I’m a bad gym member with minimal commitment, coming to small groups only twice a week! However, 212 Heath and Performance isn’t a gym for me, it is a community of like-minded people coming together around a common goal of being a better version of ourselves.
My 212 journey started nearly 10 years ago. I was referred to the gym through a co-worker as part of a Hasbro program run by Sean. I remember walking through the doors for the first time as a skinny, 130lb, unfit recent graduate. Prior to this, my life goals never included being muscular or more physically fit. Growing up, I had always been a smaller kid with my life centered around music. Playing the cello, performing with the marching band, and singing in the choir were my main focus. Joining 212 completely changed that mindset, and in those first years, I was committed to a strict schedule allowing me to improve exponentially as I created muscle, increased my general fitness, and built my confidence.
Over the years, my relationship with the gym has changed. I don’t go as often as I once did, but 212 is more than a physical place. It is that mindset that causes me to ask myself, how can I be one degree better? The team at 212 supports me in these efforts even if I’m not there. Sean always reaches out to ask how I’m doing. Beyond that, I owe my “beefy arms and chest” to Sean. Colin is a consistent force & support in my life, helping me to achieve cycling goals as I embark on this new cycling fitness journey. Alicia, aside from always bringing the dance party, pushes me outside of my comfort zone on the regular, getting me to try new things I otherwise wouldn’t have (PBJ). I may not spend as much time at the gym as I used to, but the team’s influence reaches far beyond those four walls. Since joining, my fitness has increased significantly as has my confidence in myself.
Reflecting as I write this, I should be coming in more often. I miss the challenge of Kim’s classes or the infectious energy of Aura’s playlists as she screams WATER, WATER, WATER! I can’t remember the last time I saw Heather’s smiling face at the front desk greeting me as I walked in, and I miss the true insanity and fun of a HIIT class taught by Kerry.
As a member spotlight, this is probably supposed to be about me, my journey, and my life outside of the gym. So I will quickly mention that I love to cycle, I work at Hasbro, I sing in a professional choir, etc. However, after 10 years of dedication to making me a better version of myself, it is a more appropriate use of this platform to say thank you to the amazing staff at 212. You represent so much more than a gym. You’re all friends, teachers, coaches, motivators, and a chosen family here in Rhode Island.
