PRACTITIONER & OPERATIONS MANAGER

Lejla Nel

I was born in the Netherlands and lived there until late 2024. I’m originally Bosnian, so I speak Dutch, Bosnian, and English. In 2024, I moved to Austin, Texas, after the opportunity arose to work at Functional Patterns Texas.

From a young age, I’ve always been drawn to sports and movement. As a child, I played tennis and badminton, but during my teenage years, I shifted my focus to dance. My lifelong love for music sparked this change. I began with Hip-Hop, exploring various styles such as locking, popping, breakdance, house, and more.

After six years of dancing, around 2014, I started developing an interest in fitness and strength training. My initial goal was to lose fat and gain muscle, so I began creating my workouts and learning about the human body.

A few years into my fitness journey, I felt a strong desire to become a personal trainer. After earning my Bachelor’s degree in Human Resource and Business Management, I pursued certification in personal training. Around two years before getting certified, I returned to dance — this time focusing on salsa, bachata, and Urban Kizomba.

After six years of strength training and two years of dancing again, I began to experience discomfort in my back and chest. At just 23 years old, I found it alarming that I could only walk for about 10 minutes before feeling a burning sensation and tightness on the right side of my back. I knew something had to change. I stopped working out and focused solely on dancing, as it brought me joy. However, dancing in high heels — common in these dance styles — placed my body in poor alignment and led to further discomfort. I tried physical therapy and osteopathy, but after some time, I realized I wasn’t improving; in fact, things were getting worse.

In 2021, I discovered Functional Patterns. I immediately stopped traditional strength training and dancing and dove into the Functional Patterns online courses. I understood that to solve my issues, I needed to change my habits. Within six weeks, I began to see real progress. I was finally able to walk longer than 10 minutes without the same discomfort I experienced before. The transition toward a pain-free life felt both fast and natural.

Already working as a personal trainer at the time, I decided to pursue certification as a Functional Patterns Practitioner. My passion for movement deepened as I realized the power of improving human biomechanics. My goals evolved — from simply building muscle and losing fat to moving efficiently and pain-free. I now focus on building functional strength and resilience, allowing me to live comfortably in my body.

After working with clients in the Netherlands, I wanted to be part of a larger team with a shared mission. That desire is what ultimately brought me to Functional Patterns Texas. My role at Functional Patterns Texas started as Operations Manager, and now I embody a hybrid role, which means I work as a Practitioner and Operations Manager.