Fitz Koehler (MSSPM ’98)
Fitness expert, speaker, author and professional race announcer.

Fitz Koehler, MSSPM ’98, is a fitness expert, speaker, author and professional race announcer. Her focus is on helping others live better and longer. She was inspired to write her new book “My Noisy Cancer Comeback: Running at the Mouth, While Running for My Life” because she felt like her breast cancer journey was close to insane.
Koehler never stopped traveling the country to announce at races during treatment, so things became quite hairy and even hilarious at times. Plus, there are so many things nobody ever tells you about when undergoing cancer treatment. Besides having a good laugh at her expense, she wants readers to walk away with improved perspective and more hope for a cure if they’re also battling any sort of cancer.
About her experience at UF, Koehler said she was excited to become a Gator the second she arrived on campus as a freshman, but then something really clicked.
“My heart was quickly stolen while walking out of the football stadium after a particularly painful loss,” Koehler said. “When the tunnels filled with people still cheering ‘It’s great to be a Florida Gator,’ I knew I found my people.”
To Koehler, the Gator Nation is a legitimate family. No matter where her travels take her, she says she always meets a fellow Gator and that the mutual support is incredible.
Her time at HHP was rewarding, as Koehler considers her master’s degree in Exercise and Sport Sciences the most powerful feather in her professional hat. She said she adores remaining involved with the college as a guest lecturer and by hosting interns.
Her advice to current students is to not bail on their dream jobs.
“You chose HHP for a reason!” Koehler said. “You love sports, fitness, health or travel – don’t just take any old job just because it’s easy. Finding or creating a job that you love is worth putting in the extra effort.”
Read more about Koehler’s book.