Karla Medina

The life of Karla C. Medina is indeed a message. Karla was born and raised in Hartford in a single parent household. She excelled in sports and academics in school and went on to college during the midst of Hartford’s notorious gang wars. Since then she has flourished in many facets. She holds many local, national, book publication, choreography, creative direction, backstage theater, organizing/judging talent and beauty competitions credits and is known for her creative web design, event planning and innovative business vision and public relations approach. Karla has often captivated many audiences when recruited as a motivation/guest speaker due to her life’s versatility.

Karla is a 18-year veteran of the Hartford Police Department and considered an expert in gang violence. Her work experience includes being a patrol officer, undercover task force officer, Detective within the Major Crimes Division and the Intelligence (Firearms, Gangs and Dignitary protection) Division, Sergeant, Supervisor of a Mid-shift Street Crimes Unit, and Sergeant, supervisor of the Police Activities League (PAL). Karla is a certified physical fitness instructor by the Police Officer’s Training Council, supervisor on the Hartford Police Awards committee, active in academy instruction and held three terms as the President of the Connecticut Association of Women Police.

She has her B.S. in Business Management and her Master’s Degree in Public Policy along with numerous other training's. Karla also volunteers and serves many adults and children in many ways throughout the year by conducting workshops on body image, self-motivation, mentoring programs and leadership challenges which directly derive from the many struggles she has faced and overcome in her life.

Karla is an entrepreneur, founder of Sudor Taino ®. a small business dedicated to enhancing people’s individual journey towards health, fitness and life to being her unique blend to the fitness world. She has trademarked the name Sudor Taino as she believes in the unique blend she is offering to her clients. Karla has been a certified group fitness, kickboxing instructor and trainer for over eighteen years and holds many different certifications from AFSA, AFAA, IFA, Powerstrike and more, all related to Dance & Hip Hop Instruction, Group Fitness, Kickboxing and Personal Training Instruction. Her training and experience in helping people find the passion in their lives through fitness is what she called her life’s work and mission. She holds many certifications and has attended hundreds of workshops and master classes that support her wide range of experience. Her efforts in this field are reflective of her personal struggles with weight, body image, eating disorders, lack of support, self limiting beliefs, injuries and depression.

Karla’s goal is to be a role model to people of all ages, shapes and sizes. She plans to continue to contribute to the progress of humankind by fostering the lives of everyone around her with her ideology of Fitness & Life with Passion.

The quote she lives by, “Remember, We work for God”, by Lt. Commander Vernon Gerberth

Collaborations with “The Sweetest Land” documentary, 4 Peace Film Ms. Puerto Rico Pageant and Women Warriors Book. For more info on her fitness experience, master classes, etc.