maria scafide barr

We are so excited to introduce you to Maria Scafide Barr! You may know her from The Barre Box and you may have seen her at a Sea Wolves game! Learn more about her here!

“I have lived on the Gulf Coast since 2007 and grew up in Wiggins, MS from 6th grade on. I moved to the Gulf Coast in 2007 after I returned home from Hurricane Katrina. I have been self employed for the last 3 years. I am 41 years young, and for the last 20 years I have been a fitness instructor on the coast!

I started at E-Fitness and now I own my own studio called The Barre Box. I've also been a virtual instructor for a global fitness brand called HOTWORX for the last 4 years. It's a crazy competition process to which they only select 7 instructors from all over the world each year. Each year you have to compete for your spot and I am proud to say I am the only instructor who has successfully won 4 consecutive years in a row! I am also a Fitness Educator all over the USA for a brand called Barre Intensity. I have enjoyed traveling the country over the last 10 years leading fitness workshops from East to West Coast. I wear a lot of hats but they are all life/work aligned. I truly enjoying serving those through movement and fun group fitness classes. I am also a proud Arbonne consultant which allows me to deepen my love of fitness from inside out. I graduated from USM in 2005 and was a member of the Southern Misses Dance Team. I also attended the Perk Campus of MGCCC where I played soccer, was a member of the Perkette Dance team, and later worked at the campus for years.

My family is the best! I am married to a Chicago native, Justin, whom I met through Hockey 11 years ago in 2014. Together we have two kids, Mia, age 8 and Leo, age 5. They are spitting images of the two of us and full of the best hugs, jokes, and stories. I am head over heels for my hubby. We had both of our kids before we tied the knot in 2020 during covid. Our wedding even made the news as one of the only couples who got married during Covid. Fun times!

As I mentioned previously, I have been so involved on the coast and while most people know me for my fitness classes, but I am also a big Hockey fan as well. I grew up attending many SeaWolves games as a kid and I'm now proudly married to the Captain of the Team who also assisted in brining hockey back in 2021. I spend a lot of time taking my family to places all over the coast from Front Beach to Parks all over the coast. We enjoy eating out at local mom an pop eaterys like Eat Drink Love, Jacked Up Coffee, and Boozers Brew.

Growing up in Wiggins, we always took weekend trips to the "coast" growing up. We have now lived in Ocean Springs for the last 10 years. One of my 1st jobs was a lifeguard at Flink Creek Water Park. I then worked at the 1st Hooters on the Gulf Coast and helped open the Biloxi location when I was young. Since then I have worked at MGCC, the American Heart Association, E-Fitness & Wellness, PureRyde Pilates + Cycle, Reformed, and Planet Fitness. I now own my own studio called The Barre Box located in Gulfport, MS. We attend New Life Church in Biloxi. As a family we love attending Hockey games together, Baseball Games, anything outdoors and more. I have enjoyed many trips on my kayak paddeling around Deer Island and other fun spots. You can catch us at the beach most days in the summer or attending fun camps/activities at Lynn Meadows. Life here is just beautiful. I tell people who have never been to MS that the Gulf Coast is truly a unique experience compared to the rest of the state.

When asked to share a piece of advice with all the mamas out there, this is what she said:

“It’s ok to go for big goals as a mom. You're teaching your kids to live a full life no matter an age. We tend to put our families first as moms, but I encourage moms to not give up their dreams at any point in their motherhood.”