Meet Eva Huning

Hi, my name is Eva and I just turned 35 this month. Born and raised in Germany, I came to the United States in January of 2003 at the age of 22. My US journey started in Valdosta, Georgia, where I received a scholarship to play tennis for the Valdosta State University (VSU) while getting my Bachelor degree in Marketing. My husband Tobias was the assistant tennis coach at VSU at that time. We started dating a year earlier back in Germany and met as young kids through our mutual passion, the game of tennis. After graduating, I moved to Memphis, TN, where my husband was working on getting his PhD. I started teaching at a local tennis center in addition to becoming the assistant women’s tennis coach at the University of Memphis. From 2006 to 2008, I was the asst. women’s tennis coach at the University of Louisville In Kentucky. We moved to Columbus in 2008. My husband accepted a job at the Columbus State University and I received my MBA at CSU while being involved with the Columbus State tennis teams.

Playing tennis as a little kid tennis pic

Since I was 6 years old, I was always involved in sports. Track and field, German “handball”, and tennis were the three sports that I started with. I later decided to stick with tennis, which I enjoyed the most. First I played local, then national, and then international tournaments. Practice was every day, 2 hours on the court and fitness training afterwards. Right after school, my mom drove me to practice, when I got home, I had to do homework, then eat, then go to bed. Tournaments were mostly on weekends. Thankfully, I had good grades, so my teachers allowed me to miss some days for tournaments. The effort paid off for a while. I was ranked top 5 in Germany as a junior, and at one point had a WTA world ranking of 949, allowing me to play against some of the best players in the world at that time. However, everything comes at a price. I had my first knee surgery at the age of 16, my second one at the age of 20, right when I finished high school in Germany. Now I had to decide which career path I want to take. I knew that tennis was not something I can make my living with, so I decided to start studying at the University of Cologne. I still played tennis, but only team tennis, which I always greatly enjoyed. Sports, especially tennis, have given me so much in my life that I am thankful for; Structure, discipline, stamina, confidence, willpower, a positive mindset, an ability to handle setbacks, and many other things. It has been, and still is, a big part of not only my life, but also my husband’s, who has been a former professional and college tennis player himself.

Toby and me old pic

My husband and I got married in the summer of 2011 after almost 10 years together. In November 2011 our first son Maximilian arrived and changed our lives forever. The first couple of weeks were rough. I had baby blues, struggled with breastfeeding, and hated looking at myself in the mirror. Thankfully, I had lots of support from my family in Germany, who flew over and stayed for months in order to help me grow into motherhood and balancing child and job. I was still working as a tennis coach, and being back on court actually helped me get back into shape. In March 2014, our second son, Paul, arrived. This time everything was so much easier. I knew what to expect, was able to enjoy breastfeeding for the very first time, and had no job to worry about except the job of being a stay at home mom! I had gained 40 pounds in my second pregnancy, much more than with my first one. However, I was happy to have a healthy baby, had lots of time for my kids, help from family, and was so proud that this time breastfeeding was working for me and my little one. I was not rushing things; just enjoyed being at home with my kids. After about 3 months, a little bit of walking and slow jogging, I was ready to join back with the Stroller Strong Moms.

40 lbs heavier during pregnancy with Paul

I started stroller strong moms when my first son was a little over 6 month old. A friend of mine told me about it and I was curious to try it. I liked the fact that I could work out in a team and have my baby with me in the stroller. After my first class, I was positively surprised by the high intensity of the SSM workouts. I felt muscle groups I have never felt before and loved it! It did not take long to get my body back in shape after I joined SSM with my first son. After my second child and more weight gain during pregnancy, it took me a little longer to get back in shape. I knew that if I could just stick to my routine, come to class, push myself, and eat healthily, I would eventually get back in shape. And I did!  SSM is such a great concept! After two kids, I feel better and healthier in my body than ever before. It is amazing seeing your body transform when you stick to a program that works!

SSM pic with kids