financial honcho redesigned

by Ray Steen

With two hundred people, ten managers and six booming mortgage bank branches under her belt, she had finally reached the pinnacle of her professional career. Victoria Stratman was the president of a major institution. Millennium Bank Mortgage Company reaped the rewards of Stratman’s 16-hour work days and 20 years of banking experience before spitting out a tapped-out career business woman who had gained 30 pounds in a little over four years of service. The stresses had worn her physically and emotionally.

“That lifestyle took a toll,” Stratman admitted. “It was a tremendous factor in my gaining weight because I wasn’t able to get away and work out, or do the things I needed to do to take care of myself.”

During her tenure at Millennium, Stratman tried balancing her work life and personal life by exercising with a woman she had met at her local country club. Not long after, the woman moved away. Then Stratman joined a local gym, where she began a new regimen with a fitness trainer, Ralph Ferraiolo. Just when she hit her stride, the routine changed. Like most gyms, constant turnover in instructors and inflexible scheduling left Stratman strained. Now, both her job and her health lacked the comfort and continuity she desperately needed.

In 2005, she made the leap from the penthouse at Millennium to branch manager of a local mortgage company in Herndon, freeing up some of her time. She quickly reinvested it by making a 40-minute commute from her home in Oakton to Leesburg, reuniting with her former fitness trainer with whom she had previous success. Ferraiolo had just launched his own fitness studio in Leesburg. This time, there was no chance she would let her health take a back seat to her career.

Each Saturday, Victoria, mother of two, and her husband John, father of one, drive to Ferraiolo Fitness Studio at 7 a.m., where Ralph prepares them for their custom routine. “I love the studio,” Victoria said. “It’s so comfortable and so beautiful to work in. My husband is my Saturday morning date. That really is our time together. No cell phones, no children, none of that.”

Ferraiolo Fitness is a private, state-of-the-art studio located in historic downtown Leesburg. Despite the long drive before a grueling workout, the Stratmans enjoy their time together and appreciate the niceties of working with a personal trainer.

“Ralph is flexible and understands the business person has other things to do also,” Victoria said. “If I have to cancel, he understands that. Plus, we have fun with Ralph. He knows us. He knows what we can do, what we can’t do, and if I have injuries that I have to be careful with, he’s honest and pays close attention to that.”

Finally, attention to detail has paid off. Since 2006, Victoria has lost 27 pounds, including five inches around her stomach and four inches around her midriff. “I still have five more pounds to go, but my husband already hit his plateau – by three ounces,” Victoria laughed. “He’s lost eight pounds since January and I’ve lost six. We watch what we eat, play golf together and walk. We do as much as we can with the time that we have.”

In addition to her Saturday morning dates, Victoria also travels to Ferraiolo Fitness once a week in the morning and commits herself to 90 sit-ups every other day. Victoria’s youngest daughter is getting married in March and she remains hell-bent on showing off her hard work. “Five years ago my oldest daughter got married and I wore a full, long dress,” Victoria said. “I recently had to work with my seamstress to take it in a bunch and redesign it to a fitted dress. I feel good about that.”

Victoria should. Since assuming her redesigned figure, she has twice been recruited by Ann Taylor to model clothing at the Fair Oaks Mall in Virginia. “Like interior design, it’s a hobby of mine that I enjoy,” Victoria said.

When asked if her new busy schedule would eventually supersede her Saturday morning workout date, Victoria replied with a resounding – “Not a chance.”