Insider Guide: Shawn Schaefer Neubecker

Shawn (“Shawny”) Schaefer Neubecker grew up in Southeastern Michigan in Roseville. “I got jumped a lot when I was young,” she says. “I had a lot of fear in my life. I took a kickboxing class and found a talent I never knew I had. [It turned out] I had a tremendous talent for this stuff and I LOVED it.” She began to train professionally, and ended up teaching other people how to work out. “I have a gift for inspiring and motivating people. I’m one of those people who sees greatness in others. I love motivating and inspiring people and helping them get to the next level.”

Shawn runs a kickboxing boot camp at Body Check Personal Training in Grand Blanc. “This is not an aerobics class,” she states firmly. “I’m hardcore! But it’s really because I believe in people; I see the potential in them.” Shawn loves being able to inspire and motivate people, and she also enjoys the diversity of people she encounters in her work. NBA player Morris Peterson even visited one of her classes once. “Afterwards he said, ‘This class ain’t no joke y’all!’”

Shawn has also been the coordinator for Fuel 4 Teens for the past seven years, which is a youth program run out of the First Baptist Church of Holly that engages in outreach with at-risk youth and those in destructive cycles in their lives. Shawn is very passionate about helping these kids as an extension of her faith, but also of her own life experience. “Poverty is not just about money,” she says. “A lot of people have a poverty of spirit. It’s a lack of hope. I just love to spread hope; I tell them, ‘You got this; it ain’t got you!’ I’m the nice Jillian Michaels!”

Shawn, who ended up in Grand Blanc after getting married and first living in Holly, describes it as a “totally cool, very young town.” She adds, “It has a beautiful downtown; it’s a cool little place!” She loves to hang out at Starbucks, where a lot of the local students can be spotted sipping a cappuccino while studying, and she has a weakness for Qdoba Mexican Grill. But the Buffalo Wild Wings seems to be the real hot spot with the younger crowd, especially when there’s a game on. And she raves about the food at Brick Street of Grand Blanc, a contemporary American restaurant which features dry-aged Angus Prime beef on their “Reserve Steak List” (they also have live bands playing outside in the summer).
 
The huge art deco Trillium Cinema is the place to go for indoor entertainment, but for outdoor activities the Creasey Bicentennial Park has fantastic trails for hiking and running, and adults can also join a basketball, softball or kickball through Grand Blanc Parks & Recreation. Winter worshippers will be happy to know that Mt. Holly is just a short drive down I-75. “Mt. Holly is the BOMB for snowboarding and skiing; everyone goes there!”

And, of course, Shawn recommends getting your body in shape at Body Check. “It’s brand-new and it’s awesome. [Owner Michele Roscoe] is following her dream. There’s all different kinds of classes and it’s very affordable.” Classes range from Shawn’s kickboxing bootcamp to family weight loss, pilates and figure-shaping.

For faith-based young people looking for like-minded organizations, Shawn recommends the Freedom Center in nearby Fenton (where she also teaches fitness classes). “It’s an extremely young church, and there are a lot of people doing amazing stuff with the community.” For anyone who is passionate about community involvement, this is a place to give back. “It’s not lame; there’s no knitting mittens! I’m just not down with that! Get me out on the streets and have a huge party; there are so many different things you can do that’s really in-your-face. And the church has its own personal trainers!” Grand Blanc is an ideal community for energetic and enthusiastic young people who want to be involved with their community, in a way that is totally grassroots and with hardcore people like Shawny guiding the way.