Former ballet dancer turned kung fu black belt, Artemis has been working in the fitness industry for over ten years. She made a drastic career change and left her job as an IT consultant to pursue a career in fitness and never looked back.


Former ballet dancer turned kung fu black belt, Artemis has been working in the fitness industry for over ten years. She made a drastic career change and left her job as an IT consultant to pursue a career in fitness and never looked back.

Working in an office did not suit her as she has been an athlete all of her life. Artemis was a ballet dancer for 23 years; she began training in classical ballet, Russian technique, at the age of four, and continued on to study various types of dance with the Boston Ballet. After receiving her BA in psychology with a minor in French from the George Washington University in Washington, DC, Artemis relocated to New York City for two years. While living in New York City, Artemis worked and trained closely with celebrity trainer Ary Nunez. At that time, Artemis decided to hang up her ballet shoes in order to study kung fu.

Artemis started her martial arts journey studying southern Shaolin style kung fu with a focus on the Five Animal System. Artemis returned to her University town of Washington, DC in 2005 where she began to study T’ien Shan Pai style kung fu and contemporary wushu. She competed in her first two kung fu competitions in June and September of 2007 where she won three gold medals and one silver medal. In 2009, while living in Washington, DC Artemis obtained her black belt in T’ien Shan Pai style kung fuand wushu.

Artemis Scantalides is a NASM Certified Personal Trainer, SFG Kettlebell Instructor Level II, RKC II Certified Kettlebell Instructor, and a Certified Kettlebell-Functional Movement Specialist. She specializes in Hardstyle Style Kettlebell Training. She is also a certified SPIN Instructor and certified to train the pregnant and postpartum client.

Artemis also completed the Iron Maiden Challenge on July 25, 2014. She was the ninth woman in the world to complete the Iron Maiden Challenge between StrongFirst and the RKC and the lightest and smallest woman to date, as of July 25, 2014, to complete the challenge.

As co-owner and CEO of Iron Body Studios in Needham, Massachusetts, ReebokONE Fitness Ambassador, and creator of the I Am Not Afraid to Lift workshop series, Artemis seeks to empower women through strength as she continues to encourage and inspire women to not be afraid to lift weights. Artemis swears by kettlebell training, as she states: "It is the only tool that I have seen change my clients' bodies and MY body.”