Meet the Owner, Sherri Sarrouf
Sherri Laffey Sarrouf, the owner of Elite Fitness Professionals, Inc. d/b/an SLS Fitness, had a lifelong dream of offering holistic fitness coaching through a “whole-body wellness” approach to the Merrimack Valley community.
In 2010, Sherri opened SLS Fitness Strength and Conditioning Center in Lowell, MA, and over the course of 10 years, she has expanded the facility from 7,500 to 18,000 square feet.
Sherri Sarrouf pioneered the concept of class-based functional movement. When SLS Fitness opened, the concept of having a coach in a group setting was totally new to the fitness industry, and it has spread like wildfire in the years since. The establishment of an intensive ‘30-minute’ workout coupled with the drive to hire the best certified and top-educated coaches has made SLS one of the top strength and conditioning facilities in New England.
Sherri Sarrouf is the founder of SLS Fitness in Lowell, MA, which she opened in 2010 and has grown into a thriving 18,000-square-foot wellness center. Driven by a passion for helping people feel their best, she has created a welcoming, community-focused space offering a wide range of training; from strength and conditioning to yoga, boxing, and metabolic training, which she was among the first to bring to New England.
Beyond SLS, Sherri expanded her vision of whole-body wellness by opening Dragonfly Cafe, a 100% gluten-free café designed to support all lifestyles and dietary needs. SLS also offers specialized programs for seniors, Parkinson’s patients, pre- and postnatal clients, and cancer survivors, and corporate and community wellness programming bringing wellness directly to businesses, community centers, and schools in the Merrimack Valley.
With over 27 years in the industry, Sherri’s impact reaches far beyond the gym. She is the founder of Fitness For a Cure, a community-driven fundraiser that has raised over $10 million for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Her dedication to giving back has earned her numerous honors, including the Boston Celtics Heroes Among Us Award and St. Jude’s Volunteer Group of the Year.
At the heart of it all, Sherri’s mission is simple: to create a place where people feel supported, empowered, and at home in their wellness journey.
Fitness for a Cure
Fitness for a Cure Co-Chairs receiving the “Volunteer Group of The Year” Award at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, TN. Pictured from left to right: Elizabeth Sarrouf, Stephen Sarrouf, Sherri Sarrouf, and Richard C. Shadyac.
Always passionate about giving back and supporting others, Sherri Sarrouf is also the proud founder of the Fitness For a Cure fundraiser to benefit ALSAC/St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, TN.
Fitness For a Cure has raised over $10 million for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital since its inception.
Sherri and the Fitness For a Cure Committee just received the 2023 “Volunteer Group of The Year” award from ALSAC/St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital CEO, Richard C. Shadyac, an award that in previous years was won by HomeGoods and CVS.
What began as a $5,000 event in 1999 has grown to a $1,000,000 annual event supported by a committee of 100+ volunteers and the St Jude performance fitness team with over 120 children and adults in the Merrimack Valley/Lowell community. Ms. Sarrouf has traveled throughout New England speaking to numerous groups, businesses, and schools on behalf of St. Jude, and in 2019, she received the Boston Celtics’ Heroes Among Us Award for her 22 years of fundraising for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Accolades
Merrimack Valley Magazine
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SLS won “best gym” in 2020 and 2021.
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In 2021 Merrimack Valley Magazine ran a feature on Sherri, her success in the fitness industry and her philanthropic work with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Boston Celtic’s Nominate Sherri for the “Heroes Among us Award”
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In 2019, Sherri received the Boston Celtics “Heroes Among Us” award for her work and dedication to St. Jude.
Sherri Sarrouf and Fitness For a Cure Receives the 2023 “National Volunteer Group of the Year” Award from ALSAC/St. Jude
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Sherri and the Fitness For a Cure Committee just received the 2023 “Volunteer Group of The Year” award from ALSAC/St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital CEO, Richard C. Shadyac, an award that in previous years was won by HomeGoods and CVS.