team at UT. Her position on the rowing team required her to not only coach her teammates but to motivate them to be the best athletes they could be! Since rowing, Jessie has competed in the bodybuilding world while also expanding her passion for health and fitness by becoming a personal trainer. Jessie's strengths include strength training, aqua fitness, and giving positive encouragement that will keep you motivated from session to session. Her goal is to live a healthy and fit life and to inspire others to do the same!

Lynne Wright, Zumba, Personal Trainer, Water Aerobics, Sports Nutrition Consultant, Weight Management Coach

Lynne is a Knoxville native. She graduated from Webb School of Knoxville. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology and a Minor in Psychology from The Johns Hopkins University. She worked with the Johns Hopkins Lead Agency Out-Patient Clinic, and Baltimore Crisis Hot-Line Agency as a Clinical Case Manager that served patients diagnosed with Chronic Mental Illness and Traumatic Brain Injuries. She returned home in 1998 and continued to work as a Clinical Case Manager at Peninsula Out-Patient Clinic which is a division of Covenant Health.

She has been in the Health and Fitness Industry combined for over 25 years. She has always had a passion for health and fitness, sports and athleticism. I've enjoyed helping people achieve their maximum potential and overall wellbeing.

When I'm not working, you can see me singing with the Knoxville Opera Gospel Choir at local events during the Spring The Rossini Festival and in the Fall Opera Goes To Church.

Robert Siler, Personal Trainer, Fitness Attendant

Robert is a personal trainer and front desk associate for Jump Start. He's ACE certified and is looking to further his learning to help clients. He enjoys meeting new people and being part of their fitness journey whatever it may be.

Robert loves working out and maintaining a healthy and function lifestyle. From lifting weights with friends to helping others he's self-motivated to bring the best out of others and himself. He enjoys playing and watching football, working on cars with his dad and spending time with his wife.

April Wright

Bio coming soon...

Josh Hodges, Fitness Attendant

Josh graduated Central High School in 2013. He is currently attending classes at Pellissippi with plans to transfer to the University of Tennessee. Josh joined the Jump Start team in August of 2015.

Outside of school and work, Josh spends his free time playing video games and singing Korean-style ballads to his dog Harley.

Bailey Dangerfield, Fitness Attendant

Bailey's main objective as a personal trainer is to help you live your healthiest and to enable you to become confident in your physical abilities. He is also available to help you improve your physical coordination. His own sports experience includes baseball, basketball and football.