Peloton coach Mariana Fernández is charting a new course, embracing a philosophy of self-prioritization and strength as she turns 40. For Fernández, this milestone isn’t just about age; it signifies a profound shift in how she defines family, motherhood, and her own life’s rules. This personal evolution deeply informs her public persona and her influential role within the global fitness community.
Her identity as an aunt is central to this narrative, a role she describes as a profound source of love and connection. “When my godson was born, it was like finding the love of my life in a very different way,” she shared in an exclusive interview. With six nieces and nephews now in her life, she states, “Being an aunt is the closest thing to feeling they are mine.” She clarifies that this involves not just affection but also discipline, noting, “I also scold them if necessary.”
This deeply personal connection has transcended her family life, earning her the affectionate nickname “Aunt Mariana” among her Peloton students. Far from being a mere branding tool, it embodies her approach to coaching: guiding, nurturing, and providing support. She explains, “I am their coach, I program what we will work on. But I also want them to feel safe, to be able to vent, to know that it’s okay to start over after a difficult chapter.”
Fernández herself has navigated a difficult chapter. After a long-term relationship ended—one where she envisioned building a family and had already begun trying for children—she found herself restarting her path to motherhood alone. “We broke up, we already lived together, we were starting to try. All that vanished pretty quickly,” she recounted. She is now pursuing motherhood independently, stating, “I have my donor, I’m scheduling another round. It won’t be as I imagined, but I feel empowered to make decisions my way.”
Living in New York, Fernández embraces a less traditional lifestyle, which she hopes to model for her nieces and nephews. “I live in New York, I have a less traditional life, but I like to show the kids another way of seeing the world,” she said. She aims for them to recognize her as “that aunt who loves them, who listens to them, who supports them, who is present.” This personal strength at 40 allows her to lead by example. “At 40, I feel stronger. I apologize less for prioritizing myself. For wanting to live life by my rules, without waiting for anyone else to move forward,” she asserted.
This new phase also redefines her training philosophy. While she remains committed to running—she will participate in her tenth New York City marathon this Sunday—she now integrates other disciplines into her daily routine. “Before, I only ran. Now I understand how important it is to alternate with strength, rest, mobility,” she explained. Tools like Peloton IQ, the platform’s new feature that suggests personalized weekly routines, assist her in planning her own workouts and those for her followers. “It’s a way to train more intelligently, and I love being able to share that from my experience,” she noted. Her approach to training, like her approach to life, emphasizes adaptation, self-awareness, and the courage to begin anew when necessary.