Emily Schromm: From the Real World to fitness guru
Emily Schromm has come a long way from the reality TV show The Real World as she’s now a nationally-recognized sports athlete and Crossfit coach.
Schromm is also an out bisexual who’s raising the flag for the LGBT community everywhere.
Emily Schromm: From the cult life…
Schromm came into the spotlight when she was first introduced in MTV’s The Real World: DC reality TV show.
As expected, MTV in their press materials pushed the more interesting aspects of her life and personality into the public spotlight, one of which she grew up in a Fundamentalist Christian cult in Kirksville, Missouri.
Being an “athletic tomboy,” she went into sports and this helped her to get out into the real world.
She moved to Columbia and was studying in the University of Missouri while working as a barista in Starbucks in 2009 when she was pushed by a producer to apply as a contestant in the TV show.
“There was a guy who kept coming in. He was cute and fun and kept making conversation with me. I finally asked, sarcastically, if he was doing auditions for Real World and he asked if I wanted to talk to him after work,” she said.
“I was so embarrassed but I went in my Starbucks uniform,”she added.
The MTV press material also highlighted the fact that she was “more open-minded and experimental” to dating. This came to the fore during the show when she came out as a bisexual to her sister.
“I absolutely hate labels. I think they are limiting, and until The Real World, I never had to put a label on my sexuality,” she said.
Emily Schromm: …to the sports life
From her stint in the MTV show, she went on to focus on sports– starting with another TV show, MTV’s The Challenge.
While she filmed her parts for that show, she began to build her business as a personal trainer and professional CrossFit competitor.
Now living in Denver, Colorado, Schromm is a CrossFit coach, athlete, and nutritional therapy practitioner. She was once named Women’s Health Magazine’s Next Fitness Star.
“With every aspect of my life, I want to be better. It’s kind of a blessing and a curse. I have a really hard time settling and being appreciative because there’s always something better,” she said.
She added that “a workout gives me a sense of relief that I’m doing something to be better, and I feel that in the moment. It gets rid of the anxiety that I’m not doing enough.”
Emily Schromm: On being bisexual
On being a bisexual, Schromm considers herself fortunate in some aspects.
“I consider myself lucky that I can connect with both girls and boys. I think it is so hard for some people to understand merely because they can’t relate,”she said.
When she was younger, she said she almost considered becoming a lesbian as she moved from dating guys exclusively.
She said: “I feel like it’s more of my first into the maybe-lesbian world, so I feel like that’s why I’m testing it out… if it’s something I’m kinda inclined to, then go with it. And it’s me just being open and honest about myself.”
However, she still hates labels: “I hate how much focus is on “bi” or “gay” when it should just be universally accepted that anyone can date anyone, and no one should judge or criticize. Maybe someday, eh?”