Sue Teoli, 46, used to be a numbers person. When her friends started a cleaning business, she managed the books and juggled the figures. But tragedy changed that.
An automobile accident in 1990 left her with brain trauma and killed a friend in the car. Teoli was sent to therapy to begin her recovery. "They said I would change, but no one believed it," she said.
Now, numbers just aren't her thing anymore. She lets other people handle the calculations. The cleaning service is still running, but Teoli isn't a part of it. But that isn't the end of her story.
As she recovered, Teoli joined a gym to get back in shape. Despite being athletic and playing softball as a youth, she hadn't learned much about being healthy. "I'd always been on a team and working out, but I never knew what I was doing. I couldn't have told you the difference between a carbohydrate and a protein," said Teoli.
So while working to get healthy, she took classes on health and fitness, eventually completing Southern Connecticut State University's graduate program. Through the process, Teoli worked in area gyms and did personal training. In January 2009, she purchased New Canaan Fitness Together. It became an opportunity to own a business and make personal connections.
"I want my clients to get fit, but I also want their company," said Teoli, who was surrounded by paperwork in her office. The office is quiet on weekday early afternoons, as most of her clients and trainers work out mornings or later in the day.
Teoli doesn't know whether personal training is her true calling. She enjoys it but sometimes wonders what the universe's grand plan is for her. "They say things make you stronger, I don't know. I know I'm here for a reason. I should have died," she said.
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