ELIZABETH BRACKETT

It’s hard to imagine someone more widely accomplished than Elizabeth Brackett. She’s an experienced reporter and correspondent for WTTW and now the winner of the 2008 USAT National Championship Triathlon. When asked why she began training and competing in triathlons, she simply answered, “I want to stay in shape.”

Always having been something of an athlete, Elizabeth was the only woman on the Indiana University’s diving team in college at a time when discrimination was still rampant. “Women weren’t allowed to compete in the meets,” she said.

For the past 15 years, Brackett has been competing in triathlons. Her win in September qualifies her for the world championships in Australia’s Gold Coast next year, where over 6,000 athletes will compete in a four-day festival.

A woman of brains and brawn, Elizabeth has been working as a segment host on Chicago Tonight, and got her start at WBBM Channel 2 as a weekend reporter. She won a Peabody in 1988 for her election coverage and recently received an Emmy for her coverage of the BP Amoco refinery in Gary, Indiana. A seasoned Emmy winner, she was also honored with the award for her work on the MacNeil-Lehrer NewsHour and as host of Chicago Tonight.

As a citizen of Chicago dedicated to providing our city with exceptional news coverage over the years, it’s good to see her making news as well. Lindsey Reiser

JENNY LORBECK’S “WORKOUT SANCTUARY”

It isn’t because she owns one of the most unique and exclusive gyms in Chicago that you should know Jenny Lorbeck. It also isn’t because she was crowned Miss Illinois 1989 or because she was personal trainer for the Smashing Pumpkins. You should know Jenny because she’s that rare person who achieves the pinnacle of their career goal and continually takes joy in what she does.

Raised in Climax, Michigan, Jenny was always very active and liked working with other people. Athleticism and health was all in the family. “My mom studied nutrition on her own,” Jenny says. “She was self-taught, and my dad was really fit. My step-mom always insisted that we stay healthy as well.”

After beginning body building in her 20s, Jenny soon saw personal training as the perfect fit and began working at the Lakeshore Athletic Club. She always dreamed of having her own athletic center and finally opened the Energy Training Center (ETC) in 2000 with the help of Michael Sena.

ETC is something of a workout sanctuary. Rather than employ personal trainers or let members exercise on their own, clients have private sessions with one of the 42 independent trainers who rent space from Jenny. Clients can come to the Center and feel free of self-consciousness or distraction when working out. “It’s nice to know that the person next to you is with their trainer working for the same goal,” Jenny says, “It creates a sense of family.”

By allowing independent trainers to conduct private classes, ETC also avoids the cookie-cutter gym sessions that aren’t tailored to different exercise habits or abilities. Instead, Jenny works as a personal training matchmaker, putting trainers and clients together in a “match made in heaven.”

This business model also allows for unique sessions such as functional training, which essentially helps elderly clients stay fit enough to function in their everyday lives. One member, 92, practices balancing exercises, walking and standing up and sitting down properly to avoid back injury. Trainers at ETC also offer sports-advancement classes, which help students over age 10 excel at their favorite sport. “We want to create a space here for the elderly and young,” says Jenny.

So what’s next for this enterprising entrepreneur? “I’d really like a facility where I could expand on functional training, kids programs, sports psychology and maybe self-defense programs,” she says. “I think it would be great to go out into the community.”Lindsey Reiser

STUDIO E

Going to the gym can sometimes mean too many people, not enough equipment and an obnoxious noise level. These are three things you won’t find at Studio E in Chicago. Building the business from the ground up, Karina Davis had a vision; it became a reality when Karina opened Studio E in June 2008. After earning her degree in personal training from the National Personal Training Institute, Karina decided to open a gym where it’s all about the client. Being the owner and sole trainer, Karina creates custom sessions, from music to personal exercises, for each client, who currently range in age from 24-87. Karina trains people with aches and pains, physical therapy needs or just people wanting to lose weight, tone up or live a healthier lifestyle. With a massage therapist on-site, clients can schedule massages to relax after a workout or wind down from a stressful day. A one-hour session with Karina runs $85, but also includes expert consultation and assessment, yoga classes and use of cardio machines. All these things make it easier for Karina and the client to reach the goals they have set. “It’s part of giving me more information about my clients’ bodies to help them reach their goals,” Karina says. “It’s hard work, but we somehow make it fun and interesting.” M.Y.

WOMEN’S NIGHT AT GOLFSMITH

Love golf or tennis? On Tuesday, December 2, Golfsmith stores nationwide, including the location at 2782 North Clybourn Avenue, will be hosting Golfsmith’s Women’s Night. Each attendee at the private shopping event will receive a $25 Golfsmith cash card; a variety of other contests and events will also take place. Golfsmith donates a percentage of the sales to support the American Heart Association; this past spring’s event raised $9,000 for the AHA. 6:30PM. Call 773.281.1494.