I am honored to be March’s Member Spotlight. I’ve been a member of 212 since 2018.
I have always enjoyed being active. When my kids were little we were always out for walks and bike rides. Once they got a little older I joined the Y and would put them in the child care so I could get an hour of exercise to myself. I started doing some strength training and gradually started to take some classes.
I had some friends who belonged to a small boxing gym. I ended up joining and I loved the small gym community feeling and the boxing. Then life got a little busy and the boxing gym closed. I was working as a nurse in the ER at the time and decided to go back to school to become a nurse practitioner. I was working very long 16 hour shifts so that I could be in clinical rotations 4 days a week. I had very few days off a month. Unfortunately exercise was something I had to give up for the first time ever in my life.
But then eventually, I finished my program, took my boards and started working as an NP. Yay!! Things were more settled and I knew I had to get back into the gym for my mental and physical health, it was too long with out exercise. I had joined one of the bigger gyms and started working out again. I never felt like I got much out of my workouts and I missed the small gym environment.
I had seen 212 when I would get coffee at 7 Stars, like most people had. I remember wanting to check it out, but it was too intimidating to just walk in. I reached out to Deb, who I’ve known forever. She had so many great things to say about 212. She told me that I had to come try a class. So I took the first step and I messaged 212 and set up my first meeting. From that first day I knew it was a gym community that I would want to be part of. I’ve been a member ever since.
I enjoy all the classes and my small groups. I love my 7am Thursday morning boxing classes, and that says a lot since I am not a morning person.
I have set up up my clinic hours around my classes at the gym, that’s how important it is to me. I tell my patients that being physically active is necessary and that functional strength training is the best was to remain independent as they age. I like being able to tell them how I work fitness into my busy schedule on a regular basis.
My daughter Lillian is a college athlete and her strength coaches always commend her on her form and the weight she can lift. She always says it’s all thanks to the summer high school athlete sessions she did at 212!
